Soulmate [UNEDITED]

Tragic

On the other hand, two shadow figures, one tall and medium were lurking inside the palace.

.....................................................

Morning went by in a blur, Tara couldn't focus on anything else except the argument she had, she wished Nayna was here with her, she could have helped her from this dilemma. But she's not here, Nayna is on her way, but haven't reached yet.

Enough of this weakness, she knew she's not weak, she vowed to the queen of Nazabgar that she will not become weak in any situation, not after what happened in her childhood. If Nayna was not here to help, the king and queen are, the distance is not that much if she rides a horse in speed.

She hid her face with a cloth and went outside the palace in disguise. From the market, she rented a horse and started her journey towards Nazabgar. Unfamiliar scenery converted into known ones, then came the market where both the sisters used to play daily. Then came the royal gate, the gate man from the top of tower asked "reveal your identity!!" Tara gladly removed the cloth from her face "I'm Tara, princess of Nazabgar and queen of King Harshat!!" Everyone adored both the princesses dearly, watching one of them return made them fill with joy "Oh my, I'm sorry I failed to recognize you princess! Open the gates now!!" The soldier roared. Tara smiled at his delight.  Entering the gate alone took away almost all of her worries.

Many soldiers came running to offer the princess help with her horse, finally, the elder came in front and took the horse from her "Its been so long princess, how are you? And how is princess Nayna doing? No one is giving update on you both" Oh the love from her people, she missed it so much "me and Nayna both are fine Shagun kaka, please take care of yourself too" the old man smiled "you remember my name?" Tara touched his feet "How can I? You're the one who used to help us sneak out when we were small, though we stopped that years ago, but we can never forget you" He gave a warm smile remembering those bright days where he helped them sneak out and protected them in disguise, he felt as if his own daughters have been s3nt away to faraway land when they stopped their sneakouts, but what can he say? He was just a soldier, and they were the princesses.

Tara bid her goodbye to them and went inside. Just as she stepped in the palace, all her childhood memories flooded in. The corridors were they used to run, the garden where they made flower crowns for each other, the kitchen where they stole sweets from, the pujaghar where they prayed for more sweets, the balcony where they set up their tea parties, the court room where they uses to act like queens ruling the kingdom when no one was near.

After the outer palace, then came the inner palace. Taking in some steps, she got surrounded by the servants

"Princess, how are you?"

"Why are you here alone?"

"Is princess Nayna with you?"

"I heard about the death of the queens, its very sad"

"You're unharmed right?"

She got overwhelmed by the questions she got asked in a minute "Relax!! I'm fine, Nayna is fine and I cannot answer other questions" she smiled at them "that's fine, go get rest, you must be tired, I'll call the queen and the king" One of them offered "Madubala kaki! No, I will go and have a talk with them in their room, I have some important discussion with them" Tara stopped her.

She gave her best wishes for them and went straight to the king and Queen's chamber, the office where both of them work together during this hour. She stood in front of the gate and asked the soldiers if they were inside, he gave a surprise look then said yes without asking any further question, which Tara felt thankful for. She is in no mood for small talk, she knows all of them were worried for her and were asking due to the love they have for her, but her heart and mind was stuck in a storm as well.

"Maa! Baba!" She shouted as she entered the office with a big smile on her face. Rukmini and Darshan were astonished to see her, they stayed the same for some seconds deciding weather what they are seeing is real or hallucination. Tara came near and waved her hand in front of them "maa? Baba?" She called out for them one more time. This time coming out from their shock, they got up from their seats and hugged their daughter "Oh my god Tara! What a pleasant surprise!! How did you get here?!" She broke the hug as she teased her father "why? Are you not happy to see me?" Her father brushed off her question with a funny smile "Fine don't tell, come sit here!" Her mother exclaimed as she sat her down on the long sofa.

Now the difficult question came "How are you my dear, and I heard that Nayna is returning, do you know when?" She sighed and looked down "I don't know the exact dates, but after the 1st letter, she replied saying she will return, but didn't mention any dates" the room got silent for a bit, then Rukmini resumed "Tara, tell me beta, I've never seen you in so much distress, what is bothering you" it is true, no one can escape a mother's eyes. She knew Tara like the back of her hand, she sensed her distress the minute she sat down with her.

"Maa, remember the time we went to Mrigpara?" She started in nervous voice, the queen nodded and waited for her to continue "that day, when you asked Nayna to sleep, she didn't, she sneaked out to see the fair,and I slept on her bed to make it less suspicious, there she played with a boy, that boy is king Harshat Maa, he fell in love with Nayna, he still loves her, thats why he wanted to marry her" Tara almost had tears in her eyes "Oh my daughter" Darshan hugged her as Rukmini spoke " you remember it all wrong my dear, I don't know how much you remember, so let me tell you the whole thing" Tara sat up straight.

"When you were young, my sister and my brother in law, your biological parents used you to sell information about us to enemies. When they were about to get caught, your father tried to kill you by hitting you on your head, but thankfully we got there in time and you survived" she took a pause "I remember this" Rukmini nodded a yes and continued "this messed up you memory, from that day, you occasionally used to mix up your memories, that happened here too, that day, I asked you to sleep, and you went out, you played with that boy" Tara got astonished, this new information filled her heart with a bit of hope, she can already imagine her saying I love you to him "then, why does he have the painting of Nayna?" She asked "in fear you'll get caught, you gave him Nayna's portrait" both the parents laughed "How do you know all these?" She was still confused "Shagun used to tell us, he used to follow you guys secretly" her mother laughed.

"Maa, baba, I still got something to ask..." her father placed his hand on her head "ask away beta" she licked her lips "Kashi loves Harshat, I also love Harshat, what should I do?" Her mother looked down, smiled and then looked up "beta, don't get me wrong, I will never advice you to snatch away someone's love from them, but you have suffered enough from your childhood, and from what you told us, Harshat also loves you, have a talk with him and rani Kashi, then decide what you want ok?" Parents are the best, they can give solution to every solution.

Three of them stood up and hugged each other "thank you so much maa baba!!" They broke the hug and smiled at her "we love both of you sisters".

That was the last words Tara remembered as she saw two arrows from the window shoot and go from this side to the other side of the king and Queen's head. Their lifeless bodies fell to to ground. Due to shock, all Tara could remember was blurred out shoutings. But the listened to the crucial part, the part where the shooter was caught, the part where he said Harshat ordered him to do this, the part where she saw the symbol of Harshat's kingdom on the arrow.