Chapter 18: The Unfinished Span

The unfinished wooden bridge stood awkwardly over the stream at Doodhpathri Meadows… half-built… half-forgotten. A few planks stretched over the milky water, then simply stopped—as if the intention had once been strong, but never completed.

🌉 Akash stood near its edge, looking down. The water moved beneath—uninterrupted. Depabali walked up beside him, her dark blue jacket pulled closer, hands tucked in against the cold. For a moment, neither spoke.

🌬️ The wind passed through the open valley, brushing against the unfinished wood, leaving behind a faint hollow sound.

“Strange,” Akash said quietly.
“It almost connects…”
Depabali looked at the bridge and nodded faintly—“But doesn’t.”

The words settled between them.

Akash exhaled slowly… then asked—
“Does she know?”
“Asha,” he added.

Depabali didn’t pretend to misunderstand. She looked ahead—toward the river.
“No.”

The answer was calm.
“She never asked?”
A faint smile touched her lips—“She did… children always do.”

“What did you tell her?”

Depabali took a slow breath.
“That her father lives far away.”

Akash’s eyes dropped.
“And she accepted that?”
“She understood enough not to ask again.”

The sentence carried something deeper.

🪵 Akash leaned slightly against the wooden post.
“I should have been there.”

Depabali looked at him—“For what?”
“For her.”

A small silence followed.
“You weren’t there for me either,” she said softly.

The words weren’t meant to hurt… but they did.
Akash didn’t respond—because there was nothing to defend.

🌉 The unfinished bridge creaked slightly under the wind.
“Life doesn’t always give complete paths,” Depabali said.
“And we don’t always try to finish them,” Akash replied.

She neither agreed nor disagreed.

From a distance, Asha stood near the river—watching them… not directly, but aware.
“She knows something,” Akash said quietly.
“Yes,” Depabali replied.

“Then why not tell her?”

Depabali turned toward him—
“And say what?”

Akash didn’t answer.

“That the man standing in front of her…” she continued slowly, “…was once part of a life that never happened?”

The words hung heavily in the cold air.

“She has a life,” Depabali added… “a stable one.”

Akash nodded slowly.
“And this?” he asked.

Depabali looked again at the broken bridge—
“This is not something she needs to carry.”

🌊 The river flowed beneath… unbothered… unchanged.

Akash stood still—understanding… but not at peace.

From behind them, Ananya’s voice called softly—
“We should leave before it gets darker.”

The moment ended. Depabali stepped back first.
Akash took one last look at the broken bridge… then turned.

🚶‍♂️ Walking away—leaving behind a path that was never completed… and never would be.

❄️ To Be Continued…