Nature in Hiding

41- Water source

"Are you done avoiding me?" Neer asked, as soon as Gyaan came back.

"No, I would like to avoid you for some more time, a few years to be precise," Gyaan answered with a roll of his eyes.

"Sameera and Ahana didn't come back," Gyaan observed. Ahana had left before him, so he thought she must have definitely reached already. Moreover, Sameera should have come way earlier as she didn't go for a walk like Ahana.

"Only focused on ladies, are we?" Neer taunted.

"Bhaiya, they went to dry their old clothes on the rock that is a little far away," Avan answered when he understood that Neer wouldn't ever give a straight answer to Gyaan.

"Other rock? Why?" Gyaan asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"So that peeping Tom doesn't look at them." Yet another taunt was fired on Gyaan.

Gyaan's jaw was clenched, but he remained silent, not wanting to start a dispute so early in the morning.

Sensing the tension between the two, Avan spoke up about the great news he got, hoping to divert their attention from the current topic.

"Gyaan Bhaiya, while you were gone, we met with a deer. We asked and got directions for the water source from my dear friend."

"Whoa! That's such great news," Gyaan exclaimed happily, bending to hug Avan.

Avan hugged him back earnestly, happy that he was able to change the mood.

"Yeah, Avan found out the water source. Even the small child knows what is more important right now, unlike someone who is busy—"

"Neer, you will be crossing limits now if you complete your sentence," Gyaan interrupted in a hardened tone.

Avan face-palmed, he celebrated too soon.

"Crossing limits? Why should I worry about something you already did last night?" Neer asked.

"Bhaiya enough!" Avan yelled, knowing that this fight was going to take an ugly turn.

"Avan...?" Neer was shocked, not expecting Avan to yell.

"Gyaan bhaiya is already feeling guilty about what happened. And even if he didn't, then Ahana didi is strong even to stand up and fight for herself if she felt violated." Avan said, his small chest heaving as he stood their with a fierce stance.

"Kiddo is right," came Ahana's voice as she and Sameera joined them. "I am no damsel in distress. Neer, I understand your protectiveness, but don't go overboard, not when we all know that he didn't do anything intentionally."

"Make up already," Sameera muttered, "Come on, shake hands and become friends again."

"What do you think we are? Kindergartners?" Gyaan scoffed, making Avan giggle.

"If you fight like children, then you will resolve it as children," Sameera answered sternly, before ordering them, "Shake hands now, and while you are already at it, then you can also hug each other to declare the end of the fight."

"Now a hug too?" Gyaan asked, looking annoyed, while Neer huffed.

"Hurry up, before the hug turns into a kiss," Ahana teased.

"Kiss! Kiss!" Avan chanted, clapping and jumping gleefully.

Both the guys looked at each other with widened eyes, before hurrying and hugging each other. Although Ahana was clearly joking, they wouldn't put it past Sameera to actually ask them to do something like this as a punishment.

"I know you did this for me, but please end the fight soon," Sameera requested.

"So you knew this wasn't real," Neer said, looking at her with accusing eyes.