The Unspoken Bond

Chapter 7: The Rift

Rohan’s frustration with Aarav was not new, but lately, it had begun to eat away at him in ways he hadn’t expected. He had always admired Aarav’s boldness, his free-spirited nature. When they were younger, Aarav had been the one who encouraged them all to push boundaries, to seek adventure beyond the confines of Riverton. But as they grew older, Rohan began to see it differently. Aarav’s constant departure felt less like a search for something and more like an escape. From what, Rohan couldn’t be sure.

That evening, after the café gathering, Rohan found himself walking along the empty streets of Riverton, trying to cool the fire that had been building in his chest. His conversation with Leela, Sana, and Aarav earlier that week had left him feeling restless. He had watched Sana’s face as Aarav spoke, seen the way she clung to every word he said, and it stirred something deep inside him.

He hated that Aarav didn’t see it—the way Sana looked at him, the way she seemed to be waiting for something that would never come. And what bothered Rohan even more was that part of him envied Aarav’s ability to be oblivious to the weight of other people’s feelings. Rohan carried that weight with him every day, especially when it came to Leela.

Leela was his anchor, the one who understood him without words, but he had never been able to express what she truly meant to him. It was as if he had built a wall around himself, keeping everyone—including her—at arm’s length. But now, with Aarav leaving again, Rohan felt that wall starting to crumble.

He reached the lake, his usual spot for late-night reflection. The water was still, the moon casting a pale glow across its surface. Sitting down at the edge of the dock, Rohan pulled his guitar into his lap, fingers absentmindedly strumming a soft, melancholy tune. The music was his outlet, the one thing that allowed him to express what he couldn’t say out loud. As the notes floated into the night air, he felt a strange sense of calm settle over him, but it was fleeting.

Rohan closed his eyes and let the music flow through him. He played the melody that had been in his head for weeks now—soft, haunting, and full of longing. It was a reflection of everything he had been bottling up for so long: his frustration with Aarav, his unspoken feelings for Leela, and his fear of change. The music said what words couldn’t.