Chapter 18: Choosing Without FearMorning arrived softly in Bandra, filtered through pale curtains and the distant sound of traffic that never truly slept. The city woke the way it always did—without asking permission, without waiting for anyone to be ready. Inside the apartment, however, time moved slower, still carrying the emotional residue of the night that had shaken them all.Niddhi stood at the balcony with a mug of coffee warming her palms. The sky was a muted grey, clouds lingering as if undecided about rain. Her phone buzzed in her hand. A notification from college. She sighed, took a final