Chapter 8
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[MEMBERSONLY]
EXPELLIARMUS 2013-07-05 05:05:56
5) Khamoshi hai zubaan meri...(Part One)
(The Language of Silence)
"Arnav!"
As the echoes of his name faded away, Khushi cast one more glance around the cavernous space, her trepidation making it hard for her to breathe.
Her throbbing ankle made her turn pale with the excruciating pain that shot through it, and she collapsed to the floor, tears falling in earnest now.
He had left her.
He had really left her.
She closed her eyes tightly, summoning all the courage that had brought her this far.
It didn't matter if he wasn't here.
She would try to find a way out all by herself, surely it couldn't be that difficult?
Slowly, she pushed herself to her feet, putting all her weight against her left leg as she did so. The heavy material of the coverall and the extra weight of the knee and elbow pads now seemed to weigh her down, but she steeled herself to remain upright.
Pursing her lips, she took a few steps forward,only to stop dead when she heard...
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"
Startled out of her wits, she whirled to face the man who had come up silently behind her.
"Arnav!"
"Will you just stop acting as if you expect someone else to turn up here?"
"I...I thought that you had left..."
"Left?"
"Yes! I looked around and couldn't see you, and so I thought that you had found another way out and..."
"Left you here alone?"
She looked away, feeling foolish now.
"You really know nothing about this expedition, do you?"
Or me.
He didn't say those last two words aloud, but she heard them anyway.
She looked up again, wondering where he was going with this.
"What? Of course I do, I read the website..."
Even in the dim light, she could see the sarcastic smile that twisted his lips.
"Theory again, Ms.Gupta. In reality, this expedition is one of the most well-planned ones here, and the trails are well-marked so one can hardly get lost. Any moment now, our guide will give us instructions through that passage about how we can exit this cave. And that's what I was doing just a few minutes back. I was trying to climb up that ledge, so I could have a better chance of hearing . Why didn't you see me there?"
She lowered her eyes, unable to tell him that she had looked everywhere but the place from where they had entered.
But then a thought struck her.
"So if we can just climb up there, can we crawl back to the others?"
"Not really. I couldn't get myself up that ledge, there's virtually no foothold in the slippery rock there. And how would you be able to do it with that injured foot?"
He looked down at her foot, and sighed.
"I'm going to have to remove your shoe and see if there's any swelling or bleeding.How is the pain now?"
She opened her mouth to reply, but never got the chance.
A distant voice was just about audible now, and Arnav rushed over to the ledge.
"We're here! The path to the right of the fork!"
Khushi's leg gave way, and she sat down against a rock. The pain was increasing now, and she had no idea just how she would be able to continue until the exit. She closed her eyes as Arnav spoke to their guide, and only opened them when she heard his final words.
He turned back to her, and walked forward briskly.
"Alright, before we set off, let's take a look at that foot."
"Did I hear that right? We can't go back the way we came..."
"No, we can't. Just like I thought. But fortunately for us, there's another tunnel here somewhere, and it runs parallel to the one above. When we find it, we will have a fifteen minute or so walk through it before we reach Tom's lake where we will meet up with the others."
She looked down at her foot, wondering just how she would be able to do it.
The next thing she knew, he was down on one knee before her, his fingers going to the shoelace on her boot.
"I...I can do that."
She quickly untied the lace without looking up at him, then gingerly pulled off the boot. The sock went off as well, and she stared down at her foot.
He leaned forward too, the light from his helmet illuminating the area before him.
"There's very little swelling there, but that doesn't mean a thing. When I felt your ankle earlier, you grimaced in pain, so I'm assuming that there is a severe injury here..."
He leaned towards her, and touched her foot gently.
"Tell me where it hurts the most."
She nodded, then gasped as his finger pressed on a tender area.
He continued his examination, only stopping when he reached her ankle again.
"There's no wound, and not much swelling either. But it could still be a fracture, although I think a severe sprain is more likely. Ideally, you shouldn't be placing your weight on it for an extended period of time, but we really have no choice here. Why don't you sit here for a moment, while I find that tunnel ?"
Before she could say a word, he had risen to his feet and taken a few steps away from her.
The very next second, he paused.
Without turning back, he spoke a few words that inexplicably eased her turmoil.
"I'll be back. I'm not going anywhere."
She took in a deep breath and nodded, before realizing that he couldn't possibly see her. He moved away, and she stared after him, wondering anew about just who this person was.
His behavior was confusing her, and she had no idea what to think at the moment.
Her gaze went down to her feet, and she quickly picked up her shoe and put it back on, just as he returned.
"I found it. Let's go."
She stood up again, but a sharp burst of pain stole her breath as she placed her weight on the foot.
She stumbled, and placed her hand on the rock before she fell.
He cursed under his breath, then stepped forward and swung her off her feet in one swift motion.
"What are you..."
"Just shut up, Khushi. I don't want any protestations of modesty or any crap like that, especially since this is all your fault! "
His arms felt like bands of steel around her, and her face was close enough to his so that she could actually feel his breaths on her lips.
Trying to ignore the sensations that swept through her, she decided to give as good as she got.
"My fault? I don't take too kindly to being called a coward, Mr.Raizada!"
"So will you continue to do foolhardy things every single time I challenge you or call you names? That doesn't speak too highly of your intelligence...or your sense of self-preservation."
"What?! I can't believe you are..."
"Save your breath. Here's the entrance, and this is where you'll have to try and do this on your own. It is just high enough for us to sit up, so we are going to go through it on our hands and knees. You go first,alright?"
She stared up at him, then nodded. He placed her on her feet carefully, the steadied her as she got into the narrow space.
A long, dimly lit tunnel loomed ahead, and she found out that the end wasn't even visible from here.
"Are you sure this is just fifteen minutes away from the lake?"
"That's what I was told, and I have no reason to doubt it. "
He got in as well, and then there was utter silence for a few moments while the sound of their breathing filled the tight space.
She closed her eyes, trying to shore up her courage.
"Khushi..."
That was all he said, just one word.
But it was enough.
In a strange way, she felt reassured and confident that she could do this.
Taking a deep breath, she moved forward on her hands and knees.The mud below her feet was sticky , and she struggled to pull herself through it. The pain was a constant throb now, and she was no longer taken aback when it suddenly flared again.
They reached a bend in the crawl space, and suddenly, there was enough room for them to stand up in. She rose to her feet shakily, and gasped in pain just as he came up to her.
Without a word, he swung her up into his arms again, and carried her until they reached a narrow portion again.
Her head was swimming now, and all her senses were being overwhelmed by the stress and strain of the arduous crawl through the thick mud.
More than once, she stopped suddenly, causing him to stop as well. Her breathing was shallow and her heart pounded in her chest.
And in every instance, he did the same exact thing.
Coming up behind her, he slid his hand over hers and clasped it tightly, then let go after a few seconds.
All without saying a word.
And every single time, it gave her the push she needed to go on.
Finally, they reached the end of the crawl space and she feasted her eyes on the glimmering, pale blue waters of the small lake before her.
Still on her knees, she turned to face Arnav, a tired smile breaking out over her dry lips.
His face, however, remained grim.
"What's wrong? We did it!"
He moved past her and stood up quickly, looking around him before speaking.
"It? We've only just caught up with the others. This is the place where they will meet us soon, but the exit is still an hour away from here . And with your foot..."
She stared down at her foot, unable to grasp what he was saying.
"An hour?"
"Yes. And most of it is crawling through clay, and finally we have to climb a ladder to the surface."
All the breath left her body as she realized what he was saying.
She couldn't do it anymore, she just didn't have it in her.
When she raised her eyes to his, she knew that he could see her failing resolve in them.
His mouth tightened as he partially turned away from her.
"Typical."
The snide tone drew her attention, and her back automatically stiffened .
"What?"
"I said, it's typical of most women. They don't think before they leap, but when they are faced with the first sign of adversity, they don't think twice before giving up completely."
His words, and the contemptuous tone behind them riled her up like nothing else had.
Stumbling to her feet, she pushed past him towards the rafts, without sparing him a single glance.
But her bravado only lasted until she reached the water's edge, where a sudden spell of giddiness made her sway where she stood.
He was at her side in an instant, holding her up against him as he stared at her pale , sweat-stained face.
"Don't tell me you were stupid enough to skip breakfast."
She shook her head weakly, then leaned back against him while he pulled something out from his pocket.
"Here. Eat this."
She stared down at the protein bar, then looked up at him.
"I...can't. You need to keep that with you just in case..."
"I'll be fine. Now stop arguing and just eat it, will you?"
She stared at him for a long moment, knowing that he had only been allowed to carry the bar because he was diabetic.
As she watched, he tore the wrapping off and held it to her lips,and she took a bite automatically. Before she knew it, she had wolfed down the entire bar, and she looked at him guiltily as he pocketed the wrapper.
"I'm sorry, I..."
"Save the apologies until we get out of here. God knows you have plenty to apologize for."
Before she could respond to that acerbic comment, they finally saw their guide and the other members of their group who seemed relieved to see them. After her condition had been explained to the guide, it was decided that they would continue just like they had gotten this far, with Arnav partnering her through the tough parts.
They rafted across the seventy foot subterranean lake, with Arnav doing the majority of the work. When they reached the other side, he lifted her into his arms again.
And this time, she did nothing to stop him.
The next one hour was pure torture for Khushi.
There were more tight passages to crawl through, and she began to detest the sight of the thick, damp mud that seemed to constantly pull her down.
When they reached the cavernous spaces that housed beautiful crystalline formations, everyone else seemed awestruck by the wonders of nature before them, but she was blind to it all. Exhaustion, pain and stress combined to make her feel lightheaded, and she could only hope that the end was near.
Only one thing kept her going through it all.
A hand that grasped hers when she faltered...
When they finally reached the end of the expedition, she stared up at the ladders in disbelief. She could see the sunshine above , and knew that her salvation was near.
Despite that, she just knew that her foot would never support her through the climb.
"Giving up again?"
The cold voice near her ear startled her, and she stared at him with murder in her eyes.
Taking a deep breath, she placed one foot on the lowest rung , and hoisted herself up.
Tears of pain and frustration streamed down her face, but she somehow managed to make it to the surface.
She gulped in deep breaths of the fresh, outdoor air as she collapsed to her knees, and wasn't surprised when he knelt down beside her.
"It's all over now."
His soft, considerate tone bewildered her for a moment.
What had happened to all that sarcasm and bite?
She stared up at him, but could find no trace of anger or contempt there.
And then it dawned on her.
"You did that deliberately, didn't you?"
He looked away and rose quickly to his feet.
"I don't know what you are talking about."
She stood up as well, her hands going to her head as the giddiness threatened again.
"All those...taunts, and jibes down there...you only did that to spur me on."
It was a statement, not a question.
He stilled, then turned slowly to face her again.
"Let's just say that the past few weeks have taught me a lot about you, Ms.Gupta."
She wondered if he had consciously reverted to using her surname now that they weren't in any danger.
But she had no more time to think about it because he came back to her, grasping her arm as he led her towards the showers.
When they had cleaned up as best as they could , they gathered their belongings and stepped out towards the parking area.
She looked back towards the cave entrance as it suddenly dawned on her that she had just completed an expedition that had taxed her to the limits of her physical abilities. She had survived an injury, traipsed through a detour, and hauled herself through what seemed to her like miles of mud, and she had emerged victorious.
A small smile transformed her face as she turned back to him, but then she stilled.
He had paused in the act of opening his backpack and was staring at her...with an expression that could only be described as hungry.
She felt her face heat as she looked down at her own bag, the sudden realization hitting her hard.
Whatever this thing was between them, he felt it too...
"Did you take the bus earlier?"
His expressionless voice made her look up, and she wondered if she had imagined that look. Because his face only betrayed a slight hint of impatience now, and nothing else.
She schooled her own features as she answered his question.
"Yes, I..."
"I'll drive you back."
She opened her mouth to refuse his offer, but something made her stop.
A moment later, she settled down in the passenger seat as he pulled out.
"How's the pain now?"
"I think the Tylenol took the edge off, just a little."
"We're going to the nearest urgent care center in Angel's camp, which is a thirty minute drive from here."
She nodded, not knowing what else she could say.
Leaning back against the headrest,she closed her eyes , only opening them when they stopped a half hour later.
He helped her inside the waiting room, then took her to a chair while he went up to the receptionist. A moment later, he was back with some papers.
"It's just some paperwork, details they need before the doctor will see you. It's the bane of our health-care delivery system..."
She noted the 'our', and it reinforced her impression that he was much more at home here than he had ever been in Delhi. This environment made him comfortable, there was no doubt about that in her mind.
She wondered just why that thought depressed her.
When they finally went in to the examining room, a nurse blocked his way.
"I'm sorry, Sir, are you a relative?"
He stared at the nurse, then looked at Khushi.
She held her breath, not knowing why.
"No, I...I'm her boss."
"I'm afraid that we can only allow relatives in here. Unless the lady is okay with you coming in?"
Khushi stared right back at him, then finally turned to the nurse.
"It's...fine. I don't have a problem with that."
She looked back at Arnav, but he was striding ahead through the door already.
_______
Hours later, she finally limped out of the elevator of her hotel, leaning heavily against the new crutches for support.
The doctor had examined her and sent her for an X-Ray, but luckily, there was no fracture or tear. He had then prescribed ice and a sprain bandage, along with the instruction to stay off her feet if she could. They had driven back in silence, and she had fallen asleep during
the latter half of the journey.
When they had reached their hotel in San Francisco, he had insisted on accompanying her to her room despite the lateness of the hour.
They were at her room now, and she turned to him with the key-card in her hand.
"I...I just wanted to thank you, for everything that you've done today."
His eyes bored into hers, and she wondered just what he was looking for.
"I didn't do it for your gratitude."
With that cryptic comment, he was striding back towards the lift, and she turned towards her door.
But she had barely gotten it open before she heard his voice again.
"Room 6611. You know that, right? Call me if you need anything."
She whirled to face him , but he was already in the lift and the doors were closing.
She stared for a moment, then entered her room. Shutting the door behind her, she leaned her forehead against the cool, hard wood.
What was happening here?
_______
Please scroll down for Part Two.
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