The vast haveli echoed with an emptiness that had never been felt before. The absence of Rani was a palpable presence, a void that clung to Shashwat like a suffocating shroud. He had lost her, and with her, a piece of himself.

He retreated further into himself, burying himself in work and numbing his emotions with the strong, dark whiskey that had become a constant companion. The nights were the worst. The memories, the regrets, the unfulfilled desires – they clawed at him, tormenting him in the darkness. Sleeplessness became a new kind of torture, and he began to rely on sleeping pills to find even a semblance of rest.