Second Chance (Vol.1) Squandered

84: Plans go Turtle!

PC: @TehTeevee

And where were Appi and Arshad?

A scan of the area and Noor spotted them walking along the tank. Arshad took a look at the side of the tank and backed away from the edge and said something worrying to Appi with an upturned nose.

Clu: Zziraffe doezz not like water maybe becauzze cant zzwim

Adi subconsciously shook his head and made a lost-cause 270 degree jerk with one hand.

Adi: (exasperated) Turtles! We are here to hunt for turtles.

Noor: (quickly to Clu) Hunt as in search...

Noor tried to imitate a turtle by making paddling actions with her hands and then tried to make a cupped hand crawl over her other arm and then gave up.

Noor: (guilty, hot, tired, upset, muttering subconsciously) We are here to search for turtles...

Noor felt helpless and lost without internet. She just wanted to show Clu a picture of a turtle. Then she realised even a chalk or Sindoor or turmeric would do. She could draw a turtle for Clu.

Noor wondered how much Clu understood past the language barrier. English was afterall a foreign language to both Noor and Clu; plus their accents were a challenge to each other.

Clu put Noor's doubts to rest the next instant.

Clu: (pointing at Arshad) That Zziraffe... Azzhaaad... does not know how to zzwim

Clu stood like a statue with her left hand pointing at Arshad's back and pointing finger following his path as he moved away; for one complete minute; unsmiling, looking from Adi to Noor and back; confirming they understood her. She looked such a mix of solemn and comic; Noor and Adi guffawed.

Adi: (still laughing) How do you know?

Clu: I akzzzed... I want to dunk him into that lake...

Adi: You will not... (trying to distract Clu) Why do you girls keep such names? Zoya used to refer to me as an ostrich...

Clu backed away from Aditya and gave him a good look from head to toe.

Noor: Yeah! You do resemble an ostrich with those spindly legs arms neck...

Clu: Righto!

Adi: Hey-lo! She did not... forget it... I should not have talked about it... Why did I... Oh! Why!!!

Noor smiled. Ostrich! Giraffe!

Turtles!

Noor saw them; just like that; just out of the blue; a pile of identical oval shaped and similar sized rocks. Noor ran half the length of the tank.

Zoya turned just as Noor sprinted past her and then a good distance away rushed down the steps and squatted. She ran to check what Noor was doing but Aditya and Clu streaked past her.

As Zoya neared the spot she realised Noor had spotted her turtles. Nothing to worry. She slowed down and stood behind them. After a few minutes she moved aside so Flu and others got a chance to see the turtles.

Turtles basked in direct sunlight. These turtles were out of the water but maybe because of the hot day they were keeping to the shadow of the steps. Noor watched them carefully but they hardly moved. There were 5 where she was squatting; 3 in one pile and 2 on another step.

She looked around and now knowing what to spot saw some more but she was disappointed. There were just 2-3 more in another pile on the steps on the opposite bank. She had been expecting more; like on a NatGeo show. She looked carefully in the water; none swimming there.