Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: The Final Tick

Weak and trembling, Ayan returned to the tiny shop. The old man was gone, but a note sat on the counter: "Time is a gift because it ends." Ayan understood. He pressed the button one last time—not to go back, but to move forward. The watch shattered in his hand. The gray in his hair vanished, and the heavy weight on his chest lifted. He walked out into the humid Kolkata heat, happy to let the seconds pass, knowing that a perfect life is one where you learn from the mistakes you cannot change.