"Finally!" Ahana jumped on the bed, hugging it as if it was her long lost lover.

"Finally!" Gyaan yelled as well, standing with his arms wide open near the heater.

"Move," Neer said, pushing Gyaan away.

"Hey!" Gyaan shouted, "What's your problem?"

"The problem is that he cares for your safety, but doesn't want to show it," Ahana answered instead.

"Umm...what?"

Ahana chuckled looking at Gyaan's dumbfounded expression. "As the most knowledgeable person in here, I thought you would know at least this much," she taunted, before explaining, "It's not wise to stand near the heater for too long."

"Ah yes, I knew that," Gyaan scratched the back of his hair in embarrassment, before muttering, "Just forgot it for a moment."

"Of course, you did. The cold has given him so much trauma," Sameera teased, eyeing Ahana and Gyaan, who ducked their heads in response, hiding their embarrassed faces.

Ahana cleared her throat, before calling Avan over, "Come here and lie down. Rest before you faint out of exhaustion. You used too much of your energy."

"Nice change of topic," Neer commented and rightfully earned a pillow on his face.

"I didn't do much. It was mostly the trees who told me about their whispers," Avan informed, but still crawled on the bed to lay beside her.

"Talking to trees is not something anyone can do. That talking is also using your power as an earth element," Gyaan tutted, shaking his head at the ignorant child.

If Avan wasn't already annoyed with Gyaan then he was now. His nostrils flared and his fingers curled into a fist. However, a hand covered his small fist, before he could retaliate.

"Don't waste your energy on that idiot," Ahana whispered in his ear, "Let's wait for the time he goofs up, we will make full use of the opportunity," she winked.

"We will," Avan whispered back with determination, before turning to look at Gyaan Bhaiya with narrowed eyes.

"Man, the trees don't seem loyal at all," Neer said in a dramatic voice, changing the direction of their conversation yet again.

"What did my friends do?" Avan asked, curling his lower lip upward.

"They are trees of this pack, yet they babbled everything they whispered amongst themselves to you. Living alongside each other for so many years, yet there's not an ounce of loyalty in them," Neer tutted, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Did you hurt yourself on the way?" Ahana asked her twin, looking at him with her mouth hung open.

"Why? Did I say anything wrong?" Neer asked, batting his eyelids, trying to look innocent.

"He has totally lost it," Ahana muttered, while moving her finger in a circle to indicate that he was acting mad.

"Why is it okay when Avan does it? Why am I crazy for doing the same thing? What's crazier, Avan talking to trees or me talking about them?"

"He has definitely lost it," Ahana muttered in conclusion, before standing up to push Neer towards the couch.

"Hey!" Neer yelled, as he half landed on the couch.

Ahana held up his legs that were still on the ground and plopped them on the couch with no amount of gentleness. "Sleep. Sleep before you completely lose your senses," Ahana said, patting his head harshly.

"Ow! Ow! I will die woman," Neer yelled and pushed her hands away, before sitting up with a huff.

"I don't think it is lack of sleep that is making one of us crazy and another one cranky," Sameera said, eyeing Neer and Avan, who were behaving totally out of character since before.

"Then?" Ahana questioned, cocking her right eyebrow.

"Food," Sameera answered, "We haven't had a proper meal since so long. Hunger has a huge effect on mood. That's probably the reason behind their annoyance and stupidities. And also for Gyaan's unusual desperation."

"Gyaan's desperation?" Ahana gulped, a little scared and a little shocked.

"Not that desperation," Sameera slapped her forehead at the double meaning of the word. "His desperation to find a warm place with food. You saw he was even ready to be a prisoner."

"Oh that!" Ahana sighed in relief, patting her heart who had stopped for a second.

"You didn't say anything when she called us crazy and cranky, but you questioned when Sameera aunty spoke about Gyaan bhaiya," Avan pouted, not knowing about where Ahana's mind had landed upon hearing Sameera's words.

"It's not like that. Ahana probably wanted to know about Gyaan's faults in detail," Neer said, while blinking his eyes at Ahana in assurance.

"Very good, Didi," Avan cheered, showing her two thumbs up.

Ahana smiled at him uneasily and nodded, "Yeahh."

"Thank you," she then mouthed to Neer, for handling the situation.

While the three were talking, Sameera noticed Gyaan silently standing and looking out of the window.

"Don't feel bad. Once there is food in their system, Avan and Neer would come around," Sameera assured Gyaan, knowing that even if he didn't show, their anger and aloofness was affecting him.

"Of course, I know that. The fights are affecting me, but I am sure we will go back to normal soon," Gyaan said in a small voice, "There's just too many changes in emotions these days. It is getting hard to handle."

"Are we still talking about Neer and Avan?" Sameera asked, looking at him knowingly.

Gyaan let out a small laugh at being caught. "I guess I am not really good at hiding emotions like I thought."

"Well...Ahana is really good at concealing them," Sameera said with a muffled smile, indirectly hinting that Ahana was feeling the same.

However, instead of the gleefulness she was expecting from Gyaan at this news, all she got was a hollow laugh.

"What's the use? Her feelings will probably go away like Neer's anger and Avan's crankiness."

"Do you really think that her feelings are just fleeting which will pass away once her hunger is quenched?" Sameera asked, her mouth hung open in shock.

"Not only the hunger, but the whole situation. We are into survival mode.  We have been fighting together. It's us against the world. The fact that I am the only guy she has been around constantly is also there. Neer and Avan don't count because of relation and age.

"And that might have ignited some feelings which we wouldn't have had normally. Her feelings might change when everything gets back to normal; when she has better choices."

"Wow! When did you even get the time to think so much about this topic?" Sameera asked.

"Since the first time she started affecting me," Gyaan said with a sad smile. Noticing Sameera's expression, he said. "Don't look at me with pity. It hasn't been such a long time."

"Come on Gyaan, how can you be so sure that Ahana's feelings for you are just because of the situation?"

"It's not just about Ahana's but mine feelings too. What if my feelings also change once we are out of survival mode?"

"Really? Are you not even going to try? Who cares about when and where they developed? Just give it a chance. If the feelings change over time, you can just break up then," Sameera said, like it was so simple.

"What if only one person's feelings change? What about the other?"

Gyaan's questioned stumped Sameera to silence.

"We all are one team. How are we going to face each other once the break up happens?"

"So you will hide your current feelings for an unknown future. While you are guessing what will happen in the future, can't you just think optimistically? What if none of your feelings change after we are back to normal? What if the feelings bloom to something more beautiful?" Sameera showed him the other side of the coin.

"I really hope you are right, but I can't take any chances right now. We all need to be one team. And I don't think that would be possible once I confess."

"Seriously!" Sameera huffed as the whole conversation went down the drain.

"Sameera, forget the talks about the future. We have been assuming Ahana's feelings for me too. Who knows whether she actually feels anything for me, or it is just awkwardness because of the situation that we concluded to be feelings?

"My confession can lead to Ahana feeling offended. And even if she does like me, Neer will kill me if even gets a gist about this. We won't survive if we all aren't together. So let's just wait. Wait until everything goes back to normal. Ahana will also have tons of choices to choose from. And the rejection or acceptance would not lead to our deaths," Gyaan explained his point, hoping Sameera would understand. But his hopes went down when he saw her resigned face.

"Please don't get angry with me. I really can't afford one more element against me," he pleaded, while muttering under his breath, "the list of my haters just keeps growing."

Sameera sighed, before patting his shoulder, "I know this is the fear talking. You are scared and rightfully so. Being a peacemaker, your job is to think about everyone instead of just your feelings."

"Thanks for understanding," he whispered with gratitude.

She blinked her eyes at him, before moving to join the other three who were still fighting. But, she turned her head again to face him again, "Gyaan,"

"Yeah?"

"It is understandable that you are so confused. After all, the feelings are new to you. However, we all have been seeing your chemistry since the last two years."

"What?!"

Sameera laughed at his dumbfounded face. "Why do you think Neer is getting so defensive and protective? He knows," she informed, making Gyaan stumble out of shock.