Dear friends, here I'm, with chapter 14... I don't know if I could live upto your expectation. but this one is very different from chapter 13... read at your one risk! đ
CHAPTER 14
Ragini became shocked when Swara had stabbed her thigh. The pain was more excruciating there than her wound on her shoulder. From the corner of her eyes she saw Sanskar mercilessly charging on Laksh, like an experienced fighter, living him bleeding and battered.. Her eyes burned in rage, she decided to give Sanskar the same heartache she was suffering... The imp in her mind suggested, " No one is looking at you, Rags! Send that angel back to the heaven! No Swara to snatch your love anymore... Sanskar would die a million death for hurting your love..Two birds gone, with one stone! See the whirlpool there? Do it girl!"
She crawled towards Swara, who had ran towards the spot where the boys were duelling. When Laksh held Sanskar on the gunpoint, Swara was rooted to the spot, standing very close to the edge, her eyes wide with horror ... Her muscle relaxed after few seconds, only to see Sanskar to pierce him with deep sedatives. She closed her eyes in relief, not noticing Ragini who had kneeled on her uninjured knee .,... pushed Swara with all her might aiming at her knees. Swara stumbled, staggered backwards and then thrown into turbulent water, sending cry to the only person who can her her...
She struggled to swim but failed, the currents were faster as she had fell near the ledge, from where she was whisked along the downstream and fell into the plunge pool.
Sanskar like a mad man ran near the back and jumped into the plunge pool stream . Luckily the tides were not crazily turbulent like the upper portion as few rocks were blocking the way here and there. But along came the risk of getting hurt by them.Sanskar swam carefully in between the rocks and reached the spot where Swara's unconscious form was stuck between two big oval rocks. He held her from back by right arm and swam back to the shore.
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Sanskar glanced at Ragini angrily for a moment, who had fainted due to bleeding and stress by that time. Then he concentrated on Swara. Much to his horror, she seemed to have huge amount of water entering in her lungs and abdomen,as a result of drowning for a long time, her forehead had a cut from the hitting some rock... Her creamy skin appeared pale, cold and clammy... Her breathing were rasp.
"NO SANSKAR! You can't panic and lose her!" He chided himself . He had laid her down, her frontside facing the ground, after removing the jacket which was heavily soaked... He pressed her back with the palm of his hands in rhythm, making her cough, and water come out of her mouth.. Then he make her turns towards him, still she hadn't gain her senses... her pulse was weak... breathing was getting more ragged and slower with each passing moment, her lips had turned bluish now... He did what he had learnt in basic life support course ... He thumped her chest for few times as a step of CPR, still she was getting worse, "Swara! please open your eyes! Please talk to me! Please irritate me with your teasing! I can't take your silence anymore!"He pleaded, his voice broke at the end...
He make himself strong and determined, "No, I can't let you go, Swara!!!You have to breathe!!" He whispered. He took a deep breath and leaned himself over her fragile form, placing his elbows on both side of her shoulder... His one hand supported her neck... The other one pressed her cheeks... with a hint of hesitation and ardent need to see her alive, Sanskar touched his mouth on her cold, wet petal like lips... and relayed the life line he had fetched from the wind, till the last molecule of Oxygen found its way to her...
Sanskar drew his face few inches back to inhale another bout air, that's when Swara opened her eyes... His face broke in a smile, tears glinted in the rim of his eyes... Her face reflected the same serenity and relief... to see her white knight safe and sound... They didn't need any words to convey at this moment, two pairs of eyes did all the talking on the behalf of their lips... their compassion... their fear... their relief... their longing...their ardour... the caramel- hazel combo shared it all...
Hidden desires wanted to burst out at last... hearts throbbed like maniacs feeling their closeness, longed for more... The soft glowing silver rays of moon caressed her face... Sanskar, as if he were in a spell, lowered himself again... cupped her face with his palms... Swara closed her eyes in anticipation, letting herself to surrender... his rough, manly lips claimed her quivering rose petal ones... these time her lips were not cold anymore, this time passion ignited fire in them... The eyes had left the reigns, Sanskar kissed Swara like the first rain drop kisses the soil... Swara's hands found their way to his shoulder... she responded like a parched thirsty soul who had found water in a desert... gentle peck soon turned in passionate tango, his tongue seeked entry only to have an instant pass... sparks formed spectacular fireworks, as the battle of tongues got more intense with time...
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They kissed like there would be no tomorrow, but had to withdraw themselves as their lungs craved for air ... The spell broke, a sudden awkward silence took over, her cheeks flushed in the shades of beetroot, her lashes guarded her orbs again... He averted his gaze from the breathtaking beauty lying under his body, slowly lifted his weight off her... she felt cold without his warmth,as she was wearing a wet, sleeveless T-shirt..
Sanskar looked back at Swara sensing her shivering, weak self. He got up and carried her in his arms, started towards the jeep... Swara watched his faced, unblinking . Sanskar now again concentrated on escape plan, burying his emotions with a lot of effort.
Swara suddenly said,"Sanskar please let me down"
"What? No, I'm not letting you take unnecessary stress. Who knows you may faint again !"
"I mean to say... Ragini is bleeding too..I-I stabbed her..." she whispered, her voice trembled, "She'll die if we leave her like this. She's not getting anyone tfor a long time!"
" Are you suggesting to take her with us? Are you crazy? She's the one who tried to kill you!" He was fuming with anger, "I don't care what happens to her!"
"Please Sanskar!" she pleaded , "At least let me stop her bleeding... Please let me down beside her"
Sanskar was amazed at this wonderful woman once again, he couldn't let her feel sad and guilty... He agreed and helped her too, but not before giving the sedative injection to Ragini. He carried Swara to jeep again, laid her on seat, fastened the seat belt. He cleaned the cut on her forehead, applied antiseptic... He was going to move but Swara stopped him by holding his wrist...
"Sanskar, you're hurt too..."
"It's nothing... Now let me go!" He dismissed casually
"Dare you move Sanskar!" She threatened, "Enough of your tantrums. Now give me the first aid box and stay still." She carefully cleaned the bruises on Sanskar's face , there was a cut over his left brow, where the skin had split open .He winced a bit when antiseptic was applied there... next he felt the stinging soothed by soft cool blowing air from her mouth...
Yet another time they calmed the storm... Healed and found solace within each other... But this time another storm had started to form... their hearts were the eyes of the storm...
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The runway couple had abandoned their jeep after two hours of fast driving, then they delved in the deeper portion of forest again. Sanskar brought out a cellphone from the backpack, the one he picked from unconscious Vikash.. He called someone, " SSR speaking... track our location and suggest some safe spot to camp temporarily... She is injured and need some rest..."
After 15 minutes or so,the other person on the line called again to direct the way. Sanskar asked Swara who was sitting on a rock, " Swara are you sure you can walk? It's 15-20 mins walk from here. I can help you!"
"No Sanskar! I can manage, really. See I'm standing!" She got up to prove her point. "We don't want to be late. Come on."
Sanskar didn't pay heed to her entirely, he held her all the time until they reached in front of a cave. Sanskar lit a flashlight and entered the cave, with Swara following him.
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Sanskar went out of the cave for a while to let Swara change , gathered some branches of the trees then went inside again... After sometimes they were cozy and comfortable as the fire was made, their clothes were dry, but all they had is silence, their hearts and minds kept pondering on last few hours' events... Last few hours... were nothing less than roller coaster ride... The escape from that hell... unexpected hindrance... both on the verge of losing each other ... relief ... their hungry, passionate kiss... One kiss that had changed the easy atmosphere and possibly entire equation between them...
" Now what?" Swara asked suddenly, "Which way do we have in front of us?"
Sanskar was startled. She was asking what this kiss meant to him. Was she furious at him? For he was the one who initiated the kiss? But she had responded with equal fervour, hadn't she? Did she regret those moments of passion? Sudden fear gripped his heart, may be she wanted to break their friendship... No! He couldn't afford to lose her presence... neither physically nor emotionally... He badly needed to do some damage control.
"Swara, I'm sorry. I shouldn't..." He started blabbering in nervousness.
Swara cut him in between, "Why you should be sorry? It was impossible to predict! Laksh and Ragini on long drive! They never did anything like these, she was saying I was the reason. Don't say sorry, OK? You didn't answer my question? Where will we go from here? We don't have the jeep now. Then?"
"You'll see, but before that sleep like good girl.We have a long adventure ahead."Sanskar sighed in relief.She was asking about their way to freedom from the rival territory only! Not their way into or away from each other! May be she had forgotten about the kiss! May be it had meant nothing to her! The thought didn't reside well with him though.He discovered in astonishment that, his previously strong heart was suddenly clogged with restlessness and despair...
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In the land of terror Swara had come to trust a person with all her heart, Sanskar Singh Rathore, her white night... She was on the way to die many times... still she knew he would rescue themselves alive... He was her only anchor in the turbulent sea... she was curious how the trip was going to be? For at the end of the day they'll survive, despite of the hindrances that comes their way... But he was apologetic... Why? For they faced unexpected road block on their way he couldn't guess?
A few moments later her mind deciphered the reason behind the apology... He was sorry for that kiss? That means he hadn't ever felt anything for her, other than friendship ... He just slipped for some time and went with the flow... And she was building castles in the air!
At least she has his friendship, she sighed inwardly. "I will never ever mention today's kiss and make him feel awkward", she vowed in her mind, though her heart protested weakly...
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Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan
Mangal Lakshmi
