Kainat’s breath hitched as she slammed her bedroom door shut behind her. Her chest was tightening, her vision blurring. For a month now—ever since she had been with Agastya—those dreaded panic attacks had vanished, but tonight they came crashing back, dragging her into the same suffocating darkness she thought she had outgrown. She had convinced herself she was stronger now, stronger than her fears… but Agastya’s broken voice on the phone had ripped through that fragile belief. His suffering had triggered hers.

Her hands shook violently as she stumbled into the wardrobe room. She yanked open drawers, pulled at cupboards, until finally her trembling fingers found a small tin box. Inside were the anti-panic pills she had hoped never to touch again. Without thinking, she swallowed two at once, sliding down against the cupboard. Knees drawn to her chest, she rocked herself, sobbing uncontrollably.