The story was done. Every word, every tear, every laugh, every stolen glance — all of it captured. He leaned back, staring at the blank ceiling above him.

The rain outside sounded too real, too alive. It wasn’t just the rhythm of droplets — it was the echo of something he had lost, something he couldn’t name.

He whispered, almost to himself, “If rain ever falls again… I’ll find you.”

The memory of her smile, her laugh, the feel of her hand in his dreams, all flashed vividly. And then reality hit him like a cold wave: it had all been a dream. Every exam, the wedding chaos, the trip, every teasing glance, every moment of stolen happiness — none of it had actually happened.

Hiten dropped the pen gently on the desk, his fingers lingering over the notebook. His eyes wandered to the window, where the rain blurred the world outside.

A voice broke the silence. “It’s… over.” He said it softly, barely audible, more to the rain than to himself.

The sky darkened momentarily, then lightened again as if the clouds themselves were sighing. Hiten ran a hand through his hair, his chest tight with a mixture of relief and sorrow.

He leaned forward, opening the notebook once more. He read the final lines aloud, his voice trembling:

"And in the end, she disappeared with the rain. But if it ever returns… I’ll find her."

A small smile formed on his lips. The story was finished. The dreams had ended. But the echo of her presence lingered — like the scent of wet soil after the rain, familiar yet untouchable.

Hiten closed the notebook, laying his forehead against the cover. “Aarya…” he murmured. “Even if you were just a dream… thank you for existing in mine.”

Outside, the rain continued. Steady. Gentle. And for a moment, Hiten felt the weight of a promise — not written on paper, but lingering somewhere in the air, waiting for the next chapter of reality to begin.

He stood, walked to the window, and touched the glass lightly. The world outside was still blurred with rain, but his reflection stared back at him, calm and resolute.

“This was just the beginning,” he whispered. “And maybe… just maybe, dreams have a way of coming true.”

The camera of his mind lingered on the rain-soaked street below. The sound of water was no longer sad. It was a signal. A beginning.

And in that quiet, Hiten understood: the search had already started.