Timeless Bonds : Dhruv Tara × Arjun

6. She's Obsessed

She found herself standing in a desolate courtyard, the moon hanging low in the sky. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood. She glanced down at her hands-they were slick and stained, but she couldn't remember how they got that way.

Several men lay sprawled on the ground, their lifeless eyes staring up at her. Their faces were twisted in agony, mouths open in silent screams. Their clothes were shredded, revealing gashes and wounds that oozed crimson. Tara's heart pounded-their faces blurred between strangers and memories.

The first man had a dagger buried deep in his chest. His blood pooled around him, seeping into the cold marbled floor. Tara's own breath hitched as she imagined the blade piercing her own flesh.

The second man's throat had been slashed. His life force had sprayed across the courtyard like a gruesome fountain. Tara could almost taste the metallic tang on her tongue, feel the warmth of it against her skin.

And the third man was missing an arm. It lay a few feet away, fingers still twitching. His eyes bore into hers, accusing, pleading. She had done this to him, but she couldn't remember why.

As Tara stumbled backward she fell into a pool of blood and severed limbs, the walls of the courtyard seemed to close in on her. The frescoes that once told tales of love and bravery now depicted scenes of violence and betrayal. The anguished cries echoed off the stone.

She tried to run, but her legs betrayed her. The ground shifted, and she fell to her knees, her hands sinking into the blood-soaked earth. The moonlight intensified, casting elongated shadows that danced around her like vengeful spirits.

And then, from the darkness, a figure emerged-a hooded silhouette with eyes that glowed like dying embers. It whispered words she couldn't comprehend, its voice a blend of menace and sorrow.

"You cannot escape the consequences of your actions," it murmured. "You did this."

Tara woke up, gasping for air, her sheets tangled around her trembling body. Tears streamed down her cheeks, the nightmare felt too real.

Arjun sat upright, feeling uneasy in his chest.

"Is everything okay?" Roshni mumbled, half asleep.

"Yeah. I'll go for a little walk. Please sleep." He quickly gulped some water.

"Wake me up if there's anything," she pulled over the comforter.

Arjun stood in the doorway, a glimmer of light shone through the door. He frowned, Tara loved sleeping in complete darkness.

He walked over, hearing her faint cries and opened the door. Seeing her disheveled and trembling, he knew something was terribly wrong.

"Piyu," he said softly, crossing the room to sit beside her on the bed. "Another nightmare?"

Tara nodded, fresh tears streaming down her eyes. The vivid images still haunted her-the sword, the blood, the pain. She felt like she was losing her grip on reality.

Arjun wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "It's okay," he murmured. "You're safe here. It was just a dream."

"But it felt so real, bhaiya" Tara whispered. "I killed them all."

He sighed, wiping the tears away from her face. Killing Jhonny and his men must've been traumatic, it was her first time, after all. "It's okay Piyu, what you did was a part of your job. It's nothing personal."

"That palace and all those innocent eyes were pleading for mercy and yet I killed them." She mumbled.

"Palace?" Arjun frowned. "Piyu, what did you see?"