The room felt different now.
Not cold.
Not heavy.
Just… quiet.
Meera slowly released her hand.
But the warmth stayed.
"She's gone…" she whispered.
I nodded.
The hallway outside looked normal.
Dust.
Broken lights.
No footsteps.
We walked out of the building.
The evening sky looked brighter than before.
For the first time—
Meera smiled.
"I don't hear anything," she said softly.
"No footsteps?" I asked.
She shook her head.
"Just silence."
But this silence felt peaceful.
That night—
We slept again.
No corridor.
No shadow.
No crying.
Only calm darkness.
I woke up refreshed.
My phone buzzed.
Message from Meera:
"I didn't dream."
I smiled.
"Me neither," I replied.
Days passed.
Everything felt normal again.
College.
Classes.
Friends.
But one evening—
Meera stopped suddenly.
"What happened?" I asked.
She looked around.
"I thought I heard something," she said.
My heart skipped.
"But… it wasn't footsteps," she added.
"What was it?"
She smiled faintly.
"Laughter."
I relaxed.
"Maybe she's just saying goodbye," I said.
Meera nodded.
"I think so."
The wind moved gently around us.
And for a moment—
Everything felt complete.
Not like something ended.
But like something healed.