It had been six months.
Six quiet months.
Life slowly returned to normal.
Classes.
Assignments.
Friends.
Laughter.
But something inside me had changed.
Not broken.
Just… calmer.
I still visited the lakeside sometimes.
Not every day.
Just when I felt like remembering.
The carving was still there.
"A + R"
But now—
It didn't make me cry.
It made me smile.
The pendant stayed in my drawer.
I didn't carry it anymore.
I didn't need to.
Because the warmth I once searched for—
Was now inside me.
One evening, I sat by the lake again.
The sunset reflected on the water.
Soft.
Peaceful.
"I'm doing okay," I whispered.
The wind moved gently.
Like a quiet answer.
That night—
I had a dream again.
But this time—
There was no road.
No darkness.
No memories.
Just an open sky.
And me—
Walking forward.
No one guiding me.
No one calling my name.
But I wasn't alone.
Because I wasn't afraid anymore.
I woke up smiling.
Some dreams leave.
Some stay.
And some…
Change you forever.
Aarav wasn't in my dreams anymore.
But he wasn't gone.
He lived in:
The lakeside.
The carving.
The courage I found.
The life I chose.
And every time I looked at the sky—
I remembered what he once said.
"Don't be afraid of your dreams."
So I wasn't.
I started dreaming again.
Not about the past.
But about the future.
And for the first time—
Those dreams felt completely mine.
✨ The End 🌙