TARA : Beyond The Time ( Under Editing)

Embracing Uncertainties

Once again, I found myself at Kanha Ji's temple, the place where I first arrived in this palace. The storm of questions, fear, confusion, and uncertainty echoed within me. Remembering Dhruv's confession, I stood there, unsure whether to be happy or...

"Confused, aren't you?" asked a voice, pulling me out of my chain of thoughts. I turned, knowing it was Samarth. "How did you come here?" I asked.

"With these feet, you know, like a human," Samarth replied.

"Though this temple is near Ranivaas, it's still outside of Ranivaas. Dhruv has allowed us to visit this temple because it's the only place we can meet you in his absence, as we can't go to Ranivaas, and you can't come to the main palace," he explained. I just nodded, a smile forming at Dhruv's efforts to make me not feel lonely.

"How's your wound?" he asked, eyeing my shoulder.

"It hasn't healed yet, but I'm much better," I replied.

"You scared hell out of us . Do you know how worried we were? We didn't even get to stay with you when you were unconscious," he scolded.

"I'm sorry. It's not like I knowingly got hurt. I just wanted to save Dhruv..." I tried to explain but was cut off by him.

"To save Dhruv, you didn't for once think that it could've been a more potent poison or it could have hit you in some vital part of your body. Tara, you could've died," he said, the last part emphasizing the word 'died.'

"I...I didn't got time to think about that. It was too sudden, and I acted on impulses," I said.

"Tara, look at me," he said in a stern tone. "If given time, will you not save him?" he asked, leaving me speechless. What would I do? Let him get hurt or worse, die? No, never.

"I got my answer," he said, leaving me. He understood. Of course, he would understand. He's like my older brother, having been there to hold me in emotional breakdowns, sitting beside me in those dark days.

"What were you thinking about before I came?" he asked, staring nowhere in particular.

"I...I...Dhruv...confession...home..." I started mumbling.

"Dhruv? Confession? Home?" he asked about the only words audible to him. Then, something seemed to click for him. He suddenly turned to me, looking straight at me, and held my hands.

"Tara, did Dhruv confess to you about his feelings?" he asked. I just nodded positively.

"I knew it," he said to himself. "You know?" I tried to say, but it came out more like a question.

"Of course, I know. Even Papa knew. We are not blind; it's in his eyes. The way he looks at you, he practically begged his mother for allowing us in Ranivaas to make you happy. The helplessness in his eyes when you lay unconscious—even servants and courtiers were able to feel it," he informed.

"He really cares about you, Tara. More than anyone else," Samarth continued, his tone softening. "And you... do you feel the same way about him?"

His question hung in the air, and I hesitated for a moment, grappling with my own emotions. "I don't know, Sam . Everything is so complicated, and there's so much I don't understand," I confessed, searching for words that could convey the inner turmoil.

Samarth nodded understandingly. "Love can be complicated, especially when circumstances are as unique as yours. But remember, Tara, sometimes, understanding comes with time, and the heart finds its way."

"I do love him, but accepting it means staying here in this timeline. Where I don't find many things right from my point of view, and to top it all, Dhruv is a king," I expressed.