The night remained the same—
but the silence felt heavier now.
She booked a cab.
She waited on the pavement, her gaze unfocused.
At that moment, it felt like the world was moving—
but hers had stopped.
She watched a family pass by in a car.
A boy.
A girl.
A mother.
A father.
They were laughing.
She looked away before the moment could settle.
She called the cab driver.
The driver didn't pick up.
A car pulled up behind her.
"Canora?" a voice called.
She turned back.
"OTP?" the driver asked.
"5328," she replied quietly.
She opened the door and got into the cab.
"It's urgent," she said.
"Please move fast."
The cab started moving.
She looked out the window, but saw nothing.
Her phone rang again.
Arjun.
She stared at the screen for a moment.
She declined the call.
After a moment, she typed a message.
I'm fine. I'll text you once I reach home.
Then she locked her phone.
The driver's phone rang, connecting to the car's monitor.
"Dad, come home early," a young voice said.
"I made a drawing of our family."
The driver smiled faintly.
"I'll come," he said.
"Just one last passenger."
The words felt distant—yet they lingered.
She kept looking out of the window.
She closed her eyes.
The words from the call echoed again—
"…this can't continue…"
A few moments later…
"Ma'am… ma'am, we've reached," the driver called.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Without a word, she handed him the money.
She stepped out.
She opened the gate, then closed it behind her.
And rang the bell.
The sound felt louder than it should have.
She stood in front of the door, but no one opened it.
Voices came from inside.
Suresh and Nisha were arguing—something about money.
This time, it didn't feel like something that would end.
She sat down beside the door and waited.
"Dad… I'm outside. Open the door."
The voices paused.
The door opened.
She slipped off her sneakers and placed them in the shoe rack.
Then she stepped into the living room.
The air felt heavy.
She looked at her mother.
Nisha was smiling—just slightly.
It didn't reach her eyes.
The door closed behind her.
And the argument started again.
"I'm done with this," Suresh said.
"So am I," Nisha replied.
The words echoed in her mind.
The call…
had been from Nisha.
She walked into her room.
She picked up her phone and typed a message.
I'm safe. I've reached home.
Then she locked the screen.
She closed the door behind her.
The room fell silent.
For a moment, she didn't move.
Something inside her had already started breaking.
Then something inside her gave in.
She covered her face, her shoulders trembling.
"I can't handle this anymore…"
Her voice shook.
"It's… really over."
The silence in the room felt different now.