Drown.

Part Seven: Eighty eighth floor.

The lift stopped at exactly fifty sixth floor.

"This was evident wasn't it?" Samarth sighed.

"Now. Who has made it alive while being stuck in a lift?" Dev teased.

"While water being filled in a building." Chirag added.

"Well guys. We've got no time. We have to reach the terrace anyhow." Apoorva.

"Stairs it is." Rian muttered.

They opened the lift door manually. A 2039 technology. All they could see was darkness. Although one thing they were sure of.. They had thirty two floors left. And the only option they had were stairs.

"Guys I found the staircase!"

They had made a human chain, hand in hand. And they began climbing.

With chirag and apoorva in lead, followed by dev, samarth and kutta and rian, naya at very back.

"Never knew I'd experience a survival game in real life." Apoorva said.

"Me neither. I was engaged one day and now I'm fighting to stay engaged. Irony of life." Chirag chuckled.

Apoorva eyed him. He was boyish when he smiled. His eyes curved themselves into a smile of their own. Under the faint light of torch, they were moving nonstop. As if this darkness had no end.

"Stop staring poorva." His tone filled tease.

"Apoorva!"

"I don't want the 'A'."

"And why is that?"

"And why should I tell you?"

"Sure chiiiii." Her pronunciation similar to ew.

"Add the 'rag' love."

"And why should I do that?"

He chuckled again. This time it sounded deep and primal.

"I'm tired already." Dev sighed.

"We've so far climbed ten floors. We're at sixty six." Samarth pulled kutta's leash to slow him down.

"Aren't you hungry?"

"Should we eat kutta?"

"You're weird." Samarth gave him big eyes.

"I was kidding alright."

###

"Well.. What do we do once we reach the terrace?"

"We wait."

"And what if the rescuers don't arrive in time?"

"We drown."

"Mr. Rian, is something wrong?"

"Er.. No.. You were incredible back there."

"When?"

"When you opened the lock. What did you put?"

"The good old.. One two three four."

"Damn.. Smart kiddo." He patted her head.

"You know.. You can't do that. It gives mixed signals."

"Oh does it."

"Yes. It gives butterflies."

"On your head?"

"Nope. Lower."

"Heart?"

"You really are clueless aren't you..stomach."

"Oh"

He kept patting her head.

"Whattt"

"I'm giving you butterflies."

"That doesn't happen when it's intentional dumb uncle."

He smirked at her. She ignored him.

"We're at seventy fifth floor!" Apoorva shouted.

"Look there's a emergency window." Chirag said.

Outside window all they could see was dark ocean water surrounding the building.

"Heavens. It's all drowned."

"The water looks like it's reached twenty floors.. And we've been climbing for what an hour and half. So we roughly have six hours till it reaches our floor." Rian said, his tone weary.

"Keep climbing, I'm sure they'll send someone to rescue the survivers."

"Let's hope."

They kept climbing and finally reached the Eighty eighth floor.