Katha lay motionlessly on Sameer’s bed, a pale silhouette against the white sheets. She wasn't truly resting; her eyes were open, staring blankly at the ceiling, a safe, neutral space where the horrors of the morning couldn't touch her.

Sameer, meanwhile, was a storm of barely contained energy. He paced the perimeter of the room like a caged lion, his strides short and violent, raking his hands through his hair. The silence from the bed was an invisible wall, driving him closer to explosion.