The warm afternoon sunlight was gradually leaning over the sofa through the west window of the room. The clock struck 3:12 PM. A heavy, serene silence wrapped the room, broken only by the continuous clicking of Arnab’s laptop keyboard that infused a bit of life into the space. Arnab had been deeply immersed in a complex client presentation for the past two hours. A faint furrow rested on his brow, and his glasses had slipped slightly down the bridge of his nose. I sat on the sofa with my legs tucked in, staring at my laptop screen, though truth be told, my mind wasn't there. It hung in a strange state of restless anticipation.

At precisely 3:12 PM, the phone resting on my lap suddenly vibrated. A soft 'ting' sound.