Chapter 24: The Silence That Broke Her The first few days after Vansh left for his treatment, Niyati tried hard to remain calm. She told herself that distance was temporary, that hospitals were busy places, and that healing required patience. At first, his voice over the phone still carried traces of the man she knew — gentle, reassuring, familiar. But slowly, almost imperceptibly, something began to change. His laughter faded. Conversations grew shorter. The warmth in his voice was replaced by pauses, strained breaths, and silences he tried to hide. Sometimes, he didn’t pick up her calls at all. Messages