101: Fated Destiny

Returning to their respective duties, Kartika immersed herself in work with renewed focus. Before going upstairs, they agreed to take grandma to the hospital the next day, and speak with her about it after work. There was an unspoken understanding between them; neither brought up the topic of divorce. Their last trip to the civil affairs office was a heat-of-the-moment decision that unfortunately coincided with grandma's surgery complications, resulting in delays. This time, Kartika was not in a hurry. She decided it was best to wait until grandma had recovered from the surgery before going to the bureau to finalize the divorce, avoiding any potential complications. She suspected Farhan was likely thinking along the same lines.

—

Around noon, Kartika headed downstairs as usual to get some porridge, thinking of trying a different vegetarian flavor today. She had barely reached the lobby and was about to strike up a conversation with the vendor when her phone rang. The call was from Dim