Marked By Darkness

Chapter 63- Echos Of The Night

At Ruhi's house...

Ruhan sat quietly on the couch downstairs, his elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped together in a tense grip. The house was unnervingly quiet, the tension of the night still hanging thick in the air, despite the brief relief they'd all felt after bringing Ruhi back. Esha lay sprawled on the opposite couch, clearly exhausted, though not yet asleep. Anshi, Neil, and Sounak were upstairs with Ruhi, tending to her as she rested after the ordeal.

Arav had left earlier for some urgent work, leaving the rest of them to deal with the aftermath of what had happened at the bungalow. Ruhan's mind, however, wasn't here in this house. It was back in that cursed bungalow, where they had just barely managed to pull Ruhi from Hina's grasp.

He sighed, rubbing his eyes, trying to shake the images of the night from his mind-the fight, the possession, the near-loss of Ruhi. But no matter how hard he tried, the thoughts clung to him like shadows.

The others upstairs were doing their best to help Ruhi settle in. He could hear Sounak's soft voice as he guided Ruhi to her bed, helping her lie down comfortably. He imagined Neil and Anshi close by, making sure she was okay, while Esha stayed downstairs, too tired to move but likely keeping her guard up, just as he was.

Ruhan wasn't sure what to feel. On one hand, Ruhi was safe for now, out of the bungalow and back in her home. But on the other hand... everything felt unfinished, like the darkness of the night still followed them, creeping into their thoughts, waiting for the right moment to strike again. The priest's warning echoed in his mind: Ruhi is not truly safe. The curse is still active.

His fingers tightened into fists as he remembered Hina's last words, the threat she had left them with. There was something about the way she spoke through Ruhi's body, something sinister, as though she still had control, as though this wasn't the end of her game. How could they possibly be rid of her? How could they lift the curse that had haunted Ruhi and her family for so long?

Upstairs, Ruhan heard soft murmurs, the voices of Neil, Sounak, and Anshi as they made a decision. It sounded like they were planning to stay with Ruhi for the night. He hadn't been a part of that discussion, and honestly, he wasn't sure he could be around them right now. Seeing Sounak so close to Ruhi, so protective of her, had stirred something in him that he wasn't prepared to confront.

He wasn't angry-he was... conflicted. Jealous, maybe, but also confused about what Ruhi felt for Sounak, and what he, Ruhan, truly felt for her. Did it even matter now? She was safe, and that was all that should matter.

But there was a part of him that couldn't let go of the fear. What if Hina came back? What if they couldn't protect Ruhi the next time? The curse on the bungalow, on Ruhi's family, felt like a dark cloud that was far from gone. The priest had been clear-they had only scratched the surface of what was going on. There were still so many unanswered questions about Hina, about the bungalow, and about Ruhi's mother, who had been possessed by Hina before this.

"Ruhan?"

Esha's voice broke through his thoughts, bringing him back to the present. She was sitting up now, her eyes heavy with exhaustion but sharp with concern. "Are you okay?"

He forced a nod. "Yeah... just thinking."

She didn't push, but he could tell she was worried. After everything they had been through, how could any of them be okay?

"Do you think she's really safe now?" Esha asked quietly, glancing toward the ceiling, where Ruhi lay upstairs.

Ruhan hesitated. "I don't know, Esha. I really don't."

A silence fell between them, heavy and uncomfortable. Esha lay back down, her body clearly drained from the emotional toll of the night. He could tell she wanted to believe that this was over, that they had won, but deep down, she knew better. Just like he did.

Ruhan leaned back against the couch, staring at the ceiling. His mind churned with thoughts of the curse, the strange ties Hina seemed to have to Ruhi's family, and the eerie connection that the bungalow held over everything. How could he put an end to something so ancient, so powerful? He wasn't even sure where to begin.

A part of him wanted to rush back to the bungalow, tear it apart until he found the source of its power, the link that held Hina to Ruhi. But even if he did that, would it be enough? Was there a way to break the curse without destroying Ruhi in the process?

His thoughts spiraled deeper into uncertainty. Everything he had done so far had been about protecting Ruhi. But if Hina returned, if the curse lingered, what good would any of it be?

He needed answers. He needed to figure out how to end this once and for all-before Hina could make her next move. But for now, all he could do was wait, trapped in the silence of the house, with his thoughts running wild.

And hope, for Ruhi's sake, that the nightmare wouldn't start again.

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