Battle Scars...✔️

4. Operation Rescue Riddhima

Vansh peered into the hole, which was only six inches in diameter, as wide as a length of a geometry box scale, he saw nothing. But he was sure Riddhima is down somewhere because he can hear Riddhima crying.

Siya was trying to comfort her each time she spoke to her, Riddhima was answering back. Vansh and others were assured to know that she is fine.

Using a flashlight, Vansh was able to see Riddhima's head. She was stuck vertically in the narrow pit, her thin body pressing against the mud walls. Siya reached with a tube connected to an oxygen cylinder and has been pushed down the hole so that Riddhima does not suffocate. The rescue operation was at full swing.

A rope is lowered into the hole and when it touches Riddhima, they pull it out and measure just how deep she has fallen- twenty-seven feet.

"It's greatful she has not fallen deeper, the borewell a often go down upto 150 feet but she had obviously got stuck in between." Kabir was informing the scenario to the officials at the nearest base camp.

After a lot of planning and execution, it was decided that everyone will move ahead leaving a 25- soldier team here. In that case, Kabir had to leave following the safety measures with some others.

The tunnel is just four feet wide and Vansh is six feet inside and squatting on his thighs, digging gently, when the roof collapses as he feared and Vansh was too, buried under mud. His men panic a little but they reach out in the loose, wet mud and find his foot. Vansh was pulled out in time.

It is near escape but after he has cleaned the mud out of his eyes and ear and coughed up whatever is stuck in his mouth, Vansh becomes more restless then ever to save Riddhima.

As the men started getting close to the borewell hole, they use an instrument called an electronic stethoscope. Normally used in bomb disposal operations to locate hidden ticking explosive devices, it starts beeping if it detects a regular ticking sound. They all hoped it will catch Riddhima's heartbeat as there was an utter silence and no response from her side.

When they are thirteen feet inside the tunnel, the electronic stethoscope suddenly starts emitting a distinct sound. A smile of pleasure runs acreos Vansh's and other's mud-streaked faces- they were close to her.

After digging gently he hits open space. He pushes his hands up the hole. He could feel Riddhima's legs. Vansh tried to pull her out but Riddhima was not moving making Vansh worried. Feeling around the dark, Vansh realises that some roots have got entangled with Riddhima's leg, just above her knee. Vansh pulls them till it breaks away.

Very gently, Vansh reaches for Riddhima and pulls her down. She slides into his arms easily crying in fear. Holding him close, Riddhima was feeling safe.

Vansh asked for a blanket while Riddhima tried to speak properly.

"Dr..ajin..Vansh ...."

Riddhima was stammering due to cold but Vansh understood what she meant. Dr. Ajinkya was also pushed here, but no one knew. Assuring Riddhima and then wrapping her in a blanket, he climbs the stairs taking her while she was just looking at him with weakness, she was tired. As well as the whole team was.

Vansh informed that one more person was stuck inside. The other team got down to dig more immediately. Riddhima was shivering being the in the blanket, getting out from everyone's site, Vansh takes her in a nearby tent. Rubbing her arms.

"Are you fine?" Vansh asked

"No Vansh! I am not." Riddhima shrugged him off being angry.

"Did Kabir do something!?" Vansh asked her with a stern voice.

"No he didn't! But you hurted me Vansh. Why? Why!? I am not able to live peacefully. I love you!" Riddhima cried out shivering.

"Then we can be like this?" Vansh asked rubbing her palms.

"You mean I cheat on him?" Riddhima asked him directly on his face on which Vansh sighed.

"You have the choice Riddhima. Either like this, or tell him. I am sure Kabir will understand. He is a good friend of mine. It's your time to choose. Either your love, or your responsibilities. The choice is yours."

Vansh said and left from there to look for Dr. Ajinkya. He was as important for him like her. The other soldier came to him to come. Vansh was again inside the same pit. When he pulled Dr. Ajinkya out, he could smell the decomposition. His ribs had pierced his heart and he was dead..... When Vansh came out with his body, there was an utter silence all over. He was a renowned doctor. Was. Riddhima was the only doctor left there, so she reached hurriedly with eyes full of tears seeing his condition.

"So this was the reason of your loud cries?" A soldier beside Riddhima asked him and she nodded in yes. The body was not even able to be sent back to doctor's home.

"Riddhima, get changed we are leaving for Jodhpur. The team is waiting for both of us only. The rest will be at doctor's funeral." Vansh said in a very, formal voice. As he had too, because he was firstly, a soldier. Then anything else.

Riddhima was still too tired, and the same goes for Vansh. Both got changed in clean clothes, washed their face and hands which were full of mud.

" You are lucky Riddhima, thank God you got stuck in between." Vansh said to her rubbing his arms to take the mud off.

Riddhima silently nodded and continued to clean her face.
"I had no problem in even dieing."

"Riddhima please." Vansh had nothing to say.
"You have a choice. Either love or your so-called marriage responsibility." Vansh scoffed and left from there.

A tears fell from Riddhima's eyes but she wiped it and nodded to herself.

"My decision was never to leave you. But what you did, was not correct."

Precap- Riddhima: I will move on with Kabir.

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