Nature's Comeback

54- Money

Sameera frowned seeing the twin's facepalm and Ravi's blushing face. She couldn't understand the reason behind their reaction. Before she could ask, she heard a hearty laugh from the door and saw Kriti standing there, laughing at the situation.

Kriti had come to give her uncle his medicines and heard the entire conversation. Her laugh seemed to increase Sameera's frustration. Kriti moved forward and whispered to Sameera about the meaning behind her words, making the air elemental blush like a tomato.

"I need to take out a saree from your mom's cupboard. Bye." Sameera hurried away, not having the courage to face anybody after her embarrassing act.

"We will be going too," Neer said, after Sameera had run away.

"Wait a minute!" Kriti called out to the twins who were leaving.

"Yes?" Ahana raised her eyebrows in question.

"Neither you need to pay from your life savings nor Sameera has to do any household chore. Sameera can pay after she receives her salary."

"What salary?" The twins looked at each other in confusion, silently asking if the other knew what was going on.

Kriti chuckled seeing their confused faces, before clarifying, "You do know that we receive payment for doing research and all, right?"

The twins slowly nodded at her question, still trying to make out what she was trying to say.

"Well, if we receive money for doing research, then obviously you will also receive a remuneration for helping us in our work. And from that amount, Sameera would be easily able to pay for the repairs."

"Oh!!" The twins were dumbfounded with the information. They hadn't thought they would be receiving anything back by helping researchers.

"If this was the case, then you should have told us beforehand. We would have been convinced to help you a lot sooner. It would have saved you a lot of hard work." Ahana shook her head at the idiot researchers.

Neer muffled his laugh, looking at Kriti. With her mouth hung open, and widened eyes, she surely looked comical.

"That's it?? Money was the deciding factor for you!" Kriti borderline yelled, stupefied by the twin's.

"Obviously," Neer shrugged, "We have been struggling since we were ten to earn money. Considering that we both don't have higher education, any job we get is a blessing. We would have joined you in a second if you said that we will earn, instead of the whole bullshit of saving the world."

The twins soon left, leaving Kriti to curse herself for not even knowing the basics to convince them.

"They seem valuable to you. How are they going to help save the world?" Ravi asked, having heard the weird conversation.

"Top secret," was the only answer Kriti could give.

"Okayyy," Ravi trailed off, understanding where to stop, "Then can you tell me why that lady was so weird? She literally called my laptop, a small T.V."

"She has been away for many years," Kriti informed as she handed her uncle a glass of water to drink with the medicines.

"Like in another country?"

"Nope, totally away from the world. I can't tell you more as it is her story to share. Uncle, please ignore her blunders. Everything is new or different then what she was used to, especially the gadgets," Kriti requested.

Ravi nodded as he combined Kriti's words with Sameera's actions. It made sense. He could empathize with her in a way, after all his world had changed after his accident. It was difficult to understand and get used to the new things. And the normal things that he never thought about before, became a hurdle to cross everyday.

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Twins sat in the living room, discussing their new findings.

"I think we should confirm the payment factor with Reyansh tomorrow," Neer suggested.

"True. Kriti might have just said this to get us out of the trouble. What if she uses her own money to pay for all this, while claiming that it was Sameera's salary," Ahana added.

"But it would be good if the salary part is true. A fixed income would help us settle down."

"Of course, you would think about settling now," Ahana made an offhand remark.

"What do you mean?" Neer asked nervously.

"Don't act innocent. There's someone in your life, isn't it?"

"What?! No!"

"Don't lie. I have seen you check your mobile thousands of times for a call or message. You jump up every time whenever there's a notification."

Neer scratched his head, not knowing what to do. He wanted to inform Ahana but he wasn't sure about her reaction.

"Who?" Ahana asked in a simple yet demanding voice.

"Maanvi."

"Ah! Explains the whole devastated mood back then," Ahana mumbled to herself.

"What do you mean by that?" Neer asked, having heard her.

"In that Dharmshala, you slept clutching me like a koala and then the next day we found out that she was gone."

Neer looked at her sheepishly, not knowing what to say.

"So are you two in a serious relationship or...."

"Not really," Neer answered, causing Ahana to raise her eyebrows at his response. She was expecting a yes or something along the lines of 'we are seeing where this will go.'

Looking at her eyes filled with questions, Neer informed her about the whole ordeal. About how even though they liked each other, Maanvi needed time to get used to the fact that Neer was an element. And how he was waiting for her message or call.

"So...are you okay with us being in a relationship? That is, if Maanvi comes around," Neer asked hesitantly.

"To be honest, I don't understand how someone can fall in love within an hour of meeting each other. I think it was less than an hour in your case." Neer's face fell upon hearing Ahana's words, but a new hope rose when she continued, "But if you did, then who am I to say that it is not right or anything? Go ahead and see where this relationship takes you. If it works then great, and if it doesn't then take it as a lesson."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Neer jumped on her, giving Ahana a fierce hug.

The conclusion of the whole speech was only one thing- Ahana was onboard.

"Why do you even need my permission?" Ahana asked, while pulling herself away from her crazy twin.

"Because you are my only family. Your approval matters to me the most."

Ahana teared up a little hearing his heartwarming words, but she also got afraid thinking that she might become an obstacle to his future family.

"Let's worry about it when the time comes," she consoled herself, while joining her twin in his madness.