-----TWO years ago-----

Raghav's P.O.V

I hate Wednesdays. Today was one. But still, the day unfolded beautifully, as if nature herself wanted to prove me wrong. Today, I had set up a free medical camp in Wayanad, the land of mist-kissed hills, wild elephants, and the timeless wisdom of its tribal people. We stationed ourselves in an adventure park, nestled on the banks of Karapuzha Dam. The water stretched before me, vast and calm, like a silver mirror reflecting the sky's every whisper.

The waters called to me, like the river Kaveri from my childhood in Mysore. I realised that these waters were actually a tributary of Kaveri, the mother river, in whose waters I learnt first to swim. The Karapuzha glistened in the early light, its surface rippling ever so slightly, as if it carried memories long forgotten, flowing a hundred kilometers away from its mother river. The river was alive-a liquid thread connecting my past to my present, as if each drop remembered the footsteps I'd once taken on Kaveri's banks.

Vikram, my friend and a cardiologist, stood next to me, oblivious to the mesmerizing beauty around us. His fingers were furiously tapping away on his phone, texting like his life depended on it.

"Arre Vikram, give poor Sadiya a break, yaar! Let her breathe without her possessive boyfriend hovering over her phone for once," I teased, nudging him.

Vikram didn't even look up. "Ha! Raghav bhaiya, just wait till you have a girlfriend. Then you'll understand. There's no such thing as too much texting!"

I shook my head, grinning. "Nope, not me. When I have a girlfriend, she'll be right here with me. We'll be swimming in these beautiful waters together, not glued to some screen."

"Oh, says the great neurologist who's married to his job! Let's be real-it doesn't seem like you're ever going to date anyone. The only girl I've ever seen you text is... what's her name? Purplehaze_404?" He raised an eyebrow, smirking.

I laughed, rolling my eyes. "Oh, come on! She's just a friend... practically like a sister. Besides, she's from our college, but she hasn't even told me who she is yet."

Vikram shot me a mischievous look. "Oh-ho! A sneaky stalker, huh? Watch, she's probably head over heels for you and plotting her big proposal. Next thing you know, you two will be walking down the aisle!"

"No, no, it won't be like that," I said, my voice softening as I got lost in the thought. "The girl I fall for... I'll know her the instant I see her. She'll appear suddenly, like fate had been waiting for that very moment. Everything else around us will fade away, leaving just the two of us in our own world. She'll come to me when I need her the most-like an angel sent from heaven to completely change the direction of my life. And when our eyes meet for the first time, Nature will celebrate. The wind will carry our names, the earth will tremble beneath us, and the skies will open up, just for us. That's how I'll know. It won't be ordinary. It'll be magic."

Vikram shook his head, laughing. "Bro, do you hear yourself? You sound like a teenage girl who reads too many romance novels."

"Mark my words, Vikram. You'll be there when it happens. The moment my angel from heaven comes flying into my life, you'll be eating your words."

"Angel from heaven, huh?" Vikram pointed to a teenage girl ziplining across the park. "Well, looks like she's already here!"

I chuckled. "Come on, man, she's just a kid!"

"Yeah, yeah, a little angel straight from heaven," Vikram teased, grinning like a fool.

We watched the girl glide along the zipline, her excited screams echoing through the air. But suddenly, to our shock, the belts to which she was fastened gave away, and she plummeted, crashing through the air straight into the water below with a giant splash. She floated, seemingly conscious, either by expertise or the buoyancy of her safety jacket."

"HELPPPP... PLEASE, SOMEBODY HELP! HELP MY DAUGHTER!" A woman, probably in her forties, came running down the steep pavement, her voice full of terror.

The commotion drew the attention of the patients being examined at our camp, who rushed over, their worried murmurs blending with the sound of rushing water.

Without a second thought, I leaped into the river. The water was unexpectedly too cold and the coldness hit me and swept through my insides.

"Doctor, be careful! A crocodile was spotted here recently!", a man from the crowd yelled. My stomach churned; I had a morbid fear of reptiles. But this was no time to dwell on that-there was no way a crocodile was coming near me_ I hoped.

"Is there no lifeguard here? Someone get the lifeguard!" Vikram shouted from the shore. I knew he would've jumped in with me, but Vikram had one major drawback-he couldn't swim.

Regardless, I pushed through the water, swimming as fast as I could.

The girl was about 50 feet away, floating in the water. She was too stunned to move or speak.

"Don't be scared, I'm coming! Try to swim towards me!" I urged her, but she didn't move. She just kept staring past me, her fear deepening. Her eyes grew wide in fear, focused on something behind me.

I had a very bad feeling about this.

"RAGHAVVV BHAIYYA, LOOK BEHIND YOU!" Vikram shouted, his voice cracking with fear.

I turned slowly, hoping against hope that it wasn't what I feared. But, of course, it was just that-a crocodile.

The reptile floated only a few meters away, its face and part of its midline visible, eerily still in the water. From a distance, I could have easily mistaken it for a drifting log. I was reminded of a childhood trip to the Snake Park in Guindy, Chennai, where I had seen a group of mugger crocodiles lying over each other in their enclosure. Back then, I had clung to my father's hand, terrified they might escape. But I also pitied them-imprisoned because of no crime but belonging to their species. They looked dehydrated and starved. Their mouths were gaping and they remained motionless like statues awaiting their ends.

Today, the roles were reversed. If anything, this crocodile probably pitied me. No, it didn't-it was heading toward me with terrifying speed. And here I was, frozen in place, staring death in the eye, now I understood the emotions the girl was going through. The crocodile's cold, unblinking eyes locked with mine, as if it were peering straight into my soul. I could feel my breath hitch as the weight of the moment settled in.

This was a mugger crocodile, and though they mostly feed on fish and other aquatic creatures, I knew they would defend their territory fiercely if threatened. The speed and intensity with which it was moving toward me made it clear-I had crossed into its domain. So, this is how I die on a Wednesday (Now you all know why I hate Wednesdays).

A flood of regrets surged through my mind. I wished I had visited my parents more often. I wished I knew who my secret friend, purplehaze_404, really was. But none of that mattered now. I didn't try to swim away. I had accepted my fate. Muggers usually do not kill and feast unless hungry. Maybe, if it satisfied its hunger with me, the girl would be spared. That was my only last wish_ at least let my death save her.

I saw death in the form of the crocodile advancing towards me, and time seemed to slow down around me. Each second stretched out in agonizing detail, like frames in a reel. I felt the leaves rustling around me, as if they were waving goodbye.

I could sense the earth around me-the rustling leaves, the rippling water-as if nature itself had paused time to witness my final moments. That's when it hit me-time was another force of nature, an invisible beauty that only truly made sense at the brink of death.

And then, something strange happened.

A shiver ran down my spine as I realized the leaves weren't just rustling-they were whispering. Ever since I was a child, I had always felt that plants were speaking to me, like they had secrets they longed to share. Now, at the brink of death, I could finally hear them.

A soft, collective whisper filled the air around me. All the plants, every leaf and blade of grass, seemed to join in.

'Raghav... Raghav...'

The plants were finally speaking to me, their voices swirling in the wind.

'OPEN YOUR EYES RAGHAV'

The sudden urgency in the voice made my eyes to involuntarily to open before I could even make any sense of the words.

The wind intensified, whipping through the air, forming a small whirlpool between me and the crocodile. Out of nowhere, a flash of orange appeared, rising from the whirlpool like a phantom. It was a woman, her short, wild curls of orange hair catching the light. On her neck hung what seemed like a violet mini crystal ball and was starting to turn pink. She glanced back at me briefly, a knowing smile flickering on her lips.

At that second everything else vanished out of existence. It was just her and me in this world. My wild wishes have been fulfilled. I finally found her_ My Angel.

Glossary:

Karapuzha Dam is a dam situated in Wayanad , Kerala ( Btw there is an election there now and Priyanka Gandhi is participating. Oh and as someone with acarophobia or fear of heights, the zipline terrified me. If you ever go that way make sure to try it out. Wayanad is also a place with annual landslides that destroy a lot of lives. I wish to dedicate this chapter to the people of Wayanad, that lost so much on these landslides.

https://youtu.be/ikFA97T0dCo

Then unmoving muggers,

A/N:

Dear readers,

Thank you so much for reading my story. I am so overwhelmed by the support I have received. Thank you for 470 reads and 190 votes, I know it is nothing compared to what wonderful writers here have accomplished but this really a great motivation for me to improve my story and complete this plot that has been eating my head for years. And btw if you found out a loophole_ how did Raghav who drowned in the first chap now swim? That too at an excerpt from 2 years ago? I am so glad that you caught me red handed there but it is no loophole . I do not wish to spoil, please patiently wait till you find the answer. And I know these are hard times. I have heard that writers and readers are ones that wished to escape the harsh realities of their painful life. I understand most of you must be going through really hard times. To all of you I send my hugs . Keep fighting warrior, you got this.

Lots of Love,

NatuR.

PS: To a friend if you are reading this Chaya doesn't come at this chapter. So good luck with the next chapter.