The Journey Begins.
Chapter 3: The Journey Begins
Aarav could not forget the dream.
It stayed with him—not like a memory, but like a presence. Even during the day, while sitting at his office desk and staring at his computer screen, he could feel the mountain somewhere in his mind. Silent. Patient.
Watching.
He tried to return to his normal life. He answered emails. He attended meetings. He spoke when spoken to. But everything felt distant, like he was only pretending to exist in a world that no longer belonged to him.
That night, he sat alone in his room.
The lights were off. The city noises echoed faintly through the window.
For the first time in his life, he closed his eyes—not to sleep, but to listen.
At first, there was nothing.
Only darkness.
Then came his thoughts. Fast. Loud. Restless.
Memories. Regrets. Fears. Questions.
He wanted to open his eyes, but something inside told him to stay.
So he stayed.
Minutes passed. Or maybe hours. He did not know.
Slowly, his breathing became calm.
And then—
Silence.
Not the silence of the world.
The silence within.
In that silence, he felt something strange. A presence. Gentle, but powerful. It did not speak. It did not move. But it was there.
Watching.
Guiding.
Aarav opened his eyes suddenly, his heart pounding—not from fear, but from realization.
He knew now.
The dream was not just a dream.
It was a call.
And he could no longer ignore it.
The next morning, Aarav did something he had never done before.
He packed a small bag.
A few clothes. Some money. A notebook.
His mother noticed immediately.
"Where are you going?" she asked softly.
Aarav hesitated. He did not know how to explain something he himself did not understand.
"I… I need to find something," he said.
She looked into his eyes for a long moment. Mothers often understand what words cannot explain.
She did not try to stop him.
Instead, she placed her hand on his head.
"Then go," she said gently. "But remember… what you are searching for may already be inside you."
Her words stayed with him.
As Aarav stepped out of his home and into the unknown, he felt fear.
But beneath the fear, there was something else.
Faith.
Somewhere, far away, the Silent Mountain was waiting.
And his journey had finally begun.