Behind them, there was a voice which shouted in hurried and panicked Hindi.
"Vo akela nahi hai! Ladki uske saath hai! (He's not alone! The girl is with him!)"
Dhruv stood up gesturing toward the edge of the roof. "Plan B then. We have to jump from here."
Mihika looked at the edge and then back at him.
Mihika looked down from the roof and her stomach turned violently. "Are you insane? We're going to fall! It's four stories, Dhruv!
"We fall, we break a leg. We stay. They put a bullet in your brilliant brain" Dhruv said, his dark hair already stuck to his forehead making him look dangerously chaotic. He leaned in closer, his eyes locking onto hers with an intense magnetic focus. "Trust me, Mihika. I haven't dropped a prize yet."
Before she could understand the meaning of that statement, a shadow appeared at the end of the gallery corridor. Mihika didn't think. She grabbed Dhruv's hand and scrambled onto the ledge.
Together they stood at the edge, the world of history and research left behind in the museum, replaced by the wild and dangerous reality of the night.
"On three" he said, his voice steadying her. "One, two..."
They jumped.
The moment they jumped, Dhruv was already there. His arm wrapped securely around her waist pulling her against his chest.
For a second the world completely slowed down. She could feel the rapid steady thrum of his heartbeat against her ribs the heat of his body defying the freezing downpour.
They landed hard on a slanted roof below midway, which knocked the wind out of Mihika. Dhruv didn't give her a chance to rest. He pulled her to her feet and moved quickly across the difficult rooftops, balancing perfectly despite the heavy rain and wind hitting them.
They reached the corner of the building just as a mercenary leaned out of a shattered stained-glass window, his rifle raised.
"Vahan hain! (There they are!)"
As bullets started hitting the wall near them, Dhruv quickly pulled out a high-tech grappling device. He aimed it at the metal frame of the building across the narrow alley and fired. The cable attached with a loud metallic clank.
"Hold on to me for dear life," Dhruv shouted over the heavy rain. "Because your life actually depends on it."
Mihika wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and locked her legs around his waist, forgetting all her manners. Dhruv held her firmly with one arm, stepped off the ledge and triggered the device.
Instead of just falling, they swung through the air over the alley like a pendulum. Mihika was terrified, worried the cable might break, but they landed with a heavy thud on the other building's roof. They rolled across the wet slippery concrete and Dhruv took the impact to protect her.
Even though he was wounded and in pain, he kept a tight hold on her. They lay there for a moment in the pouring rain. Mihika opened her eyes to see herself lying on top of him. Dhruv looked up at the sky and gave a dazed, laughing smile.
"Even though he was wounded and in pain due to the sudden drop, he kept a tight hold on her. They lay there for a moment in the pouring rain. Mihika opened her eyes to see herself lying on top of him. Dhruv looked up at the sky and gave a dazed, laughing smile.
"Well...." he panted, "that was definitely more exciting than taking the local train."
Mihika got up from him, her wet hair dripping onto his ruined suit. She was breathing hard, feeling a mix of fear and thrill. "You are absolutely crazy" she said, her voice shaking.
Dhruv looked at her with an intense intrigued expression. "And you" he replied, "are surprisingly good at flying. Now let's go. The trouble isn't over yet and we need to find a damn car."
I know this chapter feels a bit short but I wanted to get this intense rooftop scene out to you!
This is a slow burn and the plot is about to thicken in the upcoming chapters and I can't wait for you all to see where Dhruv x Mihika end up next.
See you in the next update!
What do you think they should do next? Let me know in the comments!
Find a car and make a run for it.
Hide and try to lose the mercenaries in the city.
Confront the people chasing them.
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