Guardian

-:chapter 7:-

The night had not been kind to Abhimanyu. The dream plagued him again, the blurry figures, the desperate voices, the
overwhelming sense of loss and urgency. The woman's screams echoed in his mind, her bloodied hands seared into his memory. He woke up drenched in sweat, his heart pounding, the darkness of his room pressing down on him.

Unable to shake the lingering nightmare, He got out of bed and made his way to the gym. It was his sanctuary, the place where he could let out the emotions he couldn't show anywhere else.

The moment he entered, he stripped off his shirt and wrapped his hands, preparing to take out his frustration on the punching bag.
The rhythmic thud of his fists hitting the bag filled the room, each punch harder and more determined than the last. His muscles strained with the effort, sweat dripping down his chiseled body. The gym lights glinted off the tattoos and scars that covered his arms and torso, each one telling a different story of his past, each scar a reminder of the battles he had fought,both external and internal.

He lost himself in the routine, using the physical exertion to drown out the images from his dream. His focus was absolute, his body moving with precision and power, the heavy bag swaying with the force of his punches.

Morning came without him realizing, the light outside slowly brightening. Usually, by this time, he would have finished and been gone, but today he needed more time, more exertion to push away the darkness that clung to him.

Adhya had woken up early and decided to hit the gym herself. She entered quietly, not expecting to find anyone else there, especially not Abhimanyu. When she
saw him, her breath caught in her throat.
This was the first time she had seen him shirtless, and the sight was enough to make her pause. His body was a work of art,every muscle defined, his skin marked by a mix of
tattoos and scars that hinted at a life full of stories she couldn't begin to imagine.

Adhya stood frozen for a moment, unable to look away. She had always known Abhimanyu was strong, but seeing him like this,  She found herself admiring the way his body moved, the way his expression was focused, intense. And yet, there was something in his eyes, a shadow of the man beneath the hard exterior.

It wasn't just his physical presence that affected her; it was the mystery of the scars, the unspoken history etched into his skin. Each one seemed to tell a different story, a past she knew nothing about but was suddenly curious to uncover.

Abhimanyu, sensing her presence, stopped and turned to face her, his breathing heavy, his chest rising and falling with the exertion. Their eyes met, and for a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice low, masking the surprise he felt at seeing her.

Adhya blinked, snapping out of her trance. "I could ask you the same thing," she replied, her tone light but tinged with curiosity.

"You're usually gone by now."

Abhimanyu didn't respond immediately, just wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, his expression unreadable. "Just needed to clear my head,"

Adhya nodded, taking a hesitant step forward, her eyes still drawn to the lines of his body, the way his tattoos and scars seemed to blend into one another.

Adhya moved closer, her foot slipped, She gasped, losing her balance, but before she could fall, Abhimanyu reached out, catching her instinctively.

They stumbled together, and in a tangled moment of surprise, they both ended up on the floor, Adhya on top of him. For a moment, they just stared at each other, their faces inches apart, the world around them fading into the background.