The Haunted Fortress of Bhangarh: Book 1

12. The savior

Rudra staggered backward due to the force with which she shoved at him. He could hear the raucous splintering of something massive upon coming in contact with the floor, but he was too startled to make sense of the situation. Reeling out of the sudden assault, he glanced down to find a boulder shattered into more than a dozen rock pieces, littering the floor, while Ishita was clutching her left arm, panting and wheezing, gasping for breath. Rivulets of blood cascaded down the length of her arm, collecting into a small pool of crimson near her feet. The stone had grazed against the expanse of her smooth skin, leaving behind a bleeding gash.

All of their friends rushed towards the scene, holding onto Ishita, asking her what had gone wrong while comforting her so that the pain would subside. Ranvir took to tugging the hand away from the wound, and Ishita cried out due to the agony coursing through her body. Collapsing on her knees, banging her fists on the floor as another bout of pain shot through her entire self, she allowed Aman to pull her up and whisk her towards the medicine room of the hotel.

It took Rudra some time to come out of the stupor he was in, and he sprinted behind the rest of the clique, following them as they jogged down multiple flights of stairs, supporting the bleeding and weeping Ishita all the way, until they reached the medical room, and the girl disappeared inside with the doctor and Surbhi in tow.

Ranvir peeked at his best friend, wiping the sweat forming on his forehead. "What happened? How did she hurt herself?"

Rudra let out a puff of air, raking his hand through his hair. "We were talking, and she pushed me away all of a sudden. I think she saw the... the boulder hurtling towards us and shoved me out of harm's way. She... she saved me." He gulped. "She just saved me from a mishap."

***

Ishita was patched up in no time, and though she was hissing in pain from time to time, her spirits had lifted to a great extent after the fun-filled, eventful dinner they had with a soulful live performance, a karaoke jig, and Ranvir's inappropriate jokes. Hence, by the time dinner was done and dusted, the clique had forgotten about the mishaps that chanced throughout the day. Even Rudra had conveniently misremebered the momentary lapse of judgment on his part when he shouted at his girlfriend in the afternoon.

Shravani and Rudra were strolling through the numerous open corridors of the well-lit fortress. Cool zephyrs wafted through the sides, bringing in a breath of fresh air that invigorated them and helped them get rid of the exhaustion of the day. They were ambling in utter silence—amiable and comfortable. Their hands brushed against each other sporadically, prompting the blush on his cheeks and the smile on her lips. Though she was peering at the fairy lights embellishing the pillars and stone walls of the ancient citadel, he was busy gazing at the way her hair fluttered in the wind.

She sensed his gaze on her. "Are you okay? After everything that has happened today?"

He smiled. "I am fine. Ishita took the onslaught on herself and saved me. I will forever be thankful to her."

Her nose flared. "Oh." There was an edge to her tone. "She is quite fond of you."

He chortled, taking her hand in his. "But I am fond of you."

She tittered, unclasping her hand from his. "Would you mind telling me what happened this afternoon? When you... you..."

He took a sharp breath, wondering if he should tell her everything. He had already let her know that the hallucination featured her. Improbable, but that was what he saw in the span of a few moments. Something that had him baffled and puzzled. But the more he considered telling her about his nightmares, the more fearful he was. She might consider him to be a delinquent and run in the opposite direction. "Can we not discuss it please?"