Timeless Bonds : Dhruv Tara × Arjun

2. The feelings blossom

Monday morning.

ETF office,

The ETF team was sitting in the conference room, completing some pending works.

Shree called everyone's attention, "Sir, there's a mail from Commissioner Sir."

Sameer looked at the screen, "Read."

Shree read out the mail, "There's a new member joining as a criminal psychologist and research specialist. But sir, there are no more details like who is joining and when, nothing."

Sameer took his cell phone, "I'll talk to Commissioner Sir."

"I don't think there's a need to do that." All eyes turned towards the soft yet confident voice, of the ever magnificent Tara Priya Rawte. Sameer coughed and Arjun choked on his cutting chai, while the rest of the team just looked on astounded.

Tara looked at everyone's expressions confusedly and then pulled out her cell from her pocket and used it like a mirror, "I don't look like an alien or ghost, do I?" She asked everyone, "Hello?! Bloody..."

"Language!" Came combined voices of Arjun and Sameer.

"Oh, thank God! I thought you guys were in some dreamland or see a ghost in me. I was so scared you know!"

Sameer gave an impossible' look to her, "Cut off the drama, say why you are here again?"

"Now, you'll see me here every day, till I'm alive, of course!"

Arjun looked annoyed, "What do you mean?"

Tara sighed, "I've joined ETF." She forwarded appointment letter to Sameer, from Commissioner. He read the letter and then looked at her, "Please tell me you are playing April fool's prank well in advance!"

She gave unbelievable' look, "No. This is damn serious. And I am sick of being disbelieved. This letter has been duly stamped and signed by the Commissioner of Mumbai, himself. And if you still don't believe, do whatever you feel like." She said in a dangerously low voice.

Sameer called Commissioner, and Arjun read the letter and re-read it, still not believing. Tara looked at their expressions with irritation, "Look, I understand that I'm too pretty to be a cop but hey, I'm trained in Scotland Yard. I can take anyone of you out without a fight."

"Is that a challenge, sweetheart?" Aisha asked.

"Coffee?" Tara eyed her from head to toe, giving a mischievous smile.

Aisha felt blood rushing to her cheeks. What an irresistible aura. Her heart pounded. "Unfortunately I'm straight."

"So is spaghetti until it gets wet." She winked, biting her lower lip.

Sameer cleared his throat rather loudly. "There's a new case, let's go."

🌠⋋✿ ⁰ • ⁰ ✿⋌🌌

Tara's cell buzzed with a number. Her friend had managed to track the "Dhruv" she had talked to on helpline the other day. As she reached home, sprawling on her bed, she dialled the number.

"Hello, Dhruv." She voiced anxiously. "It's Piya." Revealing a part of my identity would be fine. She thought.

Dhruv sat on the edge of his bed, phone in hand, staring at the screen. The call had come from an unknown number, and the voice on the other end had been shaky, desperate. He'd never heard of anyone by that name before.

"Hello?" Dhruv hesitated, unsure of what to say. "Piya, right?"

"Yes," came the reply, and he could hear the tremor in her voice. "I'm sorry to bother you, but you said you would talk to me whenever I needed."