Squadron leader Aman Khurana bent his neck to have a close look at the ledge. His eyes were attempting to gauge the depth of the pit as he had just fixed a pair of wires to a tree trunk before. He nodded his head in apprehension and approached Sanskar.

"Sir, I agree she is more petite than the rest of us. But still she will get stuck even if by mere few inches." He looked at Swara. "I think you shouldn't get down there, Raichand."

She didn't care to reply. Instead her eyes were keenly gauging that unusual kind of a ledge. Just when the guys had decided to pull a plug on her brainstorming session she knocked them off by her very next action.

Shock would be an understatement.

Sanskar Shergill, the flag bearer of decency and heroism looked absolutely terrorized. "Hey! Are you going to strip here, you mad girl!"

"Someone please keep it." Swara flung the jacket without a care in the world. "Shut up! Can't you see I'm trying to shed those extra inches?" That piece of cloth chose to land on the face of currently red faced Wing Commander.

"What the hell!"

Okay, calm down Sanskar.

Why did he have to bother, when she herself was least concerned?

But was she blind? Couldn't she feel those raving glances from the bunch of hankering young soldiers surrounding her as if she were some queen bee? At the end of the day, men were ought to be men. Gawking like shameless idiots was their favorite pastime. And this bold and blunt girl was standing in all her glory. Her navy blue tank top teamed up with her uncovered skin shining like liquid rose gold potion.

He jerked out of his thought by a low whistle. His eyes popped out of their socket, finding the scene before him. And he had thought her quota of shocks had run out for the time being.

"Now will you drop the trousers also? Are you out of your mind?" To his horror Sanskar almost screamed as he found Swara loosening the buckles of her belt.

"Surely I don't mind." Somewhere from the crowd, Arvind's dreamy voice pricked the decent Wing Commander like poisonous thorn.

"Out!" he yelled at the guys and they vanished at jet speed. He hesitated a bit. "Umm... Stop Raichand. Let me turn around."

"I don't believe this." She shook her head rather derisively. She grabbed wet muddy soil with her hands and rubbed it all over her body, leaving the area already covered under her tank top and white sports shorts.

"You have problems with my skin, right? There you go, your virtue is safe now, Mr Saint." She snorted as she looked at shy Mr 'Red hot chili peppers'.

Even the alleged saint was passing a hard time. That barely clad, raw sculptured version of Aphrodite in front him had dangerous potential to turn any saint into sinner. And he was not what he had been accused of.

Stupid, idiot, insolent testosterone! Sanskar was fine when that stupid hormone was less concerned about its duties rather than going overboard in action.

Where was that wretched adrenaline again? Fight or flight, wasn't it supposed to be that one's territory?

"Can you check those wires again?" Swara wore the harness around her body and kept another for Maya in her otherwise emptied backpack. But making space for two clamps on the D-ring wasn't easy.

"Let me help you."

Swara had a teasing smirk. "Do you think you can survive my lack of... you know?"

"Well, thirteen years in the force couldn't kill me. I'll survive this time I think." At last Sanskar Shergill got back his wits. Then he turned serious as he secured the clamps adjoining wires. "For today make sure to keep yourself alive for the sake of the lady down there. Best of luck."

In front of his eyes, Swara put down her one foot to climb down. And finally someone reported back to the Wing Commander letting him sigh in relief.

Adrenaline reporting, sir.

**************************

Swara was no professional mountaineer. No Mount Everest or its contemporaries had forfeited itself under her feet.Yet she had her fair share of rock climbing experience in her twenty four years of action driven life. She managed to locate relatively drier, shelf like projections on the otherwise slippery slope of the cliff. Her right foot led the disembarkation procedure and her left hand was the last one to follow.

Just few feet above the neck, middle part a thick root had came out. Neat. Her one arm wrapped around it. At the same time she disengaged one of the clamp from her back and let it fall freely.

The spectators from the above were watching her downward journey with a suspense filled curiosity. She was so persevere down there. Each and every step was calculated. The pace was not too hasty, just what had been required. Scorching sun or last night's rain soaked surprise, nothing could unnerve her. She continued nevertheless.

Until that wretched narrow space stucked at her hip. Apparently shedding the layers off her had not been enough.

"I told you before she won't pass." Aman shaked his head knowingly. " Should we call her ba... Careful, Raichand!"

Sanskar winced. That headstrong girl was not ready to forfeit easily . She tweaked her lower portion and eventually squeezed herself out of that roughened opening. Her skin had been grazed at several places, but blood and scathe didn't seem to bother her.

"It's okay guys! I'll get a tetanus shot after coming back." She yelled at her concerned colleagues.

Sanskar was damn sure that moment. He so loved her confidence.

********************************

Last few meters from the ground had been covered by a lofty drop. Swara staggered back a little as she almost crouched on her knees. She turned her head to have view on her surroundings. Similar kind of shrubs, mossy ground, wildflowers here and there. A narrow rivulet ran in a zigzag course and entered through a cavern on her right side.

"Ahhhh! Ghost!" someone shrieked.

A child?

"Vous devriez vous laver le visage."(You should wash your face) The elder girl, who could be hardly in her late teens pointed at her face painted in dark and green.

"Okay. Comprenez-vous l'anglais? Je ne connais pas beaucoup le français." (Do you understand English? I don't know French that much.) Swara asked as she splashed water on her face. Phew! Mouthing those two long sentences in an almost alien language had been strenuous enough.

"I know English... A little." The girl nodded. "I'm Maya and that's Luke. They got him here last night."

Okay, that was uncalled for. She was not ready to face a seven or eight year old kid with his toothy grin. Not to forget those bright light blue eyes dazzling in hope. They were disturbing.

Childhood was disturbing. It gave her hope, only to be snatched away brutally from her. Those five years of her life with Grandee and Grandpa were full of warmth and care. Even if her dad had ditched her earlier, Douglas and Catherine Harold took their granddaughter under their wings with all their love.

The elderly couple had been happy to find their deceased daughter in that pretty little soul. Until destiny decided to strike again. This time the pain had been doubled.

No, however damaged she might be, past couldn't affect her present. There would be no strings attached. She concentrated on her task instead.

This Maya seemed to have a possessed a lazy bum. Perhaps her much older husband had spoilt her enough with extra attention. Even at this time she showed no intention to get up.

Then it got all clear. Maya had a long gash across her left thigh leaving her apprehensive to exert herself.

Great.

To make the matters worse for Swara, the kid and the half-kid both were pro at throwing tantrums. She offered to rescue them one by one but they just wouldn't budge.

"Please Angel, don't leave us alone. I promise I won't call you ghost again."

Even the self proclaimed stone hearted Swara had to cower before that pout and Bambi eyes.

Now she was back again where she had landed at the first place. Only this time she had neither any harness around her waist nor any helmet to protect her head. Her two human baggage had been wearing them instead. The smaller baggage aka Luke was tied to her back with a rope she had carried with her.

Next time she would definitely go for some serious weight training. That kid was chubby. And rock climbing with 25 kg had never been a cakewalk.

The level of hindrance had been raised multifold this time. Swara had to lend her support whenever Maya had to step on her wounded limb. Fortunately her survival instinct had kept that fragile piece going while Swara followed her. She didn't want to think about lack of her own safety. She was certain she would not lose her footing.

At least not until she finished her job.

By the time the trio reached near that midpoint Swara was panting like hell. She pushed Maya through who slipped through the gap with ease.

Three cheers to the size zero trend!

****************************

Sanskar squinted his eyes. Ms Raichand had almost accomplished the task she had been assigned. Maya Demuto was there and the woman of the day gave out an impatient shout. "She is injured. Someone pull her up, now!"

Arvind hauled the wire attached to pulley. As the VIP hostage reached near the top Aman aided her to safety.

"Can you guys pull the other rope?" It was Swara again. That made Sanskar frown.

"Did your wounds get worse,Raichand? At least try to pass through the narrow part." Worry crept inside yet he maintained his calm stance. He had to.

Swara's weary retort had been shot immediately. "You talk too much. It's not me but the kid will come up next. Be quick. I've untied the rope already and can't support his weight that long."

And that's when he noticed the child.

"Hey Dixit, take care of the kid." Sanskar got frantic all on a sudden. "Khurana, give me the harness. I'm going down."

No, not another death in front of him.

"Angel, don't die, okay?" Luke kissed Swara on her cheek just before he had felt a tug. "I'll ask my uncle to marry you. Then you can always save me."

Something stirred inside her. What was that?

Her body almost burned in pain as she crossed the rough narrow midriff for the second time. She almost wished to give up for a moment, but berated herself at once. Some noise from above made her look up.

There, Sanskar Shergill, the bundle of overbearing concern was getting prepared with harness, eager much to play chivalrous.

Swara was not willing to be a damsel in distress. "No need to take trouble, Sir. I can manage myself." She intended to block any compassion with veiled vehemence in her tone, just like she had done till date.

"I believe in you, kid. But I don't believe that slippery slope or the devilish weather of this rainforest." He stood firm to his stance. "Can you see the sky? Already it had darkened."

Well he was true. The unkind sun had suddenly mellowed down. Instead dark clouds seemed to occupy the stage. From the number of them, anyone can guess one thing.

It was gonna be a hell of a chorus, a pompous show of music and drama.

Swara had already covered half of her intended distance, when the watery curtain fell down. And along slipped her hand while it had just gripped a ridge. Her other hand tried to do the damage control but in vain.

She was falling.

Suddenly an arm snaked her waist. She shivered as that warm yet wet hand touched her bare skin.

"Hold me." his voice came as a husky whisper.

Sanskar and Swara were suspended in the air on the mercy of a rope. Her arms were wrapped around his neck. Her knees found their support while they had been winding around his torso. Rain showered its blessing, washing away all the soil and darkness from their appearance.

He remained spellbound as the braid on her head had loosened from the bun. Few strands of hair fell on her face. His hands were dying million deaths to tuck them behind her ears. His eyes turned covetous. She smelled like the early morning breeze that conveyed the sweet scent of nascent soil and wildflower.

And his body caught on fire.

Monsoon was supposed to be cooling. But African rainfall was bizarre, it seemed. This downpour was so freaking hot!

And so was the man with eyes like monsoon malabar beans. Steaming, brewing, sophisticated kind of hot.

Swara tilted her head. "Mr Saint, hope you are doing fine. So how do you feel about this touchy situation?" And she laughed!

Well, two can play a game.

"Don't leave me!" His other hand went from the wire abound to under her knee as it was about to disentangle. Now the entangled duo were aligned along the vertical plane.

"I don't even want to. I'll die if I do that." she wrapped herself around him tighter than ever.

"Really? I never knew you're that into me!" His lips travelled dangerously close to her ear. He blew air to send those rebellious locks away and whispered. "If I did then I could have let you know how I feel about you... Swara."

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Tada! What do you think about the update? Let me know by your comment and please hit the VOTE button.

And that's it for now. The chapter still hadn't been edited. But I updated it anyhow, sacrificing the sleep, as I may not get Internet connection for next 5 days.

Wish you a very happy Eid to my Muslim friends.

Happy reading.☺