The next day, Ananya didn't post.
She didn't react.
She went to class.
She shot her segment.
She came back.
And then she wrote.
Not a defense.
A context.
She recorded a simple video.
No makeup.
No music.
Hostel room.
"I'm not a therapist. I'm a student who listens. I don't speak over pain. I speak beside it. If anything I said felt small to someone's reality, I'm not offended. I'm learning. And I'm staying."
She posted it.
And logged out.
By evening, the narrative softened.
Messages shifted.
Some still judged.
Many thanked.
A few told their own stories.
Ananya sat on her bed, phone face down.
"I don't feel relieved," she said.
Meher nodded. "That means you didn't perform your way out."