C34 The Weight of Guilt

The rain hadn’t stopped. It drummed steadily against the cracked windowpane, filling the silence of the room. Arun sat on the edge of the thin mattress, phone heavy in his hand, the screen still lit with Mai’s name.

He hadn’t called her back. He couldn’t.

But the longer he stared at her name, the heavier the guilt pressed against his chest.

He raked a hand through his hair