Where Shadows Learn To Dream

Promises In The Dark

Aanya

The nights were starting to blur into one long stretch of darkness, each moment suffocating, each day blending into the next. My life had become a cycle of dread and survival. But ever since Raghav arrived, something had changed. His presence was like a gust of air in a room I had forgotten was suffocating. His touch, his words—they stirred something inside me that I hadn’t felt in months. Hope.

One evening, after another unbearable day of being at the mercy of my husband’s whims, I found myself on the terrace, staring at the sinking sun.

Just as I closed my eyes to gather myself, I heard footsteps behind me. Slow, deliberate. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

“Aanya?” Raghav’s voice was soft but carried with it an intensity I could feel in my bones. “Mind if I join you?”

I nodded without a word, unable to trust my voice. He took a seat beside me, the closeness sending a shiver down my spine. It was strange, how his mere presence could calm me and unsettle me all at once.

We sat in silence for a while, both of us watching the horizon where the sky turned from fiery orange to a deep, purpling dusk. The silence between us felt heavy, not uncomfortable, but full of things left unsaid.

“I didn’t think this would be my life,” I murmured, staring at the fading sunlight. “I never imagined myself trapped like this. Sometimes I feel like I’m drowning, and I’m just waiting for someone to pull me under for good.”

There was a silence before he responded, but when he did, his voice was steady, strong. “You’re not drowning, Aanya,” he said firmly. “You’re surviving. You’ve been doing that on your own for so long, but you don’t have to anymore. You’re not alone.”

I turned to face him, his words hitting me harder than I expected. There was something about the way he looked at me that made my heart stutter, that made everything feel a little more real, a little less hopeless.

“I don’t know how I’ve gotten this far,” I admitted, feeling the tremble in my own voice. “I feel like I’ve been holding my breath for months, just waiting to sink.”

Raghav’s hand found mine, his fingers intertwining with my own. The touch was light, but the warmth that spread through me was overwhelming. “You’ve been stronger than anyone should have to be,” he said quietly. “But you don’t have to do it alone anymore.”

In that moment, all the walls I had built up to protect myself began to crack. I wanted to believe him. I needed to.

Raghav turned to me, his gaze intense and searching. “Aanya, I want you to know something. I’m not just here to be a friend or a source of support. I’m here because I care about you. More than you might realize.”

His confession caught me off guard, and I felt a rush of emotions—hope, fear, and something undeniably romantic. “Raghav, I…”

Before I could finish, he placed a finger gently over my lips. “Shh… you don’t have to say anything.”

He leaned in, his breath warm against my skin, and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. The gesture was tender, filled with a quiet promise that made my heart ache with longing.

“I’m here,” he whispered, “and I’m not going anywhere.”

I closed my eyes, savoring the moment, the warmth of his presence, the safety I felt. When I opened them again, Raghav’s eyes were still locked on mine, his expression one of unwavering commitment.

“I promise you, Aanya,” Raghav said, his voice barely a whisper, his gaze locked on mine. “I’ll get you out of here. I swear it.”

My breath hitched. The words, that promise, felt like a lifeline. A way out of this nightmare. I wanted to believe him. Desperately.

“You... you really think we can leave?” I asked, my voice shaking with the weight of my fear and hope. “You really think you can get me out of here?”

His grip on my hand tightened, his gaze never leaving mine. “I promise you, Aanya. I will. No matter what it takes.”

And for the first time, I truly believed him.