The Choice! (Part 1)

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Opening her eyes, Tara didn't know where she was, everywhere was dark.

Did she collapse again? Was she dreaming again?!

Where were her grandparents?

She remembered holding Aryan's hand, where did he go?

Where on the earth is she?!

"Anyone.....there?!" She for the first time found her voice stuttering.

A loud horn sound from behind deafened her for a moment, making her turn back, getting blinded by the heavy headlights, and within a second, a car fell into the river off the bridge!

Tara stepped back immediately, feeling traumatic, her heartbeat racing, paining her. With an unstable breath, she looked around her surroundings which again wore the veil of darkness.

Her heart pumped faster and faster, her gaze wavering.

"Tara?"

A soft feminine voice surprised her, making her search its origin.

There stood her mother, her father holding her hand delicately, standing beside.

Her heart skipped a beat, eyes tearing up.

However, she was observant enough to notice they weren't the same from the past. Their appearances as if they were alive and...aged through time.

"Long time," Her father spoke out, his gaze settling right on her, making her treasure his affectionate stare, "we missed you, my child!!"

A low cry escaped her at his admission, yes she missed them too.

At the attempt of reaching them, a hand gently held hers, halting her.

Realising it was Aryan, she smiled, hugging him.

"Do you see them, Aryan?!" Her voice a mere whisper. Pulling herself back, she watched him, "My parents!!" her smile widened, her gaze soon shifting back towards the couple who stood at distance.

"Do you...." Looking back, her voice broke witnessing blood streaming down Aryan's eyes, a gasp escaping her. Her legs stepping back almost immediately. "What's.... happening to you...?" She asked feared.

He gazed her in pain, "Save me.... Tara!" he pleaded.

"What are you...." Her words getting stuck for the man lost his balance, kneeling down the ground. Tara had to hold him, kneeling as well, "Aryan?" she whispered in a blend of fear and pain, "Don't....scare me!" she cried.

His breath unstable and suffocated, as he looked up in hope, making her follow the act, witnessing the legendary green stone; Bhishajyavati, floating in the air above them, with grace. Its glow feeling auspicious.

She was taken aback for a moment to see it, "Only the stone....can save me now!!", Aryan's words grabbing back her concern.

"Save me Tara!!" He begged holding onto her hand.

Hearing the pleading "No Tara!" her mother interfered, "Please don't rush!"

Confused, she looked at her parents, who as well now stared her in hope.

"We need it more than he does, Tara!" Her father who still protectively held his wife, requested. "Please, save us, free us from this hell!!"

"No" Aryan's hold on her hand tightening as he forced her to look back in his way. "You promised Tara, you said we will have a better future!!" Him reminding, his free hand clutching his head, "I'm in.....pain!" his voice clenching her heart, his briefly shut eyes letting out another stream of blood. "Only... you can....save me!!"

"Just save us ..... Tara!" Her mother urged, "Those moments of your childhood, don't you miss them?!"

"Don't you ...long for our love, Tara?" Her father asked in pain.

A sob escaped her, briefly recalling those precious memories of herself with her parents.

"You said you....love me!" Aryan broke down, his gaze searching hers, "Don't you.... anymore, Tara?"

Her heart stung, being torn between her love for her parents and her lover.

"Choose!!" A mysterious voice startled her, her gaze immediately ascending, witnessing the stone, "Choose whom to save!" it repeated.

Her breath hitched as Aryan's hold around her wrist tightened even more, making her fall back, "Save me Tara!" his voice almost threatening her.

"Save us Tara!!" Her parents demanded.

"No, me!!"

"Us, Tara!!"

"Me Tara!!"

"Tara, us!!

Tara beginning to feel helpless, pushed Aryan away, crawling back, away from them. However they kept erasing the distance, Aryan crawling towards her while her parents walking ahead, them reaching her while she kept crawling back frightened.

Their voices haunting her.

Tara kept crawling back, feeling the people she was witnessing to be completely different from whom she knew. The feeling which made her even more cautious and frightened at the same time.

"Choose Tara!!" That mysterious voice only bothered her more, arising a sense of urgency to do something within her.

What should she do?

Whom should she choose, whom should she save?!

Why to save, from whom and what to save?!

How to save?!

Why to even....choose?!

Giving her no time to even process her thoughts, their voices echoed all over, even beginning to irritate her.

"Stop it!!" She screamed shutting her eyes tightly, "Just stop it!!", her hands covering her ears.

She doesn't need to choose, she won't compromise!!

She cannot choose cause she cannot lose either of them.

Neither her parents nor her lover!!

She want them both!!

"You have no power to demand me!! I'm not gonna sacrifice either of them, I am gonna save them both!! No matter to how lengths do I need to go for that, I will!!!" Tara shout back, deafening those voices. Tears cascading down her closed eyes. "I cannot compromise!!" She cried, "Please, don't do this to me!! Please..." Her sobs echoing.

"Just ....stop it!!" She pleaded. However, feeling the sudden silence, she slowly, dared to open her eyes, the silence around her fearing her even more now.

Her gaze wandered all around, finding the absence of those people who just now haunted her. With a sniff, she got up, looking around confused, what's happening now?!

As she turned back, Tara was startled to witness the stone now floating right infront of her, her body glowing in its glow.

She looked around for one more time, her cautious mind checking up before she wiping away her tears, with the still unstable breath, focused on the stone which stood in the air still, free and in grace.

Openly presented as if presented especially for her.

She stared it for moments before with a gulp, daring to touch it, her hands halting for a second.

With a deep breath, she held out her hands open, waiting for the stone to choose her itself.

A moment later, the stone itself came to her, her hands welcoming it warmly, a nervous smile taking over her as she held it.

Soon, its glow increased, the stone shining brighter and brighter, blinding her momentarily before she had to shut her eyes, being unable to bear it. Her left hand reaching for her eyes, protecting herself.

The darkness was instantly vanished for the auspicious green light took over all of it!!

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With a loud gasp, Tara shot her eyes open, the pain in her chest slowly easing, her gaze sharp, the emerald in her eyes now glowing in pure green, reflecting the stone.

With another gasp heard; Aryan shot his eyes open, his heartbeat still racing somehow. With an effort for a stable breath, his gaze shifted towards Tara almost immediately, her eyes now settled on him.

A moment of mysterious silence carried away as they stared eachother calmy, blood slowly streaming down his eyes and from her nose, at once. Yet, they were calm, as if they were enchanted by something unknown only they knew about, before Tara offered her hand in silence, which Aryan gently accepted.

The hold emanating the divine light as they both began to glow in the shower of green rays.

Surprisingly turning Aryan's eyes into green.