Nature's Comeback

29- Extreme Coincidences

Neer had been running towards the mechanic shop when he heard Ahana's loud shout, "Go die there. I don't care."

A chuckle left his lips as he heard her. However, he stopped abruptly as realization dawned upon him. Amidst the shout, Ahana's voice had wavered. She wasn't irritated, she was scared.

His bike was precious to him but not more than Ahana. Neer made a decision then and there.

"Aha—" Neer was just about to shout and ask her to wait for him, when he heard a loud thud, followed by a painful cry.

"Shit!" Neer cursed looking back and forth between the front and back. The front where Ahana was there and the back where he heard the sound.

Another sound of a wail, helped him make his decision.

"Don't worry Ahana. I will join you soon," he promised, although she couldn't hear him.

He then ran towards the noise and found a girl around his age sprawled on the ground. Her legs were twisted in a weird angle, making all her efforts to get up fail.

Neer hurried and helped her sit, while looking over her to see if she was badly injured. She was mostly fine other than the injured palms and dirt coated cheeks.

"What happened? Why are you here?" Neer asked, as he forwarded the water bottle to her.

The girl took long sips of water while avoiding his eyes.

"Don't finish all of it," Neer muttered under his breath. He needed the water if his energy levels decided to play with him.

"Well?" Neer questioned once again.

"I...I got separated from my group."

Neer was about to nod in understanding, but let out a scoff when his eyes went to the burning log by her side.

"You could have just said that you didn't want to tell me. What was the need to lie?" Neer shook his head in disappointment.

The girl opened her mouth to say something but Neer's words didn't let her speak. "Forget it, I don't care either way."

Neer patted his jeans to remove the dust as he stood up from his half kneeling position. He was just about to leave when he stopped to take something out of his pocket.

"Here." He handed out his handkerchief, gesturing towards her bloodied palm.

"Take it," Neer urged when he saw her hesitating.

"How did you find out that I lied?" The girl asked in a quiet voice.

Neer gestured towards the log. "We are giving out the logs way ahead of here. Even if you had been separated you should have been found in that direction and not towards the road that took you inside the village."

"It's fine, don't fret over it," Neer said when he saw her averting her eyes in guilt.

Neer sighed before sitting down beside her again. He gently took her hand near him and used the remaining water of his bottle to wash away the dirt from her wound.

She winced but stayed quiet knowing that her wound could get infected if she didn't let him clean it.

"Is the handkerchief clean?" She asked when she saw him trying to wrap the cloth around her palm to stop the bleeding.

Neer's unamused stare was enough for her to get an answer.

"Look, I don't care what you were doing, but it's not safe to stay here anymore," Neer said after helping her stand up.

"I can't leave."

"Ms. Whatever your name is...this isn't the time to fool around. Come with me."

"Look, no one is asking you to stay here with me. So please go and save yourself. And it's Maanvi, for your information."

"What's so important that you are willing to put yourself in harm's way? Neer asked, before wincing at his hypocrisy. He too had run inside for a bike, before coming to his senses.

"My brother is left behind." Maanvi's voice cracked as she tried to hold back her tears.

Neer's breath hitched upon hearing her answer. "How is that possible?" He was sure that Sameera and researchers had taken everyone out safely.

"It was too dark. I thought I was holding onto him but when the light came, I found out that I had been protecting someone else all the while."

Maanvi started hiccuping in worry. But then she wiped away her tears harshly. She didn't have the time to cry.

"You can leave. I am a stranger. Why would you put your life at risk for me? Just go." Maanvi even resorted to making 'shoo' gestures.

Neer couldn't understand whether she was really telling him to go or she was trying to guilt him into helping her. If it was the latter, then she had succeeded in her plan.

Plan or not, Neer fully intended to help her. Who would know better than him about this situation? Your sibling being stuck at a place that could kill them. And that too when no one was there in the neighbourhood. The situation was too similar to be called a coincidence.

"Let's go and save your brother."

Neer hoped Ahana would forgive him for not being by her side at this moment. "At least she is safe," he consoled himself or let's say tried to. His heart was pounding in his chest with fear. He didn't fear dying but what scared him the most was that his twin would be left alone in this world without him.

"Hello, hello mister." Maanvi waved her palms in front of his face, trying to get his attention.

"Neer." He informed her, as he squatted her hand away.

"Let's hurry."

"Yeah yeah. Let's go." Neer said before muttering under his breath, "She is making it really hard for me to believe her. Her 'you can leave' words were definitely fake."

They both brisk-walked towards her house. Fortunately, her house was one of those whose ceiling was still intact. Neer had feared about the safety of her brother.

"Koko, koko." Maanvi yelled out as she searched all the nooks and corners of her house.

"Koko? What kind of a name is it?" Neer scratched his head, while standing at the entrance of her house.

Neer's unasked question was answered when he heard an excited bark. Neer's fingers fisted and unfisted as the realization dawned upon me.

"A...a dog," he choked up as he saw Maanvi come out with a brown dog. He didn't have much knowledge about the breeds, nor did he care much about it in this situation.

"Meet my brother, Koko," Maanvi introduced in a sheepish tone, which was followed by Koko's agreeing bark.

"You are angry," she concluded with a wince.

"No, not at all," Neer refused, but his expressions gave it away.

The twins were unaware that they both were experiencing the exact same emotions at the same time, while they were away from each other.

There couldn't have been a more cruel coincidence than this. Both the twins had put their lives on line for the animals they didn't even care for.