Aarav stopped. The old Aarav would have nodded and walked past. The "Optimized Aarav" would have calculated the opportunity cost of a conversation. But the Human Aarav—the one who was starving—stopped. "I'm tired, Imran Chacha," Aarav admitted. Imran stood up. He didn't offer advice. He didn't suggest a podcast. He did something shocking. He reached out and placed a heavy, calloused hand on Aarav’s shoulder. He gave it a firm squeeze. "It’s okay, beta," Imran said. "Life is heavy. We carry it together." The touch was warm. It was solid. It grounded Aarav in a way that months of meditation apps hadn't. Aarav felt a sudden, violent release in his chest. His breath hitched. The cortisol spike he had been obsessing over dissolved under the weight of a human hand. He realized then that Health is not a set of metrics on a screen. Health is Connection. He had spent so much time quantifying his self that he had forgotten to inhabit it. He looked at his watch. It buzzed: Time to stand! Aarav unclasped the strap. He took the watch off. He slipped it into his pocket. "Thank you, Chacha," Aarav said, his voice trembling but real. He walked home. He didn't know what his heart rate was. He didn't know how many steps he had taken. And for the first time in months, he felt completely alive. ________________________________________ Key Concepts Covered in Narrative: 1. Orthosomnia. 2. Skin Hunger (Touch Starvation). 3. The Quantified Self Trap. 4. Co-Regulation.