INARA

9 ♤ WHEN YOU KNOW YOU KNOW

WHEN YOU KNOW YOU KNOW

[( longest update ever ahead..)]

It was dark and silent, and then like a ray of light he caught her.

She was trying hard to open her eyes and move her limbs, she knew how to swim but something in her was holding her tight. It was suffocating. She knew she should rise above to grab a breath, she wanted to see her parents again and maybe never get in a boat with some lunatic ever again, but she couldn't. The suffocation turned to a light burning pain. What was that feeling?.

And then like a light, he was there.

Arnav didn't know what he felt the moment he lost her. He couldn't hold her and save her from falling. It was fear, one thing and then an ache, somewhere deep down, a place he didn't know that he was looking for.

That moment, she was falling apart, but he was right there and then a second it did take, Arnav snaked his arms around her waist while she grabbed her shirt in her tight fist, they rose above the surface.

Mahira gasped for air, it pained but it was soothing the burning insides. She didn't leave her hold on him, but held him more tightly, closely.

Arnav held her tight, afraid he would lose her once again. He leaned his head resting on her shoulders. The flow was frantic and it definitely took their energy.

He looked for a sign, anything, to grab on to. And then he found what looked like an old, left unattended deck. It was broken and the wooden planks were falling off, but that's by far the safest spot he found.

Samaira had her cheeks planted on his shoulders, clinging so tightly to him, her teeth were chattering and she was shivering in the cold. Each second, on each movement he made, she frantically tightened her hold, she held her arms around his neck, securing herself, and taking in all the warmth that he could give to her.

"Hey, you okay...", Arnav asked slowly like a low whisper, yet that broke her reverie. He was rubbing her back to sooth her down, his arms secure around her body.

Mahira slowly separated herself from his warmth, yet her hold on him was so tight. She kept her eyes solely on him, afraid to look anywhere else. The frenzy, erratic water around her was something that she wanted to forget about.

"Listen to me. You are safe. Okay. I am here." He said, maybe repeated it again and again, but all that clouded her ears were the sounds of rushing water. She wasn't afraid of a large water body, she loved to swim. But just an accident, almost drowning and here we are.

That's all it takes sometimes.

"Mahira, look at me. Look at me." Arnav knew she wasn't here, she was still drowning, still in shock and the adrenaline would take a lot to break. But he wanted her to get a grip, they had to swim across to reach the deck.

He was standing on a rock-like thing, which he didn't know when they would wash off their feet. But he leaned in, hugging her wholly. She held onto him, arms around his neck and she rested herself on him. He slowly caressed her,

"Do you think you could look and know where we are?. I see an old deck on the right side of us. Can you take a look." He said slowly.

She had to, he didn't know anything about this place, maybe she would know.

She unwrapped her arms, but held him on his forearms.

"We have crossed t_ the lake. I_its old deck, a _ a li_ little away from there, i_ is the, uhm..." she couldn't, she was stuttering. They have crossed the lake and aren't so far away, but even then it frightened her.