Nature's Comeback

46- The fearless small kids

Unaware of the fact that although broken, his message had reached Ahana, Avan kept on trying. It took a toll on his small body. He was sweating a lot but he still kept on going.

"I think there's a problem. He is focusing so hard but I don't see any movement in trees," Kriti spoke to Payal who in turn went towards Avan to stop it.

"Avan, it's okay. You can stop," Payal coaxed him gently, but Avan wasn't responding.

"Your requests aren't working. Just stop it."

Everyone turned to glare at Sarah who had no filter in her mouth.

"Avan, don't listen to her. Just take a small break. Maybe your requests will work after some rest," Rewa rectified Sarah's blunder.

Sarika looked at Sarah with a frown before raising eyebrows towards Rewa, gesturing to learn something from her. Sarah rolled her eyes, trying to look unaffected but the constant comparisons were putting her down.

"Avan!!" A cry left Payal's lips when she saw that his nose had started bleeding.

"Avan stop it," Ayaan shouted, shaking his brother hard to bring him out of his state.

Avan pushed Ayaan away and again started to focus.

"Avan, what are you doing? Please stop," Payal pleaded through her cries.

Hearing the commotion made Gyaan, Sameera and other researchers come back while Dhara and Aakash stayed behind to comfort the twin's mother.

"Avan, it's okay. We will save them. You don't have to try so hard," Gyaan said, squatting down in front of Avan.

"We don't have much time. The house will collapse," Avan informed breathlessly, before going back to focus on calling Ahana.

Everyone's breath stilled upon hearing Avan. They didn't think of this possibility.

"Why do we always have to battle against time?" Sameera yelled out in frustration.

"We need to put out the fire on that shelf. Or else it is impossible to open the door," Reyansh said, running his hand through his hair.

"Is it possible to break the grills of the window?" Sameera asked, having tried that method to escape out of her captivity a few years ago.

"That's a great idea," Tej said, "but the window is too small. Neither we can get them out nor we can get inside. Maybe Avan, Ayaan, Asha and Dhruv can, but no one else."

Putting children out there inside a house that was about to collapse wasn't an option. They might try to fight their luck but children were out of question.

"We will go," Ayaan spoke up, Dhruv and Asha agreed too.

"But kids—"

The elders tried to protest but the kids were adamant.

"Trees will inform Avan when the house will be on the verge of collapse and we can get the kids out by that time. Let's try our absolute best until then," Payal said with a heavy heart.

She was scared but she also trusted in Avan's ability to get everyone out.

"Okay then, Kriti, go and ask Dhara, where we can get the tools. Until then, Tej, Tejas, Rewa, Sarah, search for the videos that will show us the way to take out the grills." Asking the more tech savvy people to search on phones, Gyaan asked other people to fill up the buckets.

Tej, Reyansh and Gyaan took up the work to break the grills. Later, they helped the kids climb the window while the twin's mother helped them from the other side. Only Ayaan, Dhruv and Asha went as Avan was still concentrating on something that was unknown to others.

The ladies took up the job to fill up the buckets, the remaining children, Tej, and Gyaan went to and fro from the house and river, transporting the buckets. Reyansh and Abhinav stayed outside the window, giving the filled buckets to the small kids while guiding them on what to do without hurting themselves, from outside.

Not only the shelf, but so many things were on fire that hadn't been visible from the window. So much water was first used to try and put out the fire that could harm the kids and couple, before even trying to get to the shelf.

The room was still on fire, but the kids had managed to create a safe place where they could be able to stand without getting burned.

"Dad, Uncle." Asha came to the window, while wiping the sweat. "This isn't working too. Because of the pause while getting and throwing the water, there's not much effect. Plus so much water is just wasted before it even reaches the fire," Asha said, eyeing the water they had spilled on the floor and the wet Ayaan. He had somehow managed to spill two buckets on himself rather than on fire. "We need continuous flow of water," she suggested.

"I know dear, but we can't do anything. Let's try for five more minutes. You all can come back if this doesn't work," Reyansh requested, however Abhinav didn't agree with him.

"Kids, just come back. We tried our level best. Let's not put ourselves in more danger for strangers."

Reyansh kicked Abhinav's feet, gesturing towards the twin's parents.

"But—" Abhinav protested, baffled by Reyansh's actions. He had the right to worry about his kid. "Just because your own daughter isn't here, it doesn't mean that you can act like this."

"I am not against you trying to call the kids back. However, you don't have to say anything else. They are human beings who have put all their trust on us right now," Reyansh clarified with gritted teeth.

"Dear come, I will help you out," twin's mother said to Asha.

"Don't fight for us. I guess it is not in our fate to live. Anyways, the lives of these kids are more important," she said with a sad smile.

"Can we try for one more time? I think if we don't spill the water, we can save them," Dhruv pleaded. He was sure that if they worked properly, they could save this couple. This was the first time someone gave him such an important task. He too wanted to get praises like Avan and for that he would try his level best.

"Last time." Abhinav relented and started giving them the buckets, for the sake of kids. He knew that the water of three buckets wasn't enough for that raging fire, but who could say no to those pleading eyes.

They were about to throw the buckets but a loud wail,"AVAN," distracted them, causing them to lose their hold on the buckets.

Ayaan's eyes widened thinking something bad happened to Avan, and he rushed towards the window.

"Help him," he requested the Aunty, but then he shook his head all of a sudden and went back towards Dhruv and Asha. For some reason, his brother had been trying really hard to save them. And hence, it was now his duty to fulfil Avan's wish.

"Avan has mom and dad with him. They will take care of him," Ayaan consoled himself, before picking up the bucket again. 

"On the count of three," Dhruv yelled, wanting to get this right for once, "One, two and...and three."

They turned the buckets all at once. Reyansh and Abhinav rubbed their eyes to check whether their eyes were seeing wrong. But it was the truth.

The water from the buckets didn't stop. It kept on coming and coming, until a click was heard and the door opened with a bang.