The days had turned into a blur of textbooks, ward duties, and the constant hum of 'exams are coming' that hung heavy in the air. For Aayush, it was the final stretch—final year exams, the line between student and doctor drawing sharper with every passing hour. For Aarushi, there was still a year left before the same storm would come for her, but she lived through it with him, as though his battles were her own.

The library had become their second home. Pages turning, pens scratching, and the low whir of ceiling fans were the soundtrack of their days. Amid the scattered notes and highlighted books, little rituals of comfort grew between them—silent, unspoken, but steady.