They both exchanged a glance before rushing to the room, only to witness the unconscious Snoopy laying on the floor, who seemed to have spit out a mouthful of blood!
Tara felt her heart numbing, a wave of experienced feeling hitting her hard, the one she never wanted to feel again!
Aryan's breath got stuck at the sight he witnessed! He rushed to him, kneeling, but his hands hesitated, he couldn't bring up himself to touch him! Tears streamed down in silence, the blood and sight of him laying on the cold floor, turning his heart into rock!
Swallowing the huge lump he felt with the hardest difficulty, he dared to touch him! And the very touch made him see how the little thing suffered, even being unable to bark or call for help, failing to have a proper breath, falling down from the couch which he thought to play on, while also breaking the glass jar on the nearest table!
More tears streamed down his face as he encouraged himself through pain to check the beings' status!
His heart shattered when he realised the fact!
He was no more!!
Tara who held her breath till now watched the scene in the silencing screams of her inner self! She forgot to even inhale until Aryan raised his gaze up to her, informing her in silence!
She lost him!
Again!!
With a gasp, she fell to the floor, her gaze fixed on him! For the first time, she witnessed Aryan sobbing! Watching him holding Snoopy in his arms, weeping! Suddenly everything felt frozen except them!
She didn't shed a tear while he came to her, helping her take her only son into her arms! Staring down him, she remembered how she lost her puppy twelve years ago! Losing him after recently losing her parents and her indescribable painful visions! Everything she owned, she felt like she lost, all at once!
Now, when she thought she was getting back everything, feeling God was paying her back, the cycle was repeating!!
Very well, it is sure now! She was just cursed! Bearing a really unfortunate fate!!
Even when Aryan buried Snoopy in the garden area, she watched numb to everything!
Tara kept kneeling before the grave just like Aryan did, and suddenly sky rumbled in thunders! Rain started to pour down!
Aryan looked up with eyes closed, as if the falling drops were helping him clean himself out of every sorrow of his!
He remembered when he first met the little thing, how he restricted him to touch him but simply allowed Tara to take him into her arms! How he always teased him!
His heart felt a familiar sting of pain! Yes, the one he felt when he lost his only family!
"I shouldn't have given him my bite! I just..... shouldn't have!!" Aryan blamed himself with his still closed eyes, "It was....my fault!!"
Tara could hear the pain in his voice! A familiar pain!
He blamed himself just the way she did years ago! Being capable to save but not being able to!
"He always saved you!" Tara finally broke the silence, making Aryan stare her while her gaze still down, now staring the wet mud!
The way how Snoopy ran to the library that day, and today this! Yes, that little thing always saved him! But her? What about her? Did she even try?!
Aryan didn't know what she meant, but what he knew was, that she went numb! Not even willing to shed a drop of tear! His hand reached up resting on her shoulder gently!
"What cannot be said, will be wept, Tara!"
He gave a gentle squeeze to her shoulder, "Let it out!"
Aryan's voice felt almost the fading one, yet, the moment he said to let it out, she felt the pressure of something she had hold on to till now!
Tears streamed down invisibly in the chilling pouring rain!
"You just lied!" she began, without shifting her gaze, "You lied Aryan!"
"He was never back forever, you just lied!" and she began to let it out!
Her tears turned into cries before completely changing to sobs! She felt the same familiar stinging pain in her chest, as though someone was squeezing her heart out of the way!
Her sight blurred, head throbbed!
She regretted not going through this pain earlier, only if she had a vision of the event! Just why didn't she?!
Even before she could regret more, darkness took over her!
Aryan was mused for a moment to see her falling down on the wet, sticky mud! His hands soon reached hers, as he tried to wake her up, calling her name! However, there was no response!
Blinking his eyes which were tear-stained and blurry, he stared down her!
For a moment, he thought she was unconscious again cause of extremely felt feelings!
But when he held her wrist, with her back resting his chest, supporting her, he felt her pulse, which was slow!
Something he felt being wrong, heightened his senses!
Aryan with a reflex action, checked her eyes and tongue!
Something was really wrong with her!!
*************
Deep felt a bit eased as he spent his time with Aarohi! After she waited for him in the hall while he had a nice shower, trying not to think about specific things, he went down, joining her!
Showing each and every corner of his house to her, made him feel more relaxed, and that made her happy as well!
Spending time with her in the backyard, he informed her in the chatter that his father would be heading to the outskirts! To meet Tara!
She suggested him to join as well, for which he responded with a faint smile!
"You better have a good time spent with her! I'm sure that will help!!" Aarohi suggested!
"Would that?!" Deep chuckled!
Time passed quicker than he thought, when he was with her, yet, deep down, a thought still lingered in him! He didn't recieve any message yet! What did that person mean by letting him have a meet only when he or she wished for!
Here was he suffering an unknown hell!!
"I need to pick up my sister-in-law!" Aarohi shrugged, when it was already evening! "Catch you later Mister Nethin!" she winked!
Deep could only smile for that! The lady seemed to have an influence over him, to make him smile even with the ongoing mess in his head!
When the night arrived, his father joined the dinner as well, and he had a nice, well not so nice, meal! Could be anything but nice, with the specific issue in his head!
"That's so thoughtful of you to visit her!!" his mother began regarding his visit!
Arshad responded with a smile and a nod as he continued to eat in silence!
"But, this is so sudden!!" she pointed!
"Perhaps, I could join?!"
Her sudden suggestion mused Arshad, he thought of a way for an unsuspicious denial while Deep responded!
"Yeah, I could join as well! Let us go for a family trip!!" Deep chuckled without looking up from his cutlery!
"You seem to enjoy it my son, don't you?" Rhys chuckled as well!
Arshad sighed, "I'll return back soon!" he informed!
Rhys said no more and they had their meal in silence later!
Once they were finished, Arshad prepared himself to leave!
"Have a safe journey!" Rhys hugged him!
Arshad gave her a gentle pat with a smile!
Deep stood silent, while his father pretended to check his files!
"I seem to have forgotten few documents! Could you get me those, love?"
Rhys gave him a nod with a smile before returning home, to get the documents he mentioned!
While Arshad turned to Deep!
"Would you want to join in real?"
Deep took a thoughtful silence before giving his father a shook, "I have works to complete!"
That mused Arshad, was this his son really he was speaking with?
"I heard you didn't go to work today!"
Deep sighed, "I felt sick!"
Arshad smiled, stepping forward, his hand rested on his sons' shoulder!
"Take a break, and relieve yourself!" he said with a pat!
"If whatever that's bothering you is.... Tara, then stop worrying!"
Arshad retreated his hand, and a heavy breath escaped him. "Deep, I don't know if you remember or not! But know you, there was someone I really cared for!"
Deep watched his father, for the first time getting a bit emotional, his eyes reflecting a glimpse of pain!
"My brother, he wasn't just my brother! Your uncle was my friend as well Deep, the bestest friend I ever had!"
Deep though might not remember much, he was always aware of the tale!
How his father helped his uncle regarding his love life! According to what he heard, his father played a major role in his uncle and aunts' marriage!
They really were best friends it seemed!
"And so, I understand your worry for Tara!"
Deep saw him taking a heavy breath again!
"But you can rest assure on me, my son! She is the only way I am still seeing my brother alive! Do you think I'll let her be in harm's way?"
Deep stood silent, staring his father straight into eyes.
"You take it good or bad, she is my priority! More than you!!"
Deep chuckled low, "I think I am aware!!"
Arshad smiled, patting his shoulder, "Then make sure to take care of yourself! You know, you aren't the priority!!"
Deep returned the smile before taking a heavy breath, taking his fathers' hand into his as he put a gentle pressure, as if pleading!
"Could you bring her back?"
Arshad watched his son in silence for a moment, he knew he missed her, but something seemed abnormal!
He still remembered those days when Tara moved out of their house, to live alone! No matter how much his son missed her, he had chose to visit her rather asking her to come back!
But now....!
The problem might really be worrying him!
He wanted to assure him on that, but, he knew, as of now, Tara and Aryan would not return, atleast not so soon!
All how he responded for his sons' request was with a smile.
Rhys who stood still, at the entrance, heard everything, which bothered her now! Yet, she didn't know what exactly was the matter!
But one thing was sure!
Something was wrong with Tara!!
Knowing the men didn't wish for her to know this, she reached them with a straight face, as if she didn't hear anything!
"It took me a while to search! Did I delay you?" she forced a smile!
"Of course, not!" Arshad forced a smile as well!
When he got into the car, ready to leave, Rhys held his hand as if she didn't want to let him go!
With a gentle squeeze, all she said was one, "Take care, Arsh!"
Arshad gave an assuring smile before leaving!
As Rhys waved her hand sending him off, Deep came behind, single-handedly hugging her from back!
His mother looked up him, and with a smile she returned her gaze ahead, and they watched his father depart!
Arshad leaned back in his seat as his driver drove the car!
A sigh escaping him! Finally he would meet Tara!
But, how would he explain it to her? And Aryan!
He couldn't guess how they would react for it!
But he guessed, and believed, the solution could only be gained from the origin of the problem, sometimes!
As his thoughts wavered, his mobile ringed, and the news he recieved, shattered his heart!!