Marked By Darkness

Chapter 11- A dream of Letting go

Ruhi's POV...

The river flowed gently, and I couldn't help but lose myself in the sight—the soft ripples gleaming in the light, the cherry trees in full bloom, their pink petals fluttering with the breeze. Above, the sky stretched wide and blue. It all looked too perfect, too dreamlike. And yet, here I stood, waiting. I should’ve known.

"Why am I even surprised? He’s late again," I muttered to myself, rolling my eyes. "Why do I even bother?"

I started to walk away, the weight of the moment pushing me further into frustration, when I heard his voice.

"Hey, Ruhi!"

Finally. "You! Do you even know what time it is, Sounak?" I could feel my irritation bubbling up, but somehow, my tone softened as I looked at him.

Sounak looked slightly out of breath, his expression apologetic. "Sorry, I stopped by a friend’s place. Took longer than I thought."

"Great," I said, arms crossed, still irritated but somehow not as angry as I felt a second ago.

"Come on, Ruhi. Let’s go there," he said, his smile returning.

"Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for you, Sounak?" The words slipped out before I could stop them.

"Okay, okay, I’m sorry again." He gave a sheepish grin.

I sighed, exhaling the frustration I had been holding in. "It’s fine. I guess I’ve gotten used to waiting for you."

He shot me a look, a little sheepish. "No, don’t make it a habit, Ruhi. Who knows? Maybe someday, I might end up waiting for you instead."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Hah! That will never happen. I’m the only one who seems excited to meet."

The air shifted then, and before I could say anything more, Sounak took my hand, pulling my focus to him. His gaze locked onto mine, and there was an intensity there I wasn’t prepared for.

"Wait, Ruhi," he said, his voice more serious than before.

For a moment, it felt like time stopped. The world around us disappeared, and we were walking hand in hand through autumn—golden leaves crunching underfoot, the cool breeze filling my lungs with the earthy scent of the season. The moment felt so perfect, too perfect.

Suddenly a poem came to my mind.

Golden leaves falling from trees so tall,
Crisp air and shades of red and gold.
His hand in mine, we stroll along,
Lost in the beauty of autumn's song.

The thought just slipped out before I could hold it back. "You know, Sounak, sometimes I wonder why I get so excited to meet you."

He raised an eyebrow. "What, Ruhi?"

I hesitated, unsure how to answer, and then said, "Tu ne comprendras pas."

His brow furrowed. "What?"

"You won’t understand," I repeated, almost to myself.

Sounak looked confused. "I really don’t understand French! What do I do now?"

I rolled my eyes, a small smile breaking through. "Google it, Sounak. It means, ‘You won’t understand.’"

"Ohh. So explain it to me, Ruhi."

I paused, trying to figure out how to explain something I wasn’t even sure I fully understood. "I can’t explain it. Some things, you have to understand on your own."

"How complicated!" he said, chuckling.

"I knew you’d say that," I muttered, a hint of amusement in my voice.

Sounak shook his head, laughing a little. "You know I don’t do well with complicated things."

"Then maybe I’m complicated, too."

He stopped walking, looking at me with a raised brow. "No, you’re not. But you’re not exactly an open book to me either."

I smirked, feeling a rush of defiance, like I was keeping something important hidden. If you only knew, Sounak…

But then, just as quickly, raindrops started to fall.

"Oh no, it’s raining!" he said, looking up.

"Rain? Seriously?" I groaned.

"Come on, Ruhi! Let’s find shelter before you catch a cold!" He tugged on my arm, and I couldn’t help but laugh at his concern.

"Fine, I’m coming." I followed him toward a nearby tree, but my heart felt heavy. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was slipping away between us.

"Ruhi, I need to tell you something..." Sounak started, his voice serious again.

I looked at him, hoping for some kind of explanation. "Yes, go on, Sounak."

He hesitated, then said, "Actually, I... I can’t right now. I have to leave."

"What? Now? You just got here!" I protested, feeling the weight of the moment.

"I promised a friend I’d be at their party. I didn’t want to cancel on you either, so I tried to manage both," he said, his words rushed.

"But you just came…" I trailed off, disappointment creeping into my voice.

"I know, Ruhi. I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. But I need to go now before the rain picks up again," he said, already moving away.

"But, Sounak—" I called, but he was already disappearing into the downpour.

I stood frozen, my voice caught in my throat.

---

The sound of my own scream jolted me awake, my breath coming in quick gasps.

Anshi rushed into the room, alarmed. "Ruhi! What happened? Why were you screaming?"

I looked around, disoriented, and for a second, I thought I was still standing by the river, waiting for Sounak.

"Sounak... He left me again. He didn’t listen to me, Anshi..." The words tumbled out, and tears welled in my eyes as the dream felt all too real.

Anshi knelt beside me, worry etched across her face. "Ruhi, where’s Sounak? Did you have a bad dream?"

"A dream? Where am I?" I looked around, confused.

"You’re at my house, Ruhi. It’s 5 in the morning," she said gently.

I buried my face in my hands, overwhelmed.

"Anshi, I dreamt of him again. Why can’t I stop seeing him everywhere? Why did he leave, even in my dreams?" I whispered, the hurt still so raw.

Anshi wrapped her arms around me, offering comfort. "Ruhi, please don’t cry. You’re stronger than this. It was just a dream. Everything is fine. We’ll talk about it in the morning, okay? Try to rest."

"I want to talk to Sounak," I said, my voice barely a whisper.

"You will, Ruhi. You’ll definitely get to talk to him. But for now, just rest. Don’t overthink." Anshi’s voice was soft, comforting, but I could still feel the ache in my chest.

As I lay back down, her words barely offering comfort, one thought haunted me:

Please come back, Sounak. Please...

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