Nature in Hiding

37- Treasure

Sameera comforted the girl for the last time, before trying to leave. The girl held the end of the drape of Sameera's saree, pleading with her to stay with her.

"I am so sorry dear, I wish I could stay," Sameera apologized, before gently trying to remove the girl's finger. However, the young girl had clutched Sameera's saree in such a tight fist that it seemed impossible to remove her hold without hurting the girl.

"Please," the girl pleaded in a broken voice.

Sameera's heart broke looking at the crying girl. She couldn't stay or else all the elements would be put into danger, but she couldn't leave the small girl alone either. Hence, Sameera came to a compromise.

"Dear, I promise I won't leave until the help arrives. But I can't stay here. Look over there, can you see a huge board," Sameera said, pointing at the advertising board they had hid before.

Receiving a small nod from the girl, Sameera continued, "I will stay there and look over you from there. I promise you will find me there until the end."

"Pinky promise?" The girl asked, raising her pinky finger.

"Pinky promise," Sameera said, interlocking her finger with hers, before saying, "However, you also have to promise me that you won't tell anybody that my friends and I are standing there or about the fact that we were here. Can you keep this secret for me?"

The girl bobbed her head earnestly. She acted like she was catching Sameera's words in her fist and then moved to put them in her frock's pocket, before whispering, "Secret safe."

Sameera smiled a little. Caressing the girl's face for the last time, she stood  up and grabbed Avan's hand, to go to their hiding place where the other elements were waiting for her.

"You gave away our cover," Ahana accused as soon as Sameera came within earshot. They all had seen Sameera showing the girl their hiding place.

"Doesn't matter. We are leaving anyway," Gyaan said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"No, we aren't," Sameera said, shocking everyone.

"What? Why?" Ahana asked, her voice getting louder by each second.

"The girl is scared and I promised her that I wouldn't leave."

"The ever so helpful Sameera, who cares about everyone but us," Ahana taunted, throwing her arms in air, not even knowing what all Sameera had sacrificed for their sake.

"Ahana, you are crossing a line," Neer said in a low yet stern voice, stopping her twin before she could utter something that she would regret later.

"Sorry about her," Neer apologized instead of his twin, before saying, "However Sameera it is true that your actions have put us in a problem. That man over there has been deliberately injured. It is going to be a police case. If they find out we were the ones who found them and called the ambulance, then we might also get investigated. If not as suspects then definitely as witnesses. And then it wouldn't take long for our identities to come out."

"I know what you are saying, but I didn't find it in me to leave the girl alone in that state. I have requested her to not say anything about us to others. But I also know that we can't completely believe a small child's promise. So if you all want, you all can leave. I will stay here alone and face the consequences," Sameera said, increasing Ahana's temper.

"Are you for real?" Ahana asked, her tone deadly. "Or is this some sort of emotional blackmail?" She huffed.

"I am being serious. Please leave. I won't feel bad or hurt. I understand where you all are coming from and what you all are trying to warn me, but I seriously don't find it in me to leave the girl behind. Though you all don't have to suffer the consequences of my actions. So just go," Sameera insisted.