Call audio ducking when VoiceOver speaks - iPhone 16 Plus

Hello AppleVis community, I am seeking help with a persistent issue on my iPhone 16 Plus 128 GB running iOS 26.2. Since I first purchased this device, I have faced a problem where VoiceOver automatically ducks the call audio whenever I use VoiceOver during an active conversation. This occurs across all communication platforms, including the default Phone app, cellular calls, WhatsApp, and Google Meet.
I have already verified that the "Audio Ducking" setting is disabled in my VoiceOver configuration. Interestingly, this problem does not affect other media like Music or YouTube videos; it is strictly limited to calls. When I turn off VoiceOver speech, the call audio is perfectly clear and at the correct volume, but as soon as VoiceOver speech is active, the call audio ducks.
I am using Nathan as my primary voice and Neel (Hindi) as my secondary voice. I have already tried resetting my device to fix the issue, but it did not help. This has been happening since I first got the phone on iOS 18, so it does not appear to be a recent update bug.If anyone has experienced this or knows of a fix, please let me know.