Tick... Tick... Tick...!

She laid unconscious on the floor. Darkness surrounding her restricting others and even her to identify the floor. Probably the floor was engraved with lavish tiles or granite or marbles or cement floor. But the floor was uneven, perhaps it can be simple soil too who knows.

Surprisingly when everyone is experiencing noise pollution along with other toxic slow poison things, she lay there safely away from noise pollution. Is it because of her unconscious state or the engulfed darkness across the place swallowed noises too?

Her chest heaved up and down gradually proved that the organ is very much active pumping blood to the veins and vessels but it isn't the same case with respiratory system.

Sweat beads started to bud on her fair skin making the fabric to stick on her frame like a second skin. Her breathings turning uneven by each passing minute. Her fingers began to shiver. Her legs shifted lightly.

"Can you hear me?" A voice echoed.

Her ears perked up and her brows creased showing her attempt to get her consciousness. She coughed and spitted out when she felt some blunt thing on her mouth. It crawled on her face and she couldn't do anything to push it off from her frame. It disgusts her and she hated to be in that place. But again she can't do anything. Her body was drained out that she doesn't even have an ounce of energy left in her to lift her finger. And even her brain is still in semi-conscious state.

"Hello.. Miss. Khushi... Can you hear me?" Again the same voice called her.

She felt someone calling her from distant. She tried to open her eyes. As if glue was placed between her upper and lower lashes it was adamant on sticking together. Failed at her attempt she gulped saliva wetting her parched throat. Even the saliva tastes bitter completely making her aware of how long she laid there without having a bit of water.

"Miss. Khushi. Are you able to hear us? Khushi..."

She tried to lift her hand to inform about her presence. Her fingers shivered and she couldn't bring herself to keep her palm steady and raise her hand.

She suppressed the growl which are threatening to come out and she draw strength out of it. Keeping her right palm flat on the floor she steadied herself with shivering hands. Flickering her eyelashes she opened it with much difficulty only to close it back when a powder like thing fell on her eyes. Instantly her right palm rubbed her eyes to get rid of the irritation. The irritation increased rather reducing owing to the result of her harsh rubbing. All her energy drained out again and her efforts went futile.

Her arm fell on her sides accepting defeat. Her brain accepted the fact that she would be termed as mortal by anytime soon. Her heart convinced about the last breath she's going to take. Tears leaked out from her eyes remembering her family. Her loving mom, her understanding dad, her crazy brother, she's going to miss everyone. Everything she dreamed always going to remain as dream.

As her tears rolled down fastly increasing it's pace she felt hard to breath. It seems suddenly the area turned devoid of oxygen. The reason behind her state flashed in front of her eyes making her to regret her actions.




She and her group of team came to their current destination, a vast land covered with full of unwanted shrubs making it as impossible for farming. They four came here for their research. Unfortunately being a selfie freak, Khushi took out her iphone and raised it above her head. Immersed in her photo skills, she didn't saw the big hole behind her. To get a perfect snap she took the risk of moving backward without noticing what was behind her. Before anyone from her team could alert her, she took a step backward. And..

THUD!!!

She tumbled down to the hole which went deep like a valley and her hands dangled up in air. It took few minutes for her teammates to grasp what happened before their eyes. Khushi let out a shriek after coming out of her previous shock. But that was late. She went down like a stone which was thrown into the water. Like a broken parachute falling down aimlessly she fell down that she hadn't have any idea about the deepness of the hole.

"Khushi..." Her teammates shrieked running towards the hole.

One of the teammate sat on his knees and looked down at the hole. He couldn't see anything surpassing the darkness. As most of her teammates are not slim like her they couldn't do anything but seek help from fire service. Since the place was isolated from city, it took almost 5 hours for officials to reach there.




"It's me Sheena reporting from Avaralli. Behind me was the borewell hole where the young researcher Khushi Gupta fell down accidentally. Our sources confirmed that, the hole was almost 200 feet depth. Already it's been 18 hours, Miss. Khushi was struggling for her life. Paramedics and others are trying their best to save her life. Let's pray for her..."

Few kilometres away from there, few channels even made a borewell hole set and the reporter was sitting, lying inside it giving running commentary "She is lying in this position. And by analysing with our experienced team we found that the hole was not for borewell for sure. See the diameter of the hole was 15 inches as per our sources. But the maximum borewell diameter was 7 inches. Do you also think what we're thinking? We're digging more into this matter. Stay tuned!! Our News, Our right to know real fact. It's me Sharleen signing off.."

"She's unconscious man" One of the paramedics said in panic.

"Send oxygen pipe. Fast... Hurry up.." The main head who took the challenging task of rescuing her with his team shouts.

Few people's rushed here and there and in no time a rope containing oxygen was sent to her. Unfortunately Khushi was not in senses nor anyone there to help her with the oxygen pipe.

"Pour water man..."

"Noooo... That's risk. We're not sure about the soil capacity below 100 feet. What if soil covers her, that'll costs her life. It's better we try other way" Saying this the head hurried to the other side where excavator and bulldozer was making new way to the end of the hole.

"We're almost near sir" Said the senior engineer.

"Sir, She's sweating excess, I think her pulse was reducing" A shout from paramedics terrorized the head. Clock ticks.


Tick...



He run hurriedly towards the monitor which shows her state. She laid unconscious without any movement. They can see few small insects crawling on her.

"Oxygen inside the hole was not enough for her to sustain sir" Said another from rescuer team.

"Sir, we got it. We reached 200 feets. We did it sir" Came an another hurried squeal from outside. The head run again with hope. His heart was on his mouth. When he reaches there, he saw two members ready to enter inside the alternate path to reach Khushi.

"Go ahead" He commanded and send prayers to god.

The moment the two members step their foot inside the path, few sand fell down. In no time the entire entrance of the path crumpled down crushing everyone hope.



Tick...




"Sir we're losing. It's going to be 24 hour. It's not safe for her"

"First we need to get her back to conscious"

"But how?"

The head contemplated over the possibilities and shouted when he got an idea "Spray. Put holes in water bottle cap and keep the control over the bottle outside. We should not waste single drop of water. Hurry up"

Within fifteen minutes, the water was sprayed on her face. She let out a moan shifting her frame lightly and water drops fell right on her mouth.

She opened her eyes with jerk. Her heart drummed against her rib cage in hope. She found light in darkness in the form of water.

She swallowed the liquid in her mouth. Team members on above the ground shouted in joy. The head ordered to give glucose to her. Without delay Khushi emptied whole 500ml of mango juice in a gulp.

"Sir, it's time" His assistant said to him.

The head looked keenly at the monitor. Khushi looked healthier than before. Her drained out face now gained some energy through the juice.  Her eyes held confidence. He felt her confidence enter into his system. Swiftly turning aside he nodded at him.

"Start. Be careful"

Everyone dispersed and occupied their assigned job. The head took his place in front of the monitor. He want to make sure of Khushi safety.

"Miss. Khushi take a deep breath, our team member will raise you up safely. All you need to do is to hear his instructions. Don't panic in any situation. We're here for you. Are you ready now?" Spoke the head for which Khushi nodded looking up only to see darkness everywhere.

The head raised his thumbs up and the member slowly enter inside the hole by tieing himself in a rope. The rope control was up on the ground. Ever slowly the rope was loosened and the member cautiously lowered himself down.

Khushi sighed in relief seeing a pair of hand hanging from above and a little light was coming from above. She looked keenly and found the torch on a man head when he looked at her.

"Held my hands Miss. Khushi"

Khushi clasped her arms on the man. Ever slowly they raised up. Khushi gulped when she found darkness all the way. Even though the torch provides light, still she feared. She couldn't believe she was being rescued. As if fate decided to give her a reality check, unfortunately her shoes stuck in side wall(soil/clay)

At first she thought, her legs turned numb for sitting stable for hours. But it's only when the man shouted "Miss. Khushi leave your shoes" She realised her shoes are stuck. She wiggled her leg and winced in pain when a cold thing slit her sensitive foot. In pain she didn't realise her hold getting loosen.

She looked down and her palm instinctively went to her foot. She pluck out the thing from her foot and raised it above her head to see the thing in light.

"Miss khushi held my hand. Leave that glass pieces" Said the man desperately hanging in rope.

She remembered how she always carelessly thrown garbage in bin without separating recyclable and non recyclable. It's screams the nature, what you sow is what you reap.

Before she could correct her damage, her sweaty hands slipped from the hanging man.

"KHUSHI..." Shouted the head. The hanging man breath stuck in throat. Khushi screamed in horror.





Tick...!



The head opened his eyes hearing a squeal only to breath in relief seeing the hanging man held her forearms tightly.

The team manifolds it's power and energy. Khushi was raised up bit by bit. Finallyyyyy they get fruit of their success. She was up with no scratches on her skin... Err.. except her wound on foot.

"We did it Arnav sir!!!!" Shouted the crew. Arnav raised his thumbs up.



CUT!





Claps heard around. The director stood up from his place and went towards her.

"The scene was perfect Mrs. Raizada" Arnav, her husband the director of their new documentary hugged her warmly.

"It's all because of you Mr. Raizada. I am just doing my work, acting. It's your soul, I am giving image"

"Is it wifey? Do you think you can hide yourself from me khushi? You aren't acting. It was real. Who better than us knows the pain of losing their loved ones in this way"

Khushi hide her tears on his husband protective heart whereas he seeks strength and solace by tightening the hug. Carelessness of someone costs many lives. Sometimes what you sow is what you NOT reap.








______

Hope you all like it. This thought popped in my mind in my very morning when my alarm took the job of spoiling my beauty sleep with singing it's tick, tick... It's only after finishing this os I realised there was a movie on this concept, so yeah technically I didn't stolen the theme u know😉😉

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