The day it all changed- 2

Shrill voices pierced the air as they hurtled down. And then all of a sudden , all the sound vanished. They had hit the waters. Rohan held his breath as he sunk to the depths. The stream was fast and he would have to swim swiftly if he wanted to make it to the shore. The dark water engulfed him but he refused to be bullied here too. He kicked hard with his legs and with quick strokes, he broke the surface. His lungs filled with oxygen . Gasping, he surveyed his surroundings. Some others had come up too and were swimming to a place ahead of him. That must be the shore, he thought. Dunking his head into the waters again, he swam with swift strokes. All the while, he was aware of people calling out names, checking if their friends had made it or not. He had always been a good swimmer. His mother had made sure of that alright. But never had he dreamed that learning swimming would make the difference between being alive and not. Reaching solid mass, he hauled himself ashore. As he caught his breath, he could see heads bobbing up and down in the churning waters, swimming desperately for dear life. Soon, people were crawling onto the bank, barely making it . In addition to the killer current, there was a violent downpour that had started a few minutes back. With such a strong current to fight against, it was easy for an average swimmer to get sucked in. He strained his eyes to see how his classmates were faring. Quite a few had made it to the bank and had flopped down on the wet mud. Much to his relief, he spotted Sophie and Evan a little distance away. Even their teacher and driver had made it. Phew, he breathed. Close shave.

Somebody was screaming against the din of the torrent. What was wrong? “Sam!!!”, Sharma was shouting. Crying rather. Rohan looked up to see what was wrong with Sam. He secretly wished he had hit his head somewhere and gotten hurt or something. The thug deserved it. Rohan shook his head. What was he thinking? He wasn’t that cold-hearted was he? Slowly, as realization dawned on him, the color left his face. Sam wasn’t among them. He stood up to get a better view of the now choppy waters. He didn't see any head bobbing on the surface. Where was he?

Evan stumbled up to him , shivering. “Where do you think Sam is? Ah stupid of me. He’s obviously in the stream somewhere. I hope he makes it dude. Wouldn't want anyone dying here. Last I heard , he doesn't know how to swim.”

Rohan looked at the boy incredulously. Sam didnt know how to swim?? For all the showing off that he did, there was still a weakness after all. A fleeting satisfaction passed through him. At least here he was better than Sam. If he couldn’t swim , there was no way he could reach the bank all by himself. Maybe he’d drown. Ah, what a good riddance. Just as soon as the thought crossed his kind, he shivered. The very thought of someone drowning to their death , even if it was his arch enemy brought out the vestiges of an old fear in him. Instantly, he was transported back in time by 4 years.

He was a small child sitting in the backseat of his family’s car. The whole family was going out on a holiday. His fathers laughter drifted on the wind , music to his ears. They had reached the beach now. As they all trooped to the foamy waves, his parents were running behind them. “Lets go surfing!” , his father was telling his mom. “No honey, you go with the kids. I’ll stay here. I don’t feel like it.”

And so they had gone surfing in the waters. He and his father. He was just learning the tricks of the board. He looked at his father with pride. He was so big and strong and able. His father was hollering over the sudden wind, “Rohan, stay here! I’m going into the deep waters, I’ll be right back!” He had watched his father surf away. One day, he would be good enough to accompany him. He saw as his idol rode the waves with ease. More waves were coming up, bigger by the minute. His father had been attempting a somersault in the air when a huge wave hit him. He was down under for a very long. Rohan screamed his father’s name in panic. Something wasn’t right. Why wasn’t daddy coming back up?! He was one of the best swimmers he knew, surely he would break the surface soon? Minutes seemed like years. He wasn’t waiting around anymore. Turning back , he shouted for his mother , hysterical. When they did find him, he had drifted away from where he had been when he drowned. It wasn’t his swimming that was the problem. It was his heart. He had had a sudden seizure when he was pulled under. He was brought in dead.

Fervent shouting brought him back to the present. He gritted his teeth . Why wasn’t anybody going in after Sam? Were they just going to stand around and watch him die? As if in answer to his mental question, Evan spoke, “The waters are too choppy. Going in there would be suicide. You will surely get bashed up against those big, nasty rocks.” No , no….this wasn’t happening all over again. He couldn’t just stand there and wait for Sam’s body to reach the shore. He had to do something. He was a good swimmer. He would do what he couldn’t with his father. Try saving a life.

“I’m going in there”, Rohan declared, stripping off his shirt.

Evan looked at him as if he hadn't heard him right. “You what?”

“Yeah I'm gonna go and help Sam get here. Just handle the teachers if they discover I’m gone.”

“But, but…are you insane?? Do you have a death wish or something? Even the teachers have given up hope, surely you’re being over optimistic! You could get shredded to pieces in there! “

Rohan was on a time limit. Somebody’s life was in danger here. “There’s no time for this Evan. Bye.” With that he dived into the river , before he chickened out. He heard his teacher’s voice screaming after him. He ignored it and surged forward. He used his feet to kick the water strongly as his lean arms pulled him forward. The current was rough and it was all he could do to keep from being jostled around. He sent a silent prayer to the gods to help him reach Sam in time. It was becoming hard to breathe now. The water was bombarding him from all sides. When he came up for air, he swallowed water, nearly choking. He tasted the rain on his tongue. With great difficulty he propelled himself forward. Bracing himself, he forced open his eyes underwater. It was so dark and turbulent all around, he barely saw anything. Then, like a ghostly apparition, he noticed a dark suspended form a few meters away. Swimming swiftly, he reached Sam. He was knocked out. Looping his arm around Sam’s waist, he started his journey back. He hoped they would make it back in one piece. He was starting to observe all those big rocks his friends had been talking about. With the extra weight on him, his prowess was much slower. His muscles burned for oxygen. His lungs felt like they would burst any moment. With Sam’s added weight , Rohan found it even more difficult to surface for air. Struggling his eyes open, he saw a sharp rock jutting out not lesser than ten feet to his left. Straight ahead was the bank. The rain made his vision even more fuzzy. No matter what happens I will get Sam to the shore. His resolve strengthened, he powered forward with a burst of energy. The last stretch….He felt dizzy now. Almost faint. A tiny apprehension pressed at him. He was closer to the rocks now than the bank.With what remaining stamina he had, he pushed Sam in the direction of the bank . He should drift to the shore without much trouble now… Turning his face, he could see he was on a sure shot collision course with those rocks. Rohan closed his eyes. He knew what was going to happen. Even if he died today, it was alright. He would die knowing he hadn't let what happened to his father happen to someone else. When the rocks hit him, they would have sworn he was smiling.

————————————————————–

The lights in the hospital ward cast a pale glow over the room. Rohan was sleeping soundly on his bed. The nurse had just left after adjusting the IV clip . Rohan had been lucky. Maybe lucky was an understatement. Rohan’s escape from death was nothing short of a miracle. Everybody had been frantic with worry ever since Rohan jumped into the waters to rescue Sam. Sophie had started sobbing uncontrollably. It was all so tragic. But no one had dared go into that madness after him. It was suicide. After what seemed like an eternity , Sam had drifted ashore and he was still alive. Everyone stared in amazement. Rohan had done it. But wonder and respect for Rohan was quickly replaced by concern. Where was he? That's when Evan had shouted , pointing to their left, “Quick! Near the rocks!”

A few of them raced to the spot to help Rohan. Using a sturdy and long branch that had ripped of its parent, Ankit had lowered himself enough over the rocks to reach into the water. Seeing Rohan’s limp body he had feared the worst. But miraculously , he still clocked a pulse albeit with a head injury. And by the looks of it, the rocks weren’t very kind on his head.

On the couch sat Rohan’s mother and Sophie. Evan was sitting to a side on a stool. A silent tear escaped Rohan’s mother. When she heard the news, memories of her late husbands death had once again consumed her. She couldn’t thank the gods enough for protecting her son. She would not have been the same had she lost him too. Her baby…..he had made her so proud. Such bravery.

Rohan opened his eyes to be welcomed by an empty semi dark room. He shifted in his bed. He looked around ; he was in a hospital. A sudden pain in his head forced him to recount his ordeal. Ah, he was lucky to be alive still. Where was Sam? Had he reached them or had it been too late? He really hoped his efforts had not been in vain. There was a bunch of flowers and an envelope on his bedside. Reaching out, he switched on a lamp on the table. Dandelions, tulips and carnations. The bouquet was lovely. The envelope was addressed to him. Opening it , he recognized Sam’s handwriting. Curious and surprised, he set out to read it.

“ Dear Rohan,

I don’t know what to say. I’ve never written a letter to anyone before. But if i am alive today i know its because of you. I don’t know if any amount of words can express my gratitude. You’ve given me a second chance, literally. You were willing to risk your life for someone like me, someone with whom you share only bad memories. Whatever your reasons are, im thankful that you came in after me. I'm sorry that you got hurt in the process. And I am also sorry for every time my friends and I hurt you. I am sorry im not saying this in person. You must understand; its not that I am taking you for granted but I cant bring myself to face you after what I’ve done. It is utter mortification i feel now. I'm glad you came out alive. I hope we can be friends someday.

Thank you , Rohan. Get well soon.

Sam.”

When Rohan smiled this time, it wasn’t a smile of a boy accepting death knowing he had accomplished what he desired. It was a smile of joy; of pride and a sense of satisfaction; of anticipation of the good things that life had yet to offer him. Well, at least I can say goodbye to my bullying woes. That problem kinda took care of itself. He looked up as if to acknowledge his deceased father. Rohan had finally found peace.