"Are you okay?" Aarav asked her. It was the first time in his life he had asked a stranger that question without wanting something in return. The receptionist looked surprised. Then, she smiled—a real, tired, human smile. "I burnt my finger making tea. It hurts a bit. Thanks for asking, sir." "I see you," Aarav thought. I see you before you are gone. The gut pain didn't vanish, but it changed. It wasn't the sharp pain of anxiety anymore. It was the dull, aching pain of Penance. And that, Aarav knew, was the beginning of the cure. ________________________________________ Key Concepts Covered in Narrative: 1. The "Option" Paralysis: Aarav’s belief that there is always a "better" person a swipe away leads him to devalue the human being in front of him. 2. Commodity Fetishism: The reduction of a person (Riya) to a set of attributes (boring/sad/fun) rather than a subject with an inner life. 3. The "Save for Later" Fallacy: The assumption that people, like products, will remain available in our "cart" until we decide to engage with them. Death exposes this as a lie. 4. The Somatic Gut-Brain Axis: Aarav’s "gut issues" (IBS/Dyspepsia) are revealed to be the physical manifestation of his "indigestible" guilt and superficial consumption of life. 5. Digital Dehumanization: The contrast between the "Blue Ticks" (read receipt) and the "Single Tick" (death) highlights the irreversibility of digital neglect.