Love Across Time

Ninety One

-𝓕𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓼?-

A sliver of sunlight speared through the window, slicing through the inky blackness of the hut. Arjun blinked, momentarily disoriented, as he entered. Aanya sat huddled in the corner, a small, trembling form against the woven wall. A sigh, heavy and laced with concern, escaped his lips. Had she been crying again?

He saw the telltale glistening tracks on her cheeks, quickly swiped away but leaving behind a faint sheen. Aanya, sensing his presence, turned away, her face a mask of vulnerability she desperately tried to hide. Her hands, pale against the fabric of her saree, lay in her lap, trembling like frightened birds. She clenched them into fists, the effort a small victory against the chills that wracked her body.

"Already awake?" Arjun forced a note of cheerfulness into his voice, the sound strained even to his own ears. Aanya simply offered a single, curt nod, her eyes fixed on some invisible point on the floor.

"Well then," Arjun continued, trying a different tactic, "there's quite a spectacle outside. Bhrata Bheem and Nakul are having a competition of who can chop the most firewood the fastest. Quite the display of strength, I must say." He offered a hopeful grin, praying it might draw a flicker of a smile from her.

Aanya remained silent, her response a small shake of her head. The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken emotions. Arjun knew he couldn't force this. He yearned to comfort her, to chase away the shadows that haunted her dreams.

Arjun's heart ached at the sight of her trembling form. He knelt softly before her, the rough floor an unwelcome contrast to the vulnerability radiating from Aanya. Hesitantly, he reached out a hand, the warmth of his fingers hovering just above her tear-streaked cheek.

"Aanya," he murmured, his voice a gentle rasp. "Let me help you."

Aanya flinched at first, the movement a flicker of the storm raging within her. But as his fingers grazed her skin, a wave of unexpected comfort washed over her. The touch was light, almost reverent, and it sparked a flicker of something warm within her chest, a flicker she quickly tamped down.

Arjun brushed away the tears that stubbornly clung to her lashes. He found a misplaced strand of hair, brushing it back behind her ear with a practiced ease that spoke of a shared past.

"Come," he said softly, his voice laced with a gentle coaxing. "Let's get you outside. The sunlight might chase away these…  nightmares." He gestured towards the window, the sliver of sunlight now casting a hopeful glow across the hut.

Aanya opened her mouth to protest, the need for distance, for some semblance of control battling with the unexpected urge to lean into his comfort.  But before the words could form, a new thought struck her.

"I…" she stammered, her voice rough with disuse. "I need to bathe. I look…" she trailed off, a self-conscious glance at her dirt-streaked clothes confirming her disheveled state. 

A wry smile tugged at the corner of Arjun's lips. "Of course," he said, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "A bath sounds lovely. Come on then."

Aanya shot him a wide-eyed look. "I can go myself," she protested, a spark of defiance flickering back into her voice.

Arjun raised an eyebrow playfully. "I know you can, Aanya," he teased gently. "But honestly, I wouldn't trust your clumsy self near a bucket of water right now."

Anya bristled, a glare shooting from her eyes. "Clumsy? I am not clumsy!" 

Arjun chuckled, the sound warm and rich. "Aren't you ashamed? Lying right here in front of me?" he feigned a mock frown.