Chapter 25: The Visceral Lake

The parking area of Sonamarg buzzed with movement—tourists negotiating, drivers calling out, engines starting and stopping.

But this time… they didn’t split.

🚐 A single large vehicle was arranged. All of them together. It felt easier that way… safer. No one said it—but everyone knew… distance had already done enough.

🏔️ The vehicle climbed slowly toward the higher reaches of Sonamarg. The road narrowed, the air sharpened, snow thickened on both sides as the green faded into endless white.

“Glacier point,” the driver announced.

They stepped out… and the world changed.

❄️ At Sonamarg Glacier, everything was white—not soft… not gentle… but raw. Snow stretched endlessly beneath a pale sky. The wind cut sharply across the open ground, carrying a silence that felt almost physical.

The group scattered slowly. Children ran ahead, their excitement returning despite the cold. Ananya followed, keeping them within reach.

And like always—without intention—Akash and Depabali drifted away. Not far… but enough.

🌬️ The wind grew stronger. Depabali stood facing the glacier, her dark blue jacket pulled tight, strands of hair whipping across her face. Her posture firm.

Akash stopped beside her.

For a moment—neither spoke.

Then—
“Did you love me?”

No hesitation. No softness. Just truth.

Akash didn’t respond immediately. The wind howled across the snow.

“I asked you before,” she continued. “You didn’t answer.”

He looked at her.
“I don’t know when it became that…”

“That’s not an answer.”

A pause.

“Yes.”

The word felt heavier than anything before.

Depabali closed her eyes briefly.
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”

The question cut deeper than the wind.

Akash looked down.
“Because I thought…”
“Thought what?”
“That I might lose you.”

The words came out quiet… but complete.

Depabali let out a faint breath—almost a laugh.
“You lost me anyway.”

The truth stood still between them.

After a moment—Akash spoke again.

“After third year… I went back home. I thought I’d come back… finish things… say things properly.”

The wind softened slightly.

“But life moved fast—responsibilities… family…”

A pause.

“After a year, I came back to college.”

Depabali’s eyes sharpened.

“I tried to find you. You weren’t there.”

Silence.

“No one knew where you went. No phone… no social media… nothing.”

“I searched for days… then I stopped.”

🌬️ The wind returned—colder.

Depabali looked away.
“I left,” she said quietly.

“Things changed at home… I had to.”

No details—but enough.

“So that was it?”
“That was it.”

They stood in silence again—surrounded by white… endless… unforgiving.

“Funny,” she said softly.

“We both felt the same thing…”
“And still… we never met in the middle.”

The wind swept across the glacier once more.

Akash exhaled slowly.
“Maybe we were never meant to.”

Depabali didn’t respond—because somewhere… she still wasn’t sure.

👧 From a distance, Ananya’s voice echoed faintly—calling the children back.

Reality returned.

Depabali stepped back. The moment closed.

✨ But something had changed—because now, it wasn’t silence anymore… it was truth.

Too late… too cold… too real.

❄️ To Be Continued…