A profound shift occurred within Shashwat. The fury, the rage, the possessiveness that had defined him for so long, evaporated, replaced by a chilling realization of the damage he had inflicted, and a deep, almost unbearable shame. He looked at Rani, truly looked at her, and for the first time, saw her not as a possession, but as a fellow human being, a victim of his own making.

He reached out, his hands trembling slightly, and gently, tentatively, pulled her into his arms. He held her close, cradling her against his chest, his touch now filled with remorse, with a desperate need to offer comfort.