A story, his mother used to say, is just a series of choices.

He closed the laptop. Walked across the hall. Knocked softly.

She blinked, then handed him the thick, saffron-covered volume without a word. The spine was cracked at “Autonomic Nervous System.” Her own highlights—pink, yellow, green—danced across the pages like tiny lanterns.

He typed the words into the search bar of his laptop: Tara V Shanbhag Pharmacology 5th Edition Pdf . His finger hovered over Enter.