INARA

8 ♤ DROWNING

DROWNING

It was almost morning for Arnav, the sound of beetles and the high pitched chirping noise of crickets were replaced with the dawn chorus. It's when the birds are singing louder and prouder. After all the tossing and turning at night, he was feeling at ease after hearing them.

A loud thump disturbed his peace, his rather uncomfortable bag that he used as a pillow was forgotten until then. His neck was sore and he strained to move it, cracking it to find relief. He tossed and turned again to go back to the comfortable position that he enjoyed before to sleep.

"Just wake up already." Mahira huffed....

Afterall she was standing there for a little while thinking of ways to wake up a man who even in his sleep looked so hot. No one could hear her thoughts, that was her only excuse while taking all the liberty to admire him.

Arnav squinted at the morning brightness, straining his arms way back, stretching himself; he smiled at the sight of her.

"Hey," if his look made her squirm on her feet, his morning voice did more wonders.

"Good morning," Arnav wished her so brightly, but Mahira had other plans.

She thumped at the water drum again glancing behind him. Arnav stretched his neck, turning behind to see Vedav who woke up startled like a scared cat. He smiled.

"She's in a mood." He muttered to himself in a sing-song way.

"Did you say something?." Mahira asked him, scrunching her brows.

"Nope." He said in surrender, standing up to stretch again. It was still drizzling and the soil was so damp from last night's rain.

Mahira averted her gaze away and cleared her throat. This guy was trouble in a thousand ways, for her.

"The lake is overflowing to the east, nearly half of the road is already flooded. With forest on the sides it will be difficult to cross. And with this rain, we have to cross the lake before it floods here." Mahira said generally so both Arnav and Vedav could hear,

She said it, as if it wasn't a news but for Arnav it definitely was. Even Vedav had shock written all over his face. Flood, block, what the hell was going on???.

"There's a boat, it's used to cross woods and for the forest guards to cross through the lake. That's the only way. So pack your things and come fast. We all are going back to the nearest town."

She said while walking back after a glance at Arnav who still hadn't registered the news and Vedav all registered scrambled through the whole space, packing things and getting ready. He didn't know how to swim, Arnav remembered seeing his crazy secretary.

"Hey, Mahira, wait?. Does this happen every time it rains here?." He asked. What more does he have to come into realisation with the land that he bought?.

"Everytime it rains like this. Of Course yes. People like you have done enough deeds with the lake and the forest for a disaster to arrive just like that, all in the name of development. " She huffed again.

All the bright mood with which he woke up just like that drained away. He couldn't point out what exactly irked her so much to hate him. By last night, he thought he had crossed a step closer to her. But here we are.

"How do you always find a way to put all the blame on me?. Even in a natural disaster. I don't control the rain." Arnav, clearly overwhelmed and desperately wanting to clear the unreasonable rift between them, explained himself.

"Whatever!!!" She huffed at him again and walked away.

If her small pout that formed when she was angry could get anymore cute, he would lose it.