Anisa's new venture went live. The live sketching service was launched just before Valentine's week and, to her relief, secured three bookings within days. The direct, experiential service proved popular for the romantic holiday, providing a welcome boost to the studio's revenue. She envisioned maintaining it as a seasonal offering, perfect for festivals and celebrations. ⚡
Around the city, the ambiance shifted for Valentine's Day, with decorations adding splashes of red and pink to the winter landscape, a contrast to the personal dramas unfolding in private lives.
For Yugh, the demands of his surgical profession provided a necessary structure, but in the quiet moments, between procedures, during a silent drive home, his mind betrayed him. The words from Zahra's diary echoed, and now they had images attached. He would see them, unbidden: Zahra and Zayan smiling together, a phantom couple conjured by his own pain. These mental intrusions were no longer just painful memories; they were haunting, vivid specters that twisted the solitude of his off-hours into something profoundly agonizing. The professional success of his day was often undone by the private torment of his nights, where progress felt impossible, and the past felt unbearably present. 🛑