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THE BOOK Far out in the Arabian Sea, where the waters plunge many thousands of metres to the ocean floor, lie a chain of bewitchingly beautiful coral atolls – the Lakshadweep Islands. Their lagoons have crystal-clear water and their reefs are deep and shrouded in mystery. Vikram and Aditya discover the secrets of the reefs by diving in their midst. But, when they stumble on to a devious kidnapping plot, their idyllic holiday suddenly turns into a desperate struggle for survival. Driven to the high seas in the face of a terrible storm, their fate hangs on the skills of a young islander. |
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...The sky was putting on a breathtaking visual performance. Tongues of lightning flickered in all directions, some of them cracking into the water right beside them. It was a scene that could shake the heart of even the bravest sailor. Nature was displaying every weapon in her arsenal.
The sea had the Alisha in its grip. It flung her around with staggering violence. Shaukat gave up his attempts at controlling the boat. All he could try to do was see that the Alisha met each wave head-on. He prayed that they would be swept towards the islands. Shaukat knew that if they missed the islands they were doomed.
The rain continued without let up, cascading about them in thick curtains. Vikram's heart was in his mouth. It was obvious that Shaukat had lost all control of the boat.
A wave hit them sideways, almost keeling the boat. The Alisha valiantly righted herself, but only just. The next wave rose mountainously above her. The poor Alisha had no time to adjust herself before the wave struck. A huge wall of water broke over her, engulfing her with tons of hissing water. The sunroof walls collapsed, soundlessly splintering into tiny fragments which were swept away with appalling swiftness. But the Alisha refused to go down, rising bravely over the next wave.
Vikram wondered how long she could take such a battering. She was bound to crumble soon under such a vicious onslaught. The waves were now sweeping across the boat with chilling regularity...
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