Chapter 19

Blinding whiteness covers my eyes.

A searing pain shoots up my left foot, causing me to drop back down to the ground. I can feel bruises on my body where the twigs and stones scraped me while I was falling.

I have to get out of here. The agony is causing me to black out and I am afraid I may pass out anytime. I need to get help before it is too late.

"Helloooo, anyone there?" I desperately call out, hoping someone is around. I listen carefully for sounds of people, but all I hear in the darkness is the stridulating of crickets and rustling of leaves in the breeze.

I look around me in the darkness. Suddenly I have a sense of deja vu. I have been in a similar situation before, in a dark forest, all alone. A chilling sense of dread covers me. I am momentarily paralyzed with fear. I shake myself to rid the growing feeling of panic.

'Tarana, you are stronger than this. You have taken yourself out of a worse situation, you can do this,' inner voice is goading me.

I stand up again, keeping the pressure off the left foot, propping myself against the tree. Gingerly, I set my left foot down, but the pain is too much causing me to drop down on all fours.

I contemplate if I could hop on one foot to the pathway, but with it being dark and the uneven land strewn with rocks and twigs, I may lose balance and fall again and if this time there is no tree to stop me, the injuries could be serious or worse - fatal.

I don't even have my phone to call anyone or give me some light. My heart is sinking thinking of the possibility that I may have to spend the night here in the forest, till help hopefully comes along in the morning. Earlier in the day, I overheard someone saying that leopards that have been spotted roaming in this forest at night. No!! I can't be here at night. My eyes have adjusted to the darkness and I see the walkway up in the far distance - my only chance of getting help.

Gritting my teeth against the pain, I start crawling up the craggy hill, dragging my useless foot. "Must not think of the pain," I mutter to myself. I ignore the throbbing in my foot, the burning sensation caused by cuts and bruises on my body due to the fall and the sting caused by fresh cuts and piercing by jagged twigs and sharp stones on the ground.

"Need .. to.. get.. help," I keep chanting as I inch my way up.

Crunch, crunch.. Footsteps! I hear footsteps in the distance!! I hope it is a person and not any wild animal.

"Heeellllp" I shout with all my might. "Anybody there? Please! I need help!"

My throat is parched. I desperately need water. I make as much noise as I can, rustling the leaves, throwing rocks, hoping to attract the attention of the passer by.

The sound of the footsteps stops. "Please dear God, let the person have heard me."

"Help! can you hear me?" My voice is cracking with desperation, fear and thirst. My body is fatigued, my energy is quickly draining away.

The footsteps sound closer, stopping a few feet above me. A sharp, tiny flashlight from a mobile phone is waved around in my direction, finally stopping when it lands on me.

An audible gasp is followed by hurried steps scrambling down towards me. The flashlight is bright in the dark, blinding me from seeing my rescuer.

"Tarana? Bloody hell!"

That voice.. I know that voice.. Relief washes over me in waves as I register my savior.

Jeet!

He drops down to his knees, grabbing me by my arms, "wha.. what happened? Oh my god, are you hurt? Are you alright?"

It was all too much for me. The sight of Jeet, his reassuring presence, my relief that I won't die here after all, finally cracked the wall of willpower which had dammed my tears all this while.

I threw my arms around his neck, letting out my fear, anguish, and pain flow out in a cascade of tears.

"Shh!! It's okay.. it's going to be fine. I am here, you are safe now." He wraps his arms around me, cocooning me in a gentle embrace.

I don't know how long we stayed like that on the ground. Me, bawling like a baby against his chest, and him holding me, stroking my hair and back, whispering words of comfort, making no move to push me away.

Eventually I ran out of tears to cry. Convulsive breaths, the after effects of my meltdown, rattle my body, making me painfully aware of my injured foot. I grudgingly leave the haven of Jeet's embrace and move away, noticing the front of his shirt is wet with my tears.

"Ouch!" I clutch my injured foot. Jeet's eyes move down to my feet.

"Is your foot hurt? here let me have a look," he takes my foot on his lap, gently pressing against my ankle. I screw my eyes to shut out the pain. "It is swollen, could be a sprain or fracture. In any case we need to get you to a doctor, ASAP. Are you hurt anywhere else?" He asks gently, looking intently at my face.

I belatedly realize he is not wearing his nerdy glasses.

I shake my head, "No, it's only my foot that hurts a lot right now. The other injuries are minor. I tried to walk, but it's too painful."

"My car is just around the corner. Can you manage to walk up till there with support?"

"I guess. I can try."

"Here hold on to me," Jeet gets up and holds out his hand. I grab his arm as he hauls me up. Damn he has strong arms. He smoothly moves to my right so that I can lean on him for support.

I stand up and hold on to his sinewy shoulder, shifting my weight to my right foot. His hand wraps around my waist, holding me steady while I find my balance.

"You OK? Can you move?" I hesitantly take a hop forward testing my balance. Jeet holds me tightly at his side.

"It's Ok. I can manage," I smile weakly.

We slowly make our way up the hilly side, taking short breaks to rest my right foot, before I hop again. Jeet is rock steady by my side, taking on most of my weight so that I keep the pressure off my left foot. His mobile flashlight guides our way and he is very careful to avoid uneven ground, stomping it to check it out first before letting me take a step.

Although my leg hurts pretty bad to the point of forgetting all else, I cannot help but notice Jeet's presence beside me. He doesn't even seem to break into a sweat holding me up, carrying my backpack, and navigating our way. His robust stamina and confident strides compensate my lack of energy. I realize that though I do not know much about Jeet, there's a feeling of security when I am around him. Something that I have not felt for a long time.

"Steady now, we are almost there," he encourages gently. I am fatigued and thirsty. "I need water," I say in a raspy voice.

"I have it in my car. Just a few minutes more and you can relax." Frankly at this point, I won't mind sitting in a bullock cart.

"We are here," he declares pointing to the car ahead.

"Are you serious? This is your car?" I look at him and then back at the car with incredulity.

"It's a Range Rover," I state dumbly, my mouth hanging open. He gives an embarrassed chuckle. I am too dumbfounded to speak, as Jeet helps me into the luxurious leather seat at the back, adjusting the seat in one smooth movement to help me lie back comfortably and stretch my leg. The back seats have a freaking leg extension.

He runs across to the driver's side, tossing my backpack on the seat next to him. "There are some bottles of water in the console near your arm," he informs. I open the console and it's fitted with a mini fridge. I retrieve a bottle of cool water and gratefully gulp down its full contents in one go.

Once he ensures I am comfortable, he guns the engine and the car glides smoothly forward over the rough terrain. It feels like sitting in an airplane instead of a car. There are LCD screens on the back of the front seats, with controls near the arm rest. The interior is all wood and leather, the tan leather seats soft and comfortable. I lay my head back on the headrest and close my eyes, my exhaustion finally taking over.

"Tarana? Wake up." I open my eyes slowly and squint as I take in the dimly lit interior of the car.

"We have reached the hospital." Jeet is standing out and has opened the door for me. I notice a team of medical staff outside the car waiting with a gurney and medical trolley.

"Mmm.." I mumble. The full effect of my fall now hits me. My head is aching, my mouth is dry. My entire body feels like it's on fire and my left foot hurts like someone shot a bullet through it.

I try to move, but I am sore all over. I moan in pain. Strong yet gentle hands slip under my knees and behind my back as I am lifted almost weightlessly off the car seat. I wrap my arms weakly around Jeet's neck, too dazed to protest.

"I could see you can't move. This is quicker." I get a faint hint of his spicy cologne as he holds me close to his chest. His face is so close to mine, I want to nuzzle into his neck.

Instead, I simply nod as he tenderly places me on the stretcher. The medical staff immediately start attending to me, the doctor flashing a torch in my eyes, shooting questions at me. A needle is injected in my arm.

Everything around is hazy, my head spinning at lightning speed. The only thought I have, before I slip into unconsciousness, is that I need Jeet near me.

Blinding whiteness covers my eyes.