The morning sun spilled into Devendra's room, warming the floorboards and the sheets. He woke with a sense of calm he had never truly known before. For a moment, he simply lay there, listening to the distant hum of the city, letting himself enjoy the quiet.
"No shadows… no whispers… just… me," he thought, closing his eyes again for a few precious seconds.
College had become a rhythm he could follow without fear. Classes, friends, small talks, laughter—all of it felt natural now. He still remembered to check his notes and occasionally felt a tiny pang when he forgot an assignment, but the dread that once accompanied every small mistake was gone.
Sita waited for him outside the campus gates, her backpack slung over one shoulder, her hair catching the sunlight like a halo.
"Hey," she called softly. "You're late."
"Sorry," Devendra replied, smiling. "I lost track of time. You know how it is with lectures…"
"Yeah, yeah," she said, nudging him playfully. "You're lucky I waited."
As they walked to the cafeteria together, Devendra realized how much he had come to enjoy her presence. Her laughter, her teasing, even the way she sometimes rolled her eyes at his clumsiness—it was comforting. Normal. Real.
Sitting down with their usual group, he felt a lightness he hadn't experienced in years. There were no echoes of the girl who had haunted him, no shadows lingering in the corners of his mind. He had survived the impossible, endured nightmares, trauma, and fear—but now, he could finally let go.
"It's strange," he thought quietly, glancing at Sita, who was animatedly recounting a funny story. "I barely remember the fear. It's like it belonged to someone else… someone I used to be."
During lunch, one of his friends asked, "So, Devendra, how do you manage to stay so calm? You seem… unshakable."
He laughed, a genuine, carefree sound. "Maybe I just decided to stop holding onto the past. Let it go. Focus on what's here, what's real."
Sita leaned closer, whispering, "I'm glad you're letting yourself live, Devendra. You deserve this."
"I know," he replied softly, feeling a warmth spread through him. "And I don't plan to waste it."
That evening, back at his apartment, he opened a window and watched the city lights flicker on one by one. The streets buzzed with life, the air carried the faint scent of food and exhaust, and he smiled. The terror, the endless nights of fear, the whispers—they were all gone now, buried beneath the life he was finally reclaiming.
"I am Devendra," he whispered to himself. "An
d I am living."