Arjun encircled his arms around her waist as Ishita hugged him tightly, her warmth wrapping around him like a lifeline. He held her back just as fiercely, but something in his chest was tight, suffocating. Tears, unbidden and hot, began to spill from his eyes. He tried to stifle them, but they kept coming, each drop a weight on his heart. His face was pressed into her shoulder as he struggled to keep his composure, silently crying into her, the emotional toll of his actions finally crashing down on him. The guilt, the confusion, the hurt: it all overwhelmed him in a wave.

His tears fell on her back. Ishita felt the dampness on her back and instinctively pulled away, concerned. Arjun tried to control himself, wiping his eyes quickly as he stepped back, his breathing uneven. He turned his back on her, his emotions too raw, too exposed. "I... I just need to take a shower," he muttered, his voice shaky, barely above a whisper.