Chapter 3 ' Trust
None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward.
Because we trust. Because we have Faith."
-Paulo Coelho
They had been travelling for few hours now, the sun was lit the whole valley but yet the path they were heading too looked dark. Not a word had been said between the two and none was required. Sakshi had her eyes closed and her head resting on the seat, to anyone it would look that she was sleeping but Arjun knew that the girl next to him had sleep away from her eyes.
"Sakshi", he called out gently, not wanting to alarm her
She didn't respond at first, she thought the voice was in her head but she heard him again and faced him
"Hmm," was her only response
"Roll down the window if you want," he suggested,
As she rolled the windows down she was awestruck by the beauty that defined her home. They were travelling in a very narrow road which was lined by large mountains on one end and the river Jhelum on the other. She could see the sunlight playing hide and seek with the trees and yet only few rays could manage to break in. It gave her a sense of courage, even if there was a single ray of light it was enough to break into the darkness and it a single hope of her father being safe would guide her through this whole journey.
They were travelling uphill and she could see the clouds were very close to them, so close that she would be able to touch them if she stuck her hand out .The girl in her wanted to touch them and she rolled the windows further down only to be startled by the air which blew her dupatta off and send her hair flying in every direction. She quickly rolled the windows up and covered herself quickly before murmuring a quick apology.
"What are you scared of Sakshi "
She looked at him trying to figure out the meaning of his words'
"Stop hiding behind the dupatta, not showing your face wouldn't stop them to identify you or trying to kill you "
"Neither am I hiding nor I am scared of death Arjun, this dupatta is just a measure which Sam had told me to take. "
He led out a chuckle "Of Course Sam would do everything, but mark my words these things won't help"
"Don't you mock my best friend "
"He is my friend too Sakshi, but in cases like these everything doesn't go by the book "
She didn't reply and the silence that was already starting to seem comfortable with their companionship filled the air around them again. She saw that Arjun was again looking towards the road and thus she turned her face away to look outside the window again.
The Sun was setting, she had never realized that she could be so silent, with her baba and Sam it was a different story, they would beg her to be quiet but with Arjun it seemed like being silent was the language they could communicate in. The only thing that she was glad was that everyone else was safe, there were attacks on then but no casualties or she would have never forgiven herself. They all will be comfortable sitting in their houses now. The irony of her life, the day was nearing to an end and contrary to the law of nature she was moving away from her home with each passing time.
She was jolted back into reality by a series of sound and she couldn't decipher which came first, there was a gunshot and then screeching of tyres and Arjun calling her name and pulled her down from the seat .It all happened in a jiffy, she was yet to process the happening when the car when through a tunnel and everything darkened around her
"Sakshi are you afraid of heights or water, can you swim? He asked her so casually that it didn't fell like the last few minutes had transpired
"No," she replied with confidence, surprising herself.
"Sam thought me to climb down from pipes while we were kids and I can swim too"
She saw him getting her bag from behind and thrusted it in her hands
"Sakshi, Listen very carefully and no questions "he had looked at her for the first time after the gunshot and his eyes were again cold. It held authority which meant that there wasn't any way to say no thus so she nodded and gulped the lump that formed in her throat.
Exactly a kilometer later the tunnel will end, I will slow the car down slightly and you will open the door and jump out,"
Just jump out and start climbing down the cliff. It's not a difficult one to climb but it can be slippery so just be careful. Once you are reach the river wait till the night and then only swim your way through. On the other side of the bank walk until the vegetation thickens and there are a bunch of Fir trees, they won't be that difficult and you will be able to see them from a distance just wait there for me and I'll come.
"Is it clear?"
"Yes" her mind was trying to process all the information. She had told him that she wasn't afraid of heights or she had any issues in swimming but exactly jumping down from a cliff and swimming across Jhelum was something she had no idea about.
All her life Sakshi she had lived a protected life, her parents or Sam were always there for her. She wasn't alone in anything but today would be the first time that she was doing something herself all alone. She was scared not because it could mean the end of her but she was scared that if she wouldn't be able to pull this off then people will mock her father stating that he had a weak girl
"You are a strong girl Sakshi and you won't be alone for a long time "Arjun said as reading he inner turmoil
"I will come for you, I promise ", "Trust me "
"I trust you," she managed to reply. Those words were out from her mouth before she could stop them .It's not that she didn't not trust him but she didn't trust him completely, Sam had trusted him and that enough reason so her speaking those words.
Okies then , once you are ready "
"She hurried back to her seat and clutched the bag to herself.
She saw Arjun eyes focusing back on the road and she held the door with her shaking fingers and prayed in her heart .
They were nearing the end of the tunnel and she could see the trees again, it wasn't dark yet but the sun had already gone down taking along with it the light that was illuminating the whole area.
"Now Sakshi "
Her name from his mouth was the command she was waiting for and she pushed herself out from the car. She had prepared herself for the worst but she realized the there was some amount of grass left and thus she only had few bruises on her arm and shoulder. Without wasting any time she gathered herself up and started to climb down the cliff but could help and turn to look once towards the car which was driving away from her now at full speed.
She sighed, gathered herself up and resumed her journey climb down the cliff.
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