His Forced Wife [On Hold]

20 | Between Life And Death

Vanraj :

"OPEN YOU IDIOT!", I shouted angrily as I kicked the door for the fiftieth time only to sit back exhausted.
A thin layer of water was already seeping into my small cabin. And my goddamn door was locked! 
I could see the storm outside, water kept hitting against my window which also, wasn't in much of a great state.

I sat back, exhausted.
Was I dying here? This way? So ingloriously? 
Awesome.

I wished Malvika was safe, I couldn't even get to her. A sudden surge of panic caught me.
I would never get to meet her.
I stood up yet again and pulled the door with all my might. It bulged but didn't open. The lock was stuck!

"RAJ!", I heard from somewhere.
Was I imagining?
"RAJ! Are you here?!", I heard again.
"MALVIKA! HERE!", I shouted, I didn't know if this was a dream. I was holding the knob of the door when I suddenly felt it turn from the other side.
My heart skipped a beat.
There was a click sound but the door didn't open.

"Raj, are you inside?", I heard Malvika's voice.
She was here!
"Mukku! Get to some life boats or rafts! I need you to be safe-"
"Why is this not opening?!", She asked as she kept turning the door's knob.
"It's stuck.", I said, hopelessly.
I suddenly heard a crack sound behind me.
I turned, my heart pacing now.

The window had cracked.

Water gushed in like there was no tomorrow.
The cabin was already filling up, as it started filling up quicker.
Panic seized me.

"Mukku break this door! Do something! The-the window's burst open!", I shouted.
"Break the door?! But-"
She twisted the knob once again, something clicked again. 
I wasn't looking at the door anymore.

My gaze was fixed at the water that poured into the room, the angry waters outside, ready to embrace me forever. My ankles were drenched under water already. I had never edged death this closely. It was scary and mind numbing, I realised.

"Vanraj! Pull the door!", Malvika shouted.
I instantly turned back and pulled the door with all my strength.

It yanked open.
Malvika stood before me. I saw the happiness and relief in her eyes.
"Let's get out of here. Come on!", She said as she caught hold of my hand and pulled me behind her. 
The water had filled up to our knees by now.
"It's drowning rapidly!", She said as we rushed down to the metal doorway.

Her hand clasped mine tightly, as if her life depended on it.
"You were safe, still you came to save me.", I said as we advanced towards the doorway.
"Had to. I couldn't let you die in here.", She said simply as she banged the doorway.
"OPEN THE DOORWAY!", She shouted.
"IT'S TOO LATE!", The reply came.

"WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU MEAN-"
"SIR THE WATER IN DECK B IS ENOUGH TO DROWN THIS WHOLE AREA THAT WE'VE KEPT SAFE! CCTV TELLS US!", The man on the other end shouted back.
"You can't leave them to die!", I think I heard Mister Rathore.
"Sir, I can't allow the others to die because of them. They can join the boats from the top deck!", The man said.

"Top deck?! There's a storm up there!", That was Mrs. Rathore.
"I am sorry.", The man stated.
"Come on! We'll join your boat from up there!", Malvika said pulling me back towards the staircase.

"This is insanity! Malvika if we go up there we'll definitely not survive!", I said as a matter of fact.
"If we stay down here we'll die anyways.", She said, holding my hand. 
It was late evening outside, the waters were cold and chilly, and now it was rising up to my waist. 

She was right.
She pulled me out behind her as we made our best attempt to run. The water hit like a thousand knives, it was just painful.
I really appreciated Malvika's mental strength as well as pace. 
We jogged up the stairway, water flowed down here, it was seeping down from above as well.

I drew in a sharp breath as we finally reached at the doorway to the top deck.
"We need to stop here for a while.", I said, heaving a deep breath.
"Yeah.. God knows if they've taken out the boats.", She said stepping back, standing against the wall at the side of the stairway.
I stood against the one behind me.
We stood opposite to each other, exhausted and scared. Only the wild noise of waves hitting and rain entered our ears. 

"Thanks for coming back.", I said.
"I didn't leave you when we were tied in a forced marriage and you expected me to leave you here to die? What a genius!", She said irritably.
"I thought you were scared and all-"
"I am scared and I am a kid, but I can also be a saviour, dumb sir.", She said. 
I peeped outside, a huge wave hit the deck. It didn't look like we were getting out of this storm anytime soon.

"By the way congrats, your Titanic fantasies are totally coming true.", I said trying hard to breath.
"Oh shut up! Drowning was definitely not my fantasy.", She said, almost annoyed.
I looked at her, drawing in a deep breath.

This woman came back only for me, least bothered about her own safety. She could have easily stayed in there hoping I'd survive, but she came. Although I knew we were supposed besties and she did care, but caring for someone more than your own life hit me differently.

Water suddenly started filling up this staircase we stood on.
It was only ten steps away from us.
"I think the boats are out. The water's filling up.", She said and instantly walked out into the storm. It happened within a blink.

"Malvika!", I shouted instantly jogging out behind her. The piercing ran hit me all over my body. I placed my hand over my eyes to see properly.
Malvika rushed down to the end of the deck.
I rushed down behind her.

"Vanraj stay back!", I heard her shout. I couldn't go back now, it was too late.
I ran down towards her.

And I slipped on the water.

I fell face front with immense force. I somehow held myself up on my hand, but I couldn't get up. I slipped and fell on my left hand. 
I looked to my side, trying to stand up under the huge water force. I saw a huge wave, it was as high as a one storey house. My breath left me. I somehow stood up and rushed in front, the wave hit only centimetres from my feet onto the deck. 

I heard the deck crack.
"They have pulled out the boat!", Malvika shouted.
Was this girl an athlete in school or what?! Where was she getting this splendid balance from?!

I ran towards her.
This time I didn't notice the wave.

A huge wave hit right beside me.
I lost my balance, I fell side ways, hit against what was the ballroom. An extended portion of the structure hit against my chest.

I knew my rib cracked. The world around me numbed as an intense pain coursed through my whole body. I tasted blood in my mouth. 
Water kept hitting me from behind, but my senses were leaving me.
The pain was so intense that nothing made sense anymore. My whole body went stiff, I tried to move my hands, to move away but the water pressure behind me was immense.

I could barely see through the blur of tears and sea water.
I knew my breath was leaving me.

"Vanraj the boats! They've taken them out!", I heard from far off. And probably that was the last thing I would.

...

Malvika :

I turned around holding onto the collapsable railing.
"VANRAJ!", I shouted, he was not there. No where.
I had seen him follow me.
Where did he go?!

"Malvika get down here. We'll get out of this storm! Where is Vanraj?!", I heard from far below.
"Ma'am we can't wait!", Someone else said.
"VANRAJ!", I shouted.

I only got silence as an answer.
I looked down.
"Hello! Get down fast!", Someone shouted.
"Leave! I have someone to bring with me!", I shouted.
"Ma'am! If he's not there yet he'll probably never arrive! Please board the boat, we can't wait any longer!", I heard the captain this time.

I had a choice, to go home safely or to run back and find him. If this had been any other person probably I'd be stone hearted. 
But I knew Vanraj meant much more than a bestie to me.
Much, much more.

"THEN LEAVE! I CAN'T LEAVE HIM!", I shouted as I rushed back down to deck. 

...

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