Chapter 8: The Shelter of Green

The snow thinned as they reached the golf course.
At Gulmarg Golf Course, green stretched wide and open beneath the pale sky, like a quiet contrast to everything they had walked through before. Patches of white still lingered at the edges, but the ground here had begun to breathe again.
The air felt different—less sharp, more real.

⛳ The children ran ahead instantly, their laughter echoing across the open field.
Asha led the way, confident and steady, while little Deepabali followed, trying to match her pace.
Ananya watched them with a soft smile.
“They won’t feel tired at all,” she said.

Akash nodded—but his eyes stayed on Asha.

Something about her had been pulling his attention since the beginning.
At first, it was just a feeling.
Now—it was something else.

They walked slowly across the field.
The space between them wider now, the group naturally splitting again—children ahead, Ananya following, and behind them…
Akash and Depabali.

“She’s very responsible,” Akash said, his voice low.

Depabali didn’t ask who.
“She had to be,” she replied.

The answer felt heavier than expected.

Akash looked at her—but she was looking ahead.
At Asha.

“How old is she?” he asked.

“Eleven.”

The number settled quietly.
Too quietly.

Akash’s steps slowed.

“Eleven…” he repeated.

Depabali didn’t respond.

🌬️ The wind moved gently across the field—carrying with it something that didn’t belong to the present.

“You never…” Akash began, then stopped.

“Never what?” she asked calmly.

He looked at her now.
Directly.

“You never told me anything.”

Depabali met his gaze.
For a moment, there was no movement in her expression.

“Would it have changed anything?” she asked.

The question hit harder than expected.

Akash didn’t answer—because somewhere inside, he knew.

The past didn’t return with noise.
It came quietly.
In fragments.

A classroom.
An empty corridor.
A rainy afternoon.

And one day—too close, too unguarded, too real.

They had never spoken about it.
Not properly.
Not after.

Life had moved forward—exams, careers, distance.
But not everything had stayed behind.

Akash’s breath felt uneven.

“Asha…” he said slowly.

Depabali looked away.

The silence was enough.

No confirmation. No denial.
Just truth—standing between them.

Akash’s eyes moved toward the field again.
Toward Asha.
She was laughing now, turning back to call little Deepabali, her expression bright, untouched.

Something inside him shifted.
Deep. Unsteady.

All this time…

He had built a life—carefully, honestly.

And yet—
A part of it had existed without him even knowing.

“She doesn’t know,” Depabali said quietly.

Akash closed his eyes briefly.

“Why?” he asked.

Depabali’s voice remained calm.
“Because some truths don’t make life easier.”

He looked at her again.

“And this one?” he asked.

She didn’t answer.

📸 From ahead, Ananya called out—
“Come! We’re taking a photo here!”

The moment broke.

Depabali walked forward.
Without waiting.

Akash stood still for a second longer.

Then followed.

The green field stretched endlessly around them—calm, open, honest.

But beneath it—something had already changed.

Because now—he knew.

And some truths… once seen—can never be unseen.

❄️ To Be Continued…