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VIHAAN SURYAWANSHI

Age: Fourteen

Maa’s accident changed everything. One moment we were a family under one roof, and the next, we were scattered like fallen chess pieces. Dad didn’t say much. He never did. Just sent us away—each to a different boarding school, as if distance could fix the cracks that had already formed.

We came back only during vacations—three times a year. That was the agreement. And now, here we were again. Summer had arrived with its usual heat and golden dust, curling into the corners of our palace. But sitting here together after months apart… it felt strange. Like trying to fit into clothes you’ve outgrown.