Marked By Darkness

Chapter 26- First Kiss

Sounak’s POV...

Esha's voice rang in my ears, calm yet insistent, as she spoke words that would change everything.
"I think you need to know one truth," she said, her gaze steady.

I was caught off guard. "Which truth?"

Her next words struck me like a wave, powerful and unexpected. "Ruhi loves you."

My mind froze, struggling to process her revelation. Ruhi loves me? Questions flooded in. When did this happen? Why didn't she tell me? Does she even realize how complicated this is?

Esha’s voice broke through the spiral of my thoughts. "Sounak?"

I blinked, snapping back to reality. "Yes?"

She pressed further, her determination unwavering. "Do you have any feelings for her?"

I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. "I won’t be here for long. I’m moving to another place in 2-3 months."

"So?" she asked, her tone unrelenting.

I sighed, the weight of my reality heavy on my shoulders. "Ruhi can’t be with me like this."

"How do you know that?" she challenged.

I glanced away, struggling to articulate the conflict in my heart. "Because I’m uncertain about my return. Ruhi is… amazing. I do have feelings for her, but this isn’t practical. We don’t have a future."

Esha frowned, clearly unsatisfied. "Okay, but you should give it a chance. See where it goes, at least once."

Her words lingered in the air, a faint echo of hope that I wasn’t ready to grasp. After a pause, I nodded. "You go find your friends. Leave her to me for now."

Esha hesitated, then nodded and walked away, leaving Ruhi in my care.

I guided her to a quieter spot and helped her sit on a couch. She looked breathtaking tonight, her beauty magnified by the faint vulnerability in her expression. My gaze lingered longer than it should have.

I crouched in front of her and gently said, "Hey, look at me."

Her response was barely a murmur. "Ummh…"

I muttered under my breath, "Shit! You’re completely hungover."

Then she whispered my name, so faint it was almost a plea. "Sounak…"

"I’m here," I assured her softly.

She clutched my hand weakly, her words slurred but filled with raw emotion. "Don’t ever leave me, please. I’ve never met anyone like you before. I don’t want to lose you."

Her vulnerability pierced through the walls I’d built around myself. Without thinking, I leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, then her cheek.

"I’m with you always," I whispered, my voice steady despite the turmoil within me.

That moment… It was my first kiss. And it was with you, Ruhi. Yet even in the intimacy of that moment, my heart carried the weight of reality. I knew love doesn’t always promise a happily ever after. Your love for me brought joy and pain in equal measure, for I could not see a way for us to be together. You’ve become the woman I cherish, the one I confide in. But our paths seem destined to diverge, leaving me unsure of when, or if, we’ll meet again.

---

Esha’s POV...

I returned to the spot where I’d left Ruhi, but she was sitting alone now, her head resting against the couch.

"Ruhi?" I called softly, shaking her shoulder.

She stirred groggily. "Ummh… What?"

"C’mon, get up," I urged.

She blinked at me, clearly disoriented. "W-what? Where’s Sounak?"

I frowned, glancing around. Where was Sounak? He’d promised to stay with her until I returned.

I forced a smile. "Don’t worry about it. Let’s go home."

Ruhi winced, holding her head. "Ouch! My head hurts a lot."

I held her steady as we began walking out. "No problem. Let’s get you home."

"Where is everyone else?" she asked weakly.

"Neil’s staying with Yuvan for the night, and Tanhi is with her boyfriend. They’ll probably head home together," I explained.

"Okay," she murmured, leaning against me.

---

The Next Morning

Ruhi rushed down the stairs, her hair in a hurried braid. "Shit! I’m late again!"

Her mother called from the kitchen. "Ruhi?"

"Yes, Mom?"

"Esha is here to pick you up."

"She is? Okay, I’m coming!"

Her mother shook her head as Ruhi grabbed her bag. "So, no breakfast again, right?"

"Sorry, Mom!"

"Fine. From tomorrow, I won’t bother making you any."

Ruhi pouted. "What a punishment, Mom!"

"You deserve it," her mother replied with mock sternness.

Ruhi laughed lightly. "Okay, okay. I’m getting late. Bye, Mom!"

---

Esha stood waiting outside as Ruhi jogged toward her.

"Hey!" Ruhi greeted.

"Hurry up," Esha said. "We’re already late."

"Okay, okay," Ruhi muttered, falling into step beside me.

After a while, Esha turned to Ruhi. "Ruhi, do you remember anything from yesterday?"

She frowned, her face clouding with effort. "Ummh… Yes, I think."

"Do you remember Sounak?"

Her face lit up at the mention of his name. "Sounak? Yes! He was at the party yesterday."

Esha nodded. "Do you remember if he said anything to you?"

Ruhi hesitated, then shook her head. "I don’t think so. I was angry at him. He was ignoring me all evening. Then he came over and started making excuses. It just made me angrier."

Esha decided to push a little further. "Did you tell him that you love him?"

Her eyes widened slightly. "No… I don’t think so."

"Ruhi," Esha began gently, "if you ever do tell him and his answer is no, what will you do?"

She paused, her voice quieter now. "I don’t know. I don’t even know if he’ll say yes or no. I… I don’t know anything."

Esha sighed. "When will you tell him?"

"I can’t," she admitted, almost to herself.

Esha shook her head. "Then I don’t think you’ll ever tell him anything."

"Why?" she asked, her voice tinged with confusion.

"Because everything has its time," Esha explained. "Once that time is gone, it never comes back. Don’t let it happen that he goes too far, and you’re left with nothing you can do about it."