Ch-20
After filling my stomach to the brim, I helped her clean the dishes and that guy dried the plates for us. Then the trio of us sat in the veranda, stretching out our legs and soaked in more sun's energy. I caught her off-guard with my train of questions: "What had happened to me? How did I reach here? And how come no one has come looking for me?" My desperation to reach back to the comfort and security of my home made me sound the question a bit extra pressing and demanding. She looked at me and smiled, as though she had clearly read my desperation. And a fact I hate to admit: Helplessness. Still basking in the sun and with a sigh she stated speaking. According to her, I possibly should have had sunstroke. But, it didn't end there. I fell down unconscious, rather a bit towards the edge and rolled off down. I had hit many a rocks and was bleeding when I reached the slope where her grandson, Ravi, was fishing. He was rather moved by my sight and carried me all the way here, as this house was just after crossing the river. Otherwise, he would have had to climb all the way up to the road and he also didn't know where I lived. And all these days it was raining damn bad and she couldn't help in anyway in contacting anybody from my home but she did what she could: tend to my many bruises. And today when the weather is good, the water current is too dangerous, as was the case these four days. I was filled with gratitude for them both.... So I thanked her and gifted her a peck and she was again crying. So was i. I didn't know how to thank him. How should I? I was feeling too uneasy around him coz the feeling that he had carried me in his arms...... Well fighting off my shyness, I went up and sat next to him and said: "Thanks a lot, Ravi. I didn't know what would have happened if....". He smiled playfully and replied: "Doesn't matter, Liz. No thanks in friendship." After looking in to the distance for a while, he added: "You will hafta stay 3-4 days more. The river current is too fast and the water level is too high.." All this while, Amna was staring in to the distance and tears were forming at the corner of her eye. I asked him: "Why is she always lost like this, so near to tears?" He replied: "Come with me."