Legs When Walking (Book 3)Chapter 4: Never Walking Alone
933 Words
Legs When Walking (Book 3)
Chapter 4: Never Walking Alone
“We are never truly alone…
Our memories walk beside us.
At least one person gives us time to walk with them…
And somewhere beyond what we see, our holy fathers walk with us too—protecting us through the journey.”
---
The evening sky over Kolkata carried a strange calm that day.
Not silence.
But something softer than noise.
Bhabotosh Chakraborty stepped out again, his привычный walk now less about escape and more about understanding.
The streets hadn’t changed.
But his steps had.
---
This time—
He wasn’t alone.
“Wait, I’m coming too.”
Putha’s voice came from behind.
He turned, slightly surprised.
“You?” he asked.
She nodded, adjusting her dupatta, a faint smile on her lips. “You walk every day. I thought… maybe today, I walk with you.”
For a moment, Bhabotosh just looked at her.
Then he smiled.
“Okay.”
---
They began walking side by side.
No rush.
No destination.
Just two people sharing the same road.
---
“You know,” Putha said after a while, “I used to think you were running away when you walked like this.”
Bhabotosh glanced at her. “And now?”
“I think you were searching for something.”
A pause.
“Did you find it?”
---
He didn’t answer immediately.
Because the truth wasn’t simple anymore.
“I think…” he said slowly, “I stopped feeling alone.”
---
Putha didn’t respond.
But her steps adjusted slightly—closer to his.
---
They passed a small temple tucked between two old buildings. The soft sound of bells echoed into the street, blending with the distant hum of traffic.
Without saying anything, Bhabotosh slowed down.
Putha noticed.
“You want to stop?” she asked gently.
He nodded.
---
Inside, the air felt different.
Still.
Grounded.
A priest sat quietly, chanting under his breath. The faint smell of incense lingered, wrapping the space in something almost protective.
Bhabotosh folded his hands.
Closed his eyes.
---
And for the first time in a long while—
His thoughts didn’t feel chaotic.
They felt guided.
---
Memories came.
Not as confusion.
But as presence.
His past struggles.
His victories.
The people he had lost.
The people he still had.
---
And somewhere deep within—
He felt it.
A quiet reassurance.
As if someone unseen stood beside him.
Not speaking.
Not interfering.
Just… there.
---
“We’re not alone, are we?” he whispered.
---
Putha looked at him, surprised by the softness in his voice.
“No,” she said after a moment.
“We never were.”
---
Outside the temple, the city continued its restless motion.
But something had changed again.
Not dramatically.
But enough.
---
From across the road, Trinetra watched them.
Together.
Walking.
Not broken.
Not divided.
But stronger in a quiet, unexpected way.
Her expression tightened.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” she murmured.
He wasn’t supposed to find peace.
He wasn’t supposed to feel supported.
---
Because people who don’t feel alone…
Are harder to manipulate.
---
Her phone buzzed again.
“You’re delaying.”
She stared at the message.
Then looked back at Bhabotosh and Putha.
Walking side by side.
---
For a brief moment—
Something unfamiliar crossed her face.
Not anger.
Not control.
But something closer to… hesitation.
---
Elsewhere, Makim stood under a streetlight, his gaze fixed on nothing in particular.
“They’re walking together now,” someone reported.
Makim nodded slowly.
“And?” he asked.
“They don’t look… weak.”
---
A faint smile appeared on Makim’s face.
“Of course they don’t.”
He looked up at the dark sky.
“That’s the problem.”
---
Back on the road, Bhabotosh and Putha continued walking.
No heavy conversations.
No pressure.
Just presence.
---
After a while, Putha spoke again.
“You said you don’t feel alone anymore,” she said. “Is it because of me?”
Bhabotosh thought about it.
Then shook his head slightly.
“Not just you.”
---
She looked at him, confused.
“Then who?”
---
He smiled softly.
“Memories,” he said.
“People who stayed… even when they left.”
A pause.
“And something else.”
---
“What?”
---
Bhabotosh looked ahead, his voice quieter now.
“Faith.”
---
They walked a few more steps in silence.
Then—
Putha reached out and held his hand.
Not tightly.
Not desperately.
Just enough.
---
“Then don’t forget,” she said softly, “I’m here too.”
---
He looked at her.
And this time—
There was no confusion in his smile.
---
From the shadows, Trinetra turned away.
Her jaw tightened slightly.
“He’s not alone anymore,” she whispered.
---
And for the first time—
That realization didn’t make her stronger.
It made her uncertain.
---
Makim, however, only laughed softly when he heard the update.
“Good,” he said.
“Let him feel protected.”
A pause.
“Because when that illusion breaks…”
His voice darkened.
“…it hurts more.”
---
But for now—
Under the soft glow of the city lights—
Bhabotosh kept walking.
Not alone.
Never alone.
---
Because sometimes, even when no one is beside us…
Our memories walk with us.
Someone, somewhere, gives us time…
And unseen forces guide us forward.
---
We may not always see them…
But we are never truly walking alone.
---
To be continued…
- Writer
