The corridor outside the Dean’s office felt heavy with tension, like the air hadn’t taken a proper breath in hours.

Three figures stood quietly—Aarushi, Saumaya, and Aayush—lined up like different shades of the same storm. The once-bustling hallway of AIIMS had gone eerily silent after the police escorted Arjun Awasthy away, his arrogance stripped and dignity in tatters. But inside the office, another storm brewed—Rudraksh, speaking to the management on Aayush’s behalf, using every bit of logic and influence he could wield.