Anguish & Affection

Part 5

He watched as her pupils dilated and her body wobbled, and he immediately sprung into action by embracing her. She attempted to break away from his grasp with a shriek, but eventually stopped resisting and became still in his embrace.

He gasped in despair as his eyes beheld her limp body, void of any signs of life. He scooped her up, his arms shaking with emotion, and laid her down on the bed prepared for their wedding night. Tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes and ice-cold fingers traced over her cheeks. The salty drops crashed against her already tear-stained face and wrenched at his heart until it felt like it would split in two.

Before leaving the room, he stopped to look at her sleeping body one more time. He then phoned the family doctor and went for a drive in an effort to steady himself before it occurred to him.

As soon as Atharv stepped into his room, a pleasant draft of air from the open door to the poolside brought him some relief. To his surprise, Diya was gone - not even a trace of her remained. Anxiety took over as he searched for answers, and then anger overwhelmed him as every reasonable thought evaporated.

Atharv took a deep breath and headed toward the restroom, unsure of whether or not his wife had locked herself in. He rapped on the door lightly and tried to open it, only to discover that it was not only unlocked but also unoccupied. It appeared that his wife had thought of another way to get away from him.

Atharv's eyes turned to the poolside, pondering if she had managed to climb out. Since there were no guards in that area, it would have been much simpler for her to flee than through any other route. Despite not knowing where exactly the security guards were stationed, Atharv was certain she had deduced the best course of action out of sheer desperation.

Atharv rushed to the poolside, taking the most determined strides he could. On either side of him was a beautiful garden and on the third side stood a wall. There she was; attempting to climb over it but unable to because of her tight outfit!

As her name spilled from his lips, she jolted in surprise. His eyes widened with disbelief as Diya plunged into the depths of the water below. Overcome with instinctual necessity and propelled by a newfound intensity, he threw himself forward – diving with relentless aggression into the chilly pool. Breaking through wave after wave of entreating sorrow, his blind rage broke through the walls of the fortress of his resolve like a raging inferno.

Expletives flew from Atharv's mouth as he patted Diya's cheeks. Aditi and their other friends had swum to them with apprehension drawn on their faces. What was supposed to be a lighthearted swimming competition, held in celebration of Diya's successful training, had taken an unexpected turn when she began to cry out for help, flailing helplessly in the water.

The others swam onward with vigorous, frantic strokes, their glances to each other telling of their rising worry. Atharv was astonished when Diya's lips spread into a wry smile and her eyes pierced open before she splashed away from him in the direction of the race's end.

"What did you just say? 'I taught her to swim! There's no way I'm losing to her'? You better watch out, because she looks like she's about to win this race!" Diya stuck her tongue out and laughed as the others gasped in surprise. They were used to her pranks and jokes, since she was the youngest in the group, and they allowed her some lenience when it came to her mischievous side.

As Diya stood with her arms crossed in the shallow waters of the artificial pond, Atharv and his friends approached her with tense expressions. She greeted them with a triumphant smirk.

"What would have happened if you actually drowned while pretending to drown, Diya?" asked Atharv sternly, his face pinched tightly between pursed eyebrows as he refused to meet her gaze.

"Oh, I knew you'd never let me sink, Atharv! My aim was to wipe off your smug expression after you won every swimming challenge, so that's what I decided to do!" she shrugged her shoulders.

The sight of her unspoken faith in him almost made him stumble, and the corners of his mouth were pulled into a smile. "Pot calling the kettle black! Who acts like they're the 'Player of the Tournament' after taking two wickets in every cricket match?" he said, swiping the towel over himself as he tried to conceal his grin with the cloth.

The mischievous glint in her gaze made it obvious to the other people around them that Atharv was in for some sort of response. "Peeved since one of those stumps is almost always your own!"

"Whatever!" He mumbled in reply.

Diya was an experienced swimmer, yet fear swirled around her like a thick fog. She thanked herself for not hitting her head on the edge of the pool, but cursed her luck for getting caught.

The dress she wore had become weighed down with water, making it difficult for her to pull herself out of the pool. In order to escape, she had to climb the wall but it felt increasingly out of reach for her trembling fingers.

Just as the surface of the water broke around her, Atharv emerged from the depths with a powerful stroke. He clamped his hands onto her shoulders, preventing her escape, and anxiously searched her face for any sign of injury. His gaze shifted to the top of her head, but her sopping locks were stuck to her skin like a mask, making it impossible for him to see if she had been harmed.

"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

The intensity of his stare and the depth of his concern pierced through her as if it had physical form, making her heart gallop like a wild horse. Against all odds, under the many walls he had built around himself, she caught a glimpse of her childhood best-friend, stirring her emotions and bringing tears to her eyes like a raging storm.

She gave him a small nod, allowing his worry to disperse some of her brewing anger. "Atharv! Please. I must get away. Why would you do this to me? Is there some misunderstanding? We've been close since we were children - how can you treat me like this?" she pleaded, grabbing onto his arm. Her vigor returned in the form of blazing eyes.

An acrimonious air had settled between them, and she had labeled the situation as a mere "misunderstanding." He had almost chuckled in response but managed to stifle it. However, an mocking smirk involuntarily crossed his face. "Misunderstanding? Interesting choice of words," he remarked sarcastically. "I guess manipulation runs in your family."