Sands Of Time - a timeless love saga

Chapter 73

Vaishali closed her eyes as the cool night breeze of Roopgarh brushed against her skin. And in that quiet moment, she slipped into a brief, involuntary dream.

She found herself walking, climbing a vast mountain. The peak was still far, but she moved steadily, calm and composed, one step at a time. Then, somewhere along the way, she reached a small cliff on the side. She was tired. Disoriented. 

Dark clouds had gathered overhead, swallowing the peak entirely, and the air carried the weight of an oncoming storm. She tried to climb again and nearly slipped, but a pair of steady hands caught her and held her in place. 

She sighed in relief, and soon enough the clouds parted. The peak reappeared. The darkness dissolved into clean, bright light. Smiling, she resumed her climb and only then realized she was no longer alone. Dev walked beside her, his hand holding hers.

"You do what you have to. I'll walk beside you like a shadow and hold you like a pillar when you need to lean on one. We've got this."

Vaishali's eyes snapped open. Her hands were clenched at her sides, her breath slightly uneven.

It wasn't the first time she had seen this dream. It had been a constant in her life for as long as she could remember... the same mountain, the same climb. Her mentor had once told her it was a dream of destiny. That it simply meant she was on the right path, and that more was yet to come.

For a brief period in her past, when she saw the same dream, she had caught a glimpse of Harsh at a distance and she had assumed, the way one does when hope is new and easy, that they were meant to walk that path together. But that had never come to pass.

And now this? She didn't get long to dwell on it.

"Missed me?"

She turned sharply and nearly walked straight into Dev's chest. He steadied her with a light touch. She stepped back, putting distance between them, and worked to clear her head.

Dev leaned against the railing beside her and exhaled quietly. "You don't have the right to ask me that," Vaishali said, not looking at him. "You left."

He watched her. "I didn't have a choice."

She glanced at him sharply, then turned away again.

"Vaishali," he said, softer now. "I can never go back to being just your friend."

She didn't respond. Her chest felt heavier than it had a moment ago.

"Once you cross that line," he continued, "there's no pretending you haven't. I couldn't lie to you or to myself by going through the motions of friendship."

She turned to face him. "Dev —"

"You didn't feel the same. And watching you with someone else..." He paused. "I couldn't bear it. Stepping away felt like the only honest thing I could do."

Vaishali looked down at her hands, her fingers restless.

"I still feel the same," he said quietly. "And I have a feeling that's not going to change."

She looked up at him, caught off guard by how simply he had said it.

"If there ever comes a time in your life when you want a partner who will truly understand you, care for you, respect you..." he held her gaze for a moment, "— you know where to find me."

He didn't wait for a response. He turned and walked back toward the guests, in his slow and steady steps as if he hadn't just said something that dismantled something inside her.