The apartment echoed with emptiness, its walls pristine and unyielding. Sana’s routine remained unbroken—early mornings, silent departures. We were like parallel lines, destined never to intersect. But sometimes, in the quiet hours, I wondered: Did he ever feel the absence as acutely as I did?

My work at the startup was a paradox: teaching graphics to a small team, my passion eclipsed by meager pay. But it kept me busy, distracted from the enigma that shared my space.