The hospital room was quiet again after the morning commotion. The nurses had made their last rounds, and only the steady rhythm of the machines remained—a soft beep syncing with Ruhaan’s heartbeat. He was sleeping again, the fatigue of the accident still heavy on his little frame. His sister Ruhi sat curled up at the edge of his bed, protectively watching over him like a small guardian, even as her eyelids drooped.

Pihu sat in the armchair by the window, her hands clutched tightly in her lap, her eyes red from the overwhelming tide of emotions she’d tried to hold back since morning. She had barely registered Akash’s presence in the background during the hospital visit, her mind too clouded by the children's confusion and the weight of decisions yet to be made.