Love Across Time

Twenty One

-𝓒𝓵𝓾𝓶𝓼𝔂 𝓢𝓽𝓮𝓹𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓗𝓲𝓭𝓭𝓮𝓷 𝓕𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼-

Aanya's steps came to a halt as she caught sight of Subhadra deeply engaged in conversation with Arjun. She watched them intently, their animated expressions adorned with smiles.

"Shall we go, Aanya?" Kanha's voice broke her reverie, his gaze shifting between Arjun, Subhadra, and Aanya.

Nodding, Aanya forced a smile onto her face, pushing aside the thoughts that threatened to consume her mind. She approached Arjun alongside Kanha, her eyes fixed on the ground, her fingers fiddling with her bangles. Suddenly, Arjun's eyes flickered towards her, his frown mirroring her own inner turmoil.

Kanha turned to Arjun and asked, "Shall we leave?"

Arjun nodded, and the trio made their way outside. Aanya settled beside Kanha on his chariot, her gaze involuntarily drawn back to Subhadra, who now had her eyes fixed on Arjun. A pang of sadness washed over Aanya's heart, reminding her of the connection between Arjun and Subhadra. She tried to shake off the weight of her emotions, reminding herself that this was the expected outcome.

Kanha's tender smile directed at her served as a silent reassurance, encouraging Aanya to resist these conflicting feelings. She shouldn't allow herself to dwell on them.

Meanwhile, Arjun couldn't help but notice Aanya's unusual quietness. Her usually talkative nature seemed to have taken a hiatus, leaving him puzzled. After all, she was the girl who never seemed to have a full stop button for her words.

In a hushed tone, Aanya addressed Kanha, catching his attention. When he turned towards her, she began to express her uncertainty, her eyes filled with questioning doubt.

"What is my purpose here?" Aanya asked, her voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid to hear the answer.

Kanha smiled gently, his eyebrows raised in surprise at her sudden inquiry. "Why this question all of a sudden?" he asked, his voice comforting and warm.

Aanya shrugged, attempting to convey her confusion. "You told me that I would bring about change. But I don't see myself making any difference," she confessed, her eyes searching his for answers.

With a reassuring tone, Kanha responded, "Everything you do has an impact, Aanya. Every action you take contributes to change."

Still grappling with understanding, Aanya persisted, "I don't get it."

Kanha placed a gentle hand on her head, his touch comforting and grounding. "Change isn't always immediate, my dear. It takes time to see the results of your efforts. Sometimes, the most profound changes come from the smallest of actions," he explained patiently, his words echoing with a sense of truth.

Aanya nodded, her eyes gleaming with understanding as she accepted his explanation. Her gaze briefly lingered on Arjun, her heart couldn't help but feel a little heavy with thoughts of him and Subhadra.

"We should rest here," Kanha suggested, casting a glance at Arjun for his opinion.

Arjun, with a nod of his head, signaled his agreement, and they all came to a halt.

Aanya tried to step down from the chariot. However, the steps proved to be a bit too high from the ground, posing a challenge for her. Seeing her struggle, Arjun instinctively extended his hand to offer his support. But to his surprise, she disregarded his gesture and decided to jump down instead.

Arjun couldn't help but shake his head, a sigh escaping his lips as her steps faltered slightly, thrown off balance by the unconventional dismount. "You could've taken my help," he said.