Nature's Comeback

58- Benefits of the Bicycle

Gyaan took the car keys from Dilip and went to Ravi to ask for directions. Only Ravi knew the way to that orphanage.

"I am coming with you guys."

Hearing Ravi's words, Dilip's mouth was left hung open. This was the first time after the accident, when his brother had readily agreed to go out of the house.

Dilip looked at Sameera with thankfulness. He knew the current situation wasn't great but this change in his brother was all because of Sameera and he couldn't thank her enough for this.

"Let's hurry," Neer urged, before turning towards Ravi, "Please take your laptop so that we can see what is happening out there from the live feed."

"Already taken," Ravi said, patting his laptop bag that was kept beside him on the couch.

Ahana stopped Avan who was tying his shoelaces, "Go back inside. You aren't coming with us."

"But—" he whined.

She squatted down to come to his eye level and whispered sternly, "No ifs and buts We aren't going to use our powers. This is going to be done in a traditional way, so no kids during action. We can't have those crazy scientists abducting you. Stay here."

"I won't get abducted. I can help Sameera Aunty," Avan yelled, his tiny face puffing out with anger.

She placed her arms on his shoulders firmly, letting him know that she was serious about this.

"I don't like you anymore." Avan moved back with force, making Ahana's hand fall from his shoulders.

Removing his shoes, he stomped inside. Ayaan ran behind his brother when he saw Avan getting inside Kriti's room, wiping away his angry tears.

"I feel bad for him," Sameera shook her head with guilt, "But Ahana is right, we can't take him with us."

"Why does he want to come anyway? No other kid is insisting," Ravi questioned, not having the knowledge about Avan being an earth elemental and not an usual kid.

"Why are we wasting time by talking? We need to hurry before Maanvi's questionnaire ends," Neer urged everyone to move faster, trying to divert Ravi's mind from Avan.

They got down from the lift and moved towards the parking lot. Dilip had also joined them to help Ravi get inside the car.

Sameera, Ahana and Neer took the backseat, with Sameera and Ahana on window seats and Neer in the middle. Gyaan took the driver's seat, while Ravi sat in the passenger seat and guided Gyaan how to navigate the roads. Although that guidance soon turned into a verbal fight as Ravi kept nitpicking Gyaan's way of driving and claiming that he wasn't listening to him properly when Gyaan made accidental turns.

"Just turn on the GPS," Ahana said with a roll of her eyes, tired of both of them bickering in the front seats.

"What is GPS?" Sameera questioned.

"It shows directions," Ravi answered Sameera's question first, before responding to Ahana, "The GPS always takes the longer routes. I know the shortcuts to the highway so it is better if I guide him until we come to the main road. We will reach faster that way. Of course, if he doesn't make any more accidental turns." Ravi side eyed Gyaan as he taunted him at the end.

"It is not my fault if you tell me about the curve at the last possible moment," Gyaan grumbled.

"And here I thought that only Ahana didn't get along with Gyaan. We have another one in the party," Neer commented, annoyed by the fights.

Fortunately their fights didn't last long as they soon reached the highway. From there, Gyaan drove with the help of GPS while Ravi concentrated on the live feed of the orphanage, guiding Maanvi whenever she faltered.

"Shit! Shit! Shit! God no," Sameera cursed when she saw the traffic jam.

"This is going to take at least half an hour to clear out." Ravi scratched his eyebrow in frustration.

Their problems didn't end here. Within ten minutes, Maanvi too lost the attention of the man.

They all sat in the car with bated breaths as they saw Maanvi requesting that man for a few more minutes of the interview.

"Please hold him off Maanvi," Neer pleaded in a low voice, praying internally.

"We can't even take another road," Sameera cried, seeing that the car was surrounded by vehicles from all the sides.

"Shit!" Ahana and Gyaan cursed in unison, before scowling at each other because of the same reaction.

They watched that man thank Maanvi, before getting into his car with a young girl of the orphanage.

"Please do something. We need to stop him before he makes another girl a victim of their experiments," Sameera wailed in distress.

"KOKO." They heard Maanvi's startled shout through the laptop.

"Maanvi, connect Koko's camera into the live feed," Ravi ordered.

Sameera was awed by the speed Ravi typed into his keyboard. She moved a little to see his work properly.

Ravi was startled by her sudden presence. Her face was so near, that it caused the poor lad to blush like a tomato. Ravi cleared his throat, before adjusting a little in his seat, to maintain space between Sameera and him.

The traffic had subdued a little, making everyone sigh in relief. Gyaan concentrated on driving while everyone focussed on the laptop.

"Go Koko go," Neer cheered as they saw Koko run behind the car.

They noticed Koko barking unusually. Their confusion didn't last long. The sight of dogs coming from every alley way that car passed and joining Koko, made them realize that Koko had called in help.

Soon all the dogs surrounded the car from all sides, making it impossible for it to move. Koko had effectively managed to stop the car from leaving.

"Gosh Maanvi, your dog is a hero," Ravi said, after witnessing what he did.

"Koko is smart but not that smart. This isn't his brain," Maanvi informed.

She had run behind Koko, worried for him when he followed that man. Based upon Neer's frantic voice, she knew that man was no good and Koko could be in danger.

However, her speed was of no match to Koko's and she was left far behind.

A bicycle came from behind her, startling her with the speed. It didn't take long for her to recognize the kid.

"Don't worry about Koko. I will take care of him," Avan yelled from the backseat of the cycle as Tejas paddled furiously, trying to catch up with the dogs.

The beauty of this small vehicle was that no traffic could stop the bicycle from moving. While the older elements were stuck inside their unmoving car, Avan and Tejas rode through the small gaps and reached the orphanage on time.

With Koko's barks and Avan's request, many dogs joined in, making it possible to stop the criminal from reaching his hideout.