The days settled into a new, gentler rhythm. The small white pill Rooh took each night, initially a symbol of her 'brokenness', gradually became a quiet ally. The sharp, jagged edges of her anxiety began to soften. The crushing weight on her chest that often preceded a panic attack lifted, leaving room for something she had rarely experienced: a baseline of calm.

She found herself humming along to music as she moved about the apartment. Her new iPad, a tool of her independence, was set up with Neel’s patient guidance. She dove into her new project with a focus that felt cleaner, less frantic. The challenge of weaving a Western aesthetic into traditional Indian lehengas excited her. She would sketch for hours, absorbed in lines and fabrics.