CHAPTER - 11
Time seemed to stop as he saw her falling steadily towards the turbulent waters of the river. He was aware of an emptiness he felt, a void that promised never to fill again.
Dosti ki beginning sorry se nahi karte.
He could still see those beautiful eyes gazing at him uncertainly as they swirled to the music. Her hand on his shoulder still seemed to burn, making him draw her closer, silently accepting.
I'm your wife.
"Prachi…" he whispered, reverently.
His feet seemed to act on their own accord. He heard Neev shout his name as he fell, felt the icy welcome of the water…and then he heard nothing.
Gasping he emerged, searching wildly even as the current forced him forward. He ducked under again, trying to keep his eyes open against the stinging cold. Feeling a fear like no other, he came up again, unmindful of anything except searching for her.
"Prachi!" he tried shouting, struggling to keep his head out, fighting against the current that seemed interested only in pulling him forward. He cried out as a jagged piece of rock pierced his feet, the icy water making it sting before numbing it like every other part of his body under water.
He felt the cold making his head throb, as he continued the fruitless search for his wife. His lungs seemed to be screaming in protest as his breath came out in ragged gasps.
"Prachi…" he managed, before the water entered his mouth again. He struggled to keep from sinking down due to the added weight of his clothes and his own rapidly tiring body.
After what seemed like hours, he managed to catch onto a rock and held on tightly, gasping. The water sprayed on his face as it smashed against the rock, bringing him into painful awareness…not because of the wounds he had encountered along the way but due to the one thought that was numbing his heart steadily.
There was no way she could be alive now…and if she was, there was no way she could survive. The rocks wouldn't have spared her tender body.
The thought of Prachi lying somewhere wounded worse than him, caused him to lose his grasp on the rock he was holding on. Too worn out to struggle anymore, he gave in to the blackness calling his name…in the soft voice of his wife's.
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"Neev…"
Dawn was breaking through as Rajeev shook him, keeping his eye on Ayesha who seemed to be gazing transfixed at the water without any expression on her face. Afraid that she might be thinking of jumping in after Milind and Prachi, he kept a hand out towards her.
"Milind is strong, Neev. He will find Prachi."
"I know."
Stepping away from the edge, Neev turned towards him, giving him a reassuring smile. His eyes then lit on Ayesha, who hadn't moved at all since reaching there. As he moved towards her, she turned her tormented eyes on him.
"Don't try it, Neev," she said warningly, holding out a hand to ward him off as he advanced towards her. When her tone didn't stop him, she circled towards the other side.
"Don't come near me!" she shouted, backing away towards the camp. As his hand reached out towards her, she ran, not knowing where she was going. All she wanted was to get away, get away…from everything!
She ran past the camp, and into the woods, hearing only the sound of the wind as it rustled the leaves. Unable to see anything through the haze of tears clouding her vision, she banged into a hard chest.
"Leave me alone, damn you!" she cried, trying to twist out of the hands holding her fast.
But instead of letting go, the hands tightened, pulling her roughly against him. She stopped struggling as Neev put his arms around her, cradling her head tenderly beneath his chin.
"Ssshh, sweetheart," he whispered soothingly. "They will be fine."
Giving in to the urge to cry, she wept, putting her arms around him. His hand caressed her head gently, letting her weep years of bitterness in that one moment.
When her crying had reduced to a few sniffles, she raised her head trying to make out his expression in the dim light of early dawn. She didn't know what had come over her…all she knew was that she couldn't bear the thought of her sister being hurt, or worse…No, she wouldn't consider the worse! Milind would save her, he would have to!
"I…I'm sorry…about that," she mumbled, feeling embarrassed that she had cried like a child in his arms. And she was still standing in his arms! With that realization, she moved away, putting a little distance between them. She wished he would say something…anything! This silence was slowly beginning to unnerve her.
"Would you say consent to say something?" she finally snapped, her quick temper at the fore again.
There was silence for some time again, and she thought he wasn't going to answer. As she put her hands on her hips in exasperation, he muttered an oath under his breath before walking away from her.
"Neev!" she called, quickening her steps to stand in front of him. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
He took a step closer to her, making her gaze up at him. "You. You in that damned night gown of yours is what's wrong with me!"
"My…night gown?"
She stared after him bewildered as he stalked away again, and then glanced down at her apparel. She blushed furiously as she realized she had dropped the night robe somewhere along the way and had been standing there in front of him in her gown made of flimsy satin that left little to imagination.
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Neev strode swiftly out of the woods, swearing vehemently under his breath. He had only been trying to comfort her! He hadn't expected to feel the urge to tilt her head up and kiss her…give her some of the frustrations she was causing with her nearness.
That woman was driving him crazy! When she had looked at him with those mesmerizing eyes of hers swimming with unshed tears, all he had wanted at that moment was to erase her pain, absorb them into him somehow…protect her from every grief, every sorrow. He had acted on instinct, holding her close to him while she cried, each tear striking his heart painfully.
He didn't know why she affected him! Standing there in that gown of hers, with her eyes sparkling with the sheen of tears and a tentative smile on her lips, she was more beautiful than any female he had ever seen. Her hair had been like silk beneath his fingers, her body smelling of wild roses. And all he had wanted in that moment…was to make her his.
He ran a hand through his hair in irritation. He had no business thinking that way about her! She might be his fiance but he didn't even like her, for God's sake! She was too infuriating, too damn independent. She did what she liked, irrespective of the effect on others. No, he didn't even like her. He couldn't like her!
Rajeev caught up with him as he walked towards the camp, his expression unusually serious. Neev felt a sense of foreboding as he waited for him to speak.
"Neev, I found the guards' bodies behind that thicket across the boulder over there," he told him, pointing towards the one nearest to the cliff.
His brow creased into a frown as he looked towards where his cousin was pointing. "Koi toh Prachi ka bura chahta hai…but kaun and kyun?"
His honey-gold eyes troubled, Rajeev gazed thoughtfully at the sun coming up steadily. "Somehow mujhe nahi lagta ki it's as simple as that. Why try to kill Prachi now…now when there is so much protection around? Why go to all that trouble when they could easily have managed to do that during the walks she takes nearly everyday? It just doesn't make sense! Par agar unka target koi aur tha, toh why did they push her off the cliff? Prachi couldn't have seen their faces; it was too dark around that time!"
"Right now, I'm more worried about Milind and Prachi. Bas ek baar pata chal jaye ki they are fine, then I'll hunt those rats out of their hiding places!" Neev said angrily, his eyes fixed on the woman coming towards them.
She passed them without glancing at either of them and moved steadily towards the horses tethered nearby. "Just what do you think you are doing, Ayesha?" he asked irritably, catching her reins as she tried to maneuver the horse by them.
Giving him a haughty look, she tossed her copper locks behind her back with a swipe of her hand. "Going to search for my sister. Tum logon ki tarah main apna time waste nahi karna chahti."
"Don't be a fool! This was a damnable murder attempt! And we are still not sure about who the target actually was. You cannot venture out alone without protection!"
"Don't you dare take that tone with me, Neev Shergill!" she retorted, her eyes stormy. "And tum mere husband nahi ki I'll listen to what you have to say. I'll do what I want to like I have always done!"
As Neev opened his mouth to give a heated reply, Rajeev stepped in. "I think she's right…We would be wasting a lot of time if we wait for Uncle to send us more guards. And usse pehle agar Milind and Prachi ko kuch ho gaya toh…"
"Fine!" he snapped, whistling to his black horse who rode towards him instantly. "We'll ride out now. But this woman has to promise to go by my rules where security is concerned. I will not have her running into danger because she's such a stubborn fool!"
Ayesha stiffened at the insult, then conceded grudgingly. "I promise, but only as long as the demands are reasonable."
Saying this, she rode out in the direction of the river, leaving two men staring after her with different expressions on their faces, one with a glower and the other with admiration.
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Sorry for the late update guys! I'm afraid I was bitten by the laziness bug ☺️ btw now i m a guaranteed insomniac 😔!! any suggestions?
hope u liked this chapter, do temme if there r any typing errors or bloopers, in my sleepy state i may have missed them while rechecking 😉
Bindi
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