Two weeks had passed in the blink of an eye. As usual, Dr. Nia was having her morning coffee when her senior, Dr. Shan, called for her presence.

She soon found herself waiting outside the therapy room while Dr. Shan was inside, attending to Mr. Arjun.

“It’s not good to stay silent in every session. It’s really not that hard to close your case,” Dr. Shan’s voice echoed from within. The ever-calm, composed, and optimistic doctor had finally shown a crack in his patience—right in front of her.

“Dr. Nia,” he called, stepping out.

She entered. Arjun, who had been fidgeting with the cuff chain, turned his gaze toward her.

“Hi! How are you doing, doctor?” Arjun greeted, his tone unusually light.

“You handle him,” Dr. Shan said curtly and left the room.

“I appreciate undisturbed, one-on-one communication—in private,” Arjun added, his voice firm.

Everyone exited the room, leaving the two alone.

“I’m fine,” Nia replied softly.

“I don’t want anything to eat or drink. Don’t waste time with formalities today either. You only have three more questions,” he said in advance, as if setting the rules.

“How did they make you an orphan? Can you tell me clearly?”

“I lost my parents when I was six. My sister was just two then,” Arjun began, his voice quieting. “She was my world. But those bastards raped her and killed her.”

He looked down, and for the first time, Nia noticed a flicker of pain in his otherwise unfazed voice.

“Did you file a complaint?” she asked gently.

“Of course, I did. But no action was taken—just like you preached yesterday. The inspector made me run errands for him. He handed me a packet of biscuits and told me not to talk about it to anyone.”

Nia took a deep breath. “Have faith in God. One day, people will realize their mistakes. There’s nothing more painful than realizing the weight of a mistake.”

“I’ve made mistakes too,I have killed 4 people. I’ve realized it just after my first kill but nothing happened to me doctor,” he said being sarcastic .

“No,” Niah interrupted. “You only know what you’ve done was a mistake. That’s not the same as realizing it. If you had truly realized it, you wouldn’t be sitting here with such peace. Knowing and realizing are two very different things.”

“Shut the fuck up!” he snapped suddenly. “Just because I’m answering your questions doesn’t mean you get to preach to me. Who are you to give free advice? You don’t know a damn thing about what I’ve been through.”

He stood, breathing heavily, emotions threatening to burst.

“Do you know how hard it is to live as an orphan in this world? Do you know the value of even the smallest things you take for granted—a meal, a place to sleep, someone to talk to, ten minutes of peace? You don’t. People like you talk like you understand, but you don’t.”

Nia looked him in the eye. “I do know, Arjun. I know, and I’m trying to help you see the value of the life you're throwing away. The life you could live—with a family of your own—is more fulfilling than ten minutes of satisfaction from revenge. You deserve that life. Don’t ruin it.”

“If you refuse proper treatment, they won’t think twice before ending your story with a bullet. Is that the ending you want?”

Arjun didn’t respond. The room fell into silence.

Nia softened her tone. “People like us—those who grew up in orphanages—we’ve all hoped for a better future. Just close your eyes for a moment, Arjun. Imagine the comfort of falling asleep in your wife’s lap, your daughter nestled between you. That moment of peace... the warmth of belonging... it’s worth more than revenge. It’s worth everything.”