After spending the entire day with Krunal working on their thesis, Saanjh felt completely drained. They had been so engrossed in research that neither of them had even realized they'd skipped lunch. It wasn't unusual for her. She often ignored her meals whenever she was buried in work. By evening, the hunger returned with a vengeance, and she ended up eating whatever she could find.

As she walked through the quiet streets toward home, all she could think about was food and a hot shower.

By the time she reached the front gate, the sun had already begun to set. She was about to ring the doorbell when soft laughter drifted through the evening air.

Instinctively, she turned. Her breath caught. Across the street, standing just outside his house, was Vikram.

A girl stood pressed against him, laughing as he brushed his lips along the side of her neck. She giggled, wrapping her arms around him as though they were the only two people in the world.

Saanjh froze.

The sensible thing to do would've been to look away and go inside.

Instead... Curiosity won.

She quietly stepped behind the boundary wall, peeking through the narrow gap.

Just one more second.

She told herself she wasn't spying. She was merely... Observing. Research. Her cheeks warmed at her own ridiculous excuse.

Before she could witness anything more, Vikram unlocked the front door and pulled the girl inside, closing it behind them. The show was over. Saanjh let out a tiny disappointed sigh before shaking her head.

"Get a grip, Saanjh."

Unlocking her own front door with her spare key, she stepped inside. Immediately, cheerful voices filled the house. She smiled. Only one person could make her mother laugh that loudly.

Walking into the living room, she saw her father arranging dinner on the dining table while her mother chatted animatedly with someone whose back was turned toward the entrance. Saanjh grinned.

Without warning, she slipped behind the woman and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

"My favorite aunt!" she exclaimed before planting a kiss on her cheek. "I missed you."

Anjali Khanna turned around dramatically, placing a hand over her heart.

"My baby!" she declared. "Look who's suddenly remembered she has an aunt."

She folded her arms and pouted exaggeratedly.

"My smart girl doesn't even have time to call me anymore."

Saanjh laughed.

"I've been drowning in my thesis. It's the last semester, Maasi. Exams are over, but I have fifteen days to submit it."

She flopped onto the sofa beside her.

"After that..." she sighed happily, "...I'm finally free."

Anjali's eyes sparkled mischievously.

"Excellent."

She leaned closer.

"Because the moment you're free..." She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "...we're going on a trip."

Saanjh smiled.

"Really?"

"Just you and me."

Anjali winked.

"A completely wild trip."

Saanjh laughed, already knowing their definitions of wild were worlds apart. Her aunt lived life without rules. She traveled whenever she pleased, believed in following her heart, and refused to let society dictate how a woman should live.

Saanjh admired that freedom. She just didn't want it for herself. She preferred quiet dreams, steady routines, and a peaceful life.

Once everyone settled around the dining table, Anjali rested her chin on her palm.

"So," she asked, "what's the grand plan after graduation?"

"I'm applying for my master's," Saanjh replied. "After that, I want to do my PhD in child psychology."

Anjali smiled proudly.

"Any particular institute?"

"The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences."

"And where exactly is that?"

Before Saanjh could answer, her mother spoke instead.

"Delhi," she complained.

"Can you believe it, Anjali? She wants to move all the way to Delhi. Why can't she study here? We've been telling her to come to Pune. There are so many excellent institutes there."

Anjali chuckled.

"Didi..." She gently reached for her sister's hand. "You've protected her all her life."

She looked at Saanjh.

"Now let her discover who she is."

Turning back to her sister, she continued softly, "She'll only be young once. Let her live alone for a few years. Let her explore new places, meet new people, make mistakes, learn from them."

She smiled knowingly.

"Once she gets married, responsibilities will come. This is the only time she'll truly have for herself."

Saanjh silently thanked her aunt. For almost a year, she had been trying to convince her parents to let her study outside their hometown.

Maybe... Just maybe... Anjali maasi could succeed where she had failed.

"And don't worry about these two," Anjali added playfully. "I'll keep an eye on them while you're away."

That made everyone laugh. The rest of dinner passed with stories, teasing, and endless conversations about everything they had missed over the past few months. It felt warm. Comfortable. Like home.

Later that night, everyone retired to their rooms. Saanjh dragged herself upstairs, every muscle aching from spending hours bent over books and a laptop.

She changed into a soft cotton nightdress before stepping into a cool shower. Oddly enough, instead of making her sleepy, the shower left her feeling wide awake.

With a sigh, she walked toward her bedroom window and pushed it open. The warm summer breeze brushed against her face. Everything seemed hot. The roads. The houses. The air. Even the silence carried the heaviness of summer.

Resting her elbows on the windowsill, she absentmindedly looked toward the neighboring house. A faint light glowed from Vikram's bedroom window.

Without realizing it, she found herself wondering... Was he still awake? Or was he still with the girl he'd brought home?

The thought made something strange flutter inside her chest. She immediately looked away and smiled to herself.

"You're impossible, Saanjh."

Closing the curtains, she climbed into bed, unaware that tonight would be the last ordinary night of her life.