Today had started earlier than usual.

I’d left the house before sunrise, slipping out quietly while she was still asleep. My plan was simple—clear the backlog in one go, get the meetings wrapped, see the patients, and maybe… just maybe… come home early for once.

By noon, the office was oddly still. Mr. Shah had handled the project brief efficiently, a few meetings got cancelled, and the patient list was shorter than I’d seen in weeks. For the first time in a month, I wasn’t rushing against the clock.

It felt strange, leaving before the city’s evening chaos. Almost foreign. The drive back was quiet, but in my head I’d already imagined her reaction—surprise first, then that shy, fleeting smile she gave only when she was caught off guard. I thought maybe I’d find her in the living room, or in the kitchen with Maa, or curled up with a book in the garden.

I didn’t expect silence.