Chahat pov :

The silence was deafening, pressing against my ears like a thick veil. I stood still, cloaked in darkness so absolute that even my own silhouette had disappeared into it. The air around me was heavy, suffocating—as though the night itself was alive, watching me, breathing with me. Each breath I took felt labored, shaky. My chest rose and fell rapidly, and I pressed my palm over my pounding heart, trying to quiet the storm inside me. My forehead was damp with sweat, and I wiped it away with trembling fingers.