Marked By Darkness

Chapter 47- When Darkness Follows

Ruhi's POV...

The days following my discovery at the library were filled with restless nights and unanswered questions. I spent hours searching for more information on the family that had lived in the bungalow, scouring old town records and obscure forums, but it felt like the town had buried the truth long ago. Each search turned up little more than urban legends and cryptic warnings about curses, with no concrete information about the boy whose face had been scratched out or the details surrounding the disappearances. It was as if the family had vanished from the town's history.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something, or someone, was actively keeping me from uncovering the truth. And the man-the one from the photograph-still lingered in the corners of my mind. Who was he, and why had he followed me?

Three days passed, and with each one, the frustration gnawed at me more. It was becoming harder to focus on anything else. Then, out of the blue, my phone rang.

Esha's name flashed on the screen.

"Esha?" I answered hesitantly. We hadn’t spoken much lately.

"Ruhi," she said, her voice laced with concern.

Her next words hit me like a brick. "I just ran into Sounak downtown."

My heart skipped a beat. Sounak. I hadn’t heard from him since that cryptic text about his cousin.

Esha continued, her tone serious. "He told me about his cousin-the one who died. They were close, you know? I could see it's still weighing heavy on him. I thought you might know, but he seemed surprised you hadn't said anything."

Guilt washed over me. How could I have been so blind? While I had been consumed by my own troubles, Sounak had been silently battling his own.

"I didn't know it was still affecting him that much. I've been... caught up in other things," I murmured, shame creeping into my voice.

Esha sighed softly. "I get that, but he could really use someone right now. You've always been close. Maybe reach out? It might help both of you."

"I will," I promised, though the weight of everything else in my life pressed heavily on my chest.

Before hanging up, Esha’s voice turned stern. "And Ruhi... why haven’t you uploaded anything lately? People are asking about you."

My YouTube channel—a piece of me that once brought joy and purpose—had fallen to the wayside, buried under the chaos of the bungalow and its dark mysteries.

"I’ve been... busy," I replied weakly, though I knew it wasn’t an excuse.

"Don’t lose yourself," Esha said firmly. "Get back to what makes you happy. Start small. One video."

She was right. I needed to reclaim something, anything, that felt like mine.

---

That evening, I messaged Sounak, my fingers lingering over the keys before I hit send.

"Hey. Esha told me she saw you today. I just wanted to check in. If you need to talk, I’m here."

Minutes later, my phone buzzed.

"Thanks, Ruhi. I’ve been... stuck in my head. My cousin was like a sister to me. It’s been hard."

My heart tightened as I read his words. Sounak was always so strong, so composed. Seeing him like this made me realize how much pain he had been hiding. I sent him a few more messages, offering my support and suggesting we meet again soon.

---

A few days later, I couldn't get the image of that man from the photograph out of my head. I needed to know if he was still around. I decided to go back to the departmental store where I had seen him that night. Maybe, just maybe, he would follow me again, and this time I could get answers.