Gyaan left the room in a hurry after making some lame excuse, closing the door with a thud.

Ahana and Neer glanced at each other and then at the door repeatedly, before asking each other in unison, "Is it just me or do you also think that Gyaan is avoiding us?"

"You think so too!" They exclaimed in shock, speaking in unison again.

"He was definitely avoiding meeting our eyes," they both said with tension, before glaring at each other.

"Stop copying me," they yelled.

"Just stop speaking, you two. It is causing me a headache," Sameera said, massaging her forehead with her fingers.

Ahana and Neer huffed at being scolded, and sat there pouting with their hands folded.

"No need to make these faces. I really have a headache," Sameera sighed, "And about Gyaan, leave the guy be. He has too much on his mind."

"It looks like you know what is troubling him," Neer said, looking at her with observant eyes.

"Yeah, Sameera Aunty and Gyaan Bhaiya had a long talk a while ago," Avan informed, having noticed them talking while they all were busy fighting.

"Is everything alright?" Ahana asked, her eyes wide with worry.

"Don't look so scared for him. Everything is okay, at least for now," Sameera said in a knowing tone.

"What are you talking about? Scared for him? Pfft, as if," Ahana scoffed, trying to sound like she didn't care.

"Of course, why would you be worried for him? It's not like he means anything to you," Sameera said sarcastically, before taking Avan's hands and getting out of the room too.

"Hey! Wait for us too!" The twins yelled, before trying to crawl out of bed in hurry. They almost fell as the blankets got entangled in their legs. Cursing, they tried to get out only to get trapped more and headbutt each other.

"Aish!" They rubbed their foreheads, while glaring at each other.

"It's all because of you!" Ahana grumbled.

"Yeah sure, put it all on me. I am the one who is at fault. Not only this situation, but everything that goes wrong in this world is because of me."

"This! Exactly this attitude of yours has been causing problems. I am damn sure that your snide remarks like this are the reason behind Gyaan's weird behaviour," Ahana accused Neer, her nostrils flaring as her temper rose.

"Aww, look at you worrying about him when you just denied doing so a while ago," Neer tutted, copying Ahana's worried expression to taunt her.

"Yeah, fine, I admit. I am worrying about him. So? Is that so wrong to do so," Ahana yelled, defensively, as she aggressively tried to get out of the blanket.

"Then go admit it to him, dummy," Neer said, caressing her hair affectionately, stopping all her moments.

"What?" She looked at him with wide unblinking eyes, as the gulp went down her throat.

"Do I really have to spell it out," Neer groaned. "Just confess, before I change my mind and become over-protective again."

"You have gone crazy," Ahana muttered, before yelling, "There's nothing like that!"

She finally managed to get out of the blankets and literally ran out of the room.

"Man, this is going to be so hard to witness," Neer sighed, looking at the now open door, from where Ahana had left.

"Wonder how Ahana handled seeing me with Maanvi," Neer thought out loud, before a dark expression took over at the thought of his girlfriend who had back stabbed him so brutally.

Neer shook his head aggressively to get out of her thoughts. 'Let's get out of here, because I get drowned in sadness,' he said, forcing himself to divert his train of thoughts.

"Argh!" He yelled, rubbing his face in frustration, when the past didn't seem to leave his mind.

"All okay?"

Neer looked up after hearing the question, to see Hritika standing outside the room's door looking at him with raised eyebrows.

Hritika, who had been just passing, was startled by the sudden yell, and had walked over to see what was going on.

Neer nodded, before averting his eyes on the floor with a sigh.

"Can I come in?" Hritika asked, patiently waiting for the permission.

"Why ask when the pack house is yours? Just walk in like you own it," Neer muttered under his breath, gesturing to her to come inside by waving his hands.

"You need to speak a little louder for me to understand," Hritika said, as she stepped inside.

"Huh?!"

"I don't have heightened senses like others," she reminded him.

"Ah yes, the safest person around here," Neer chuckled, before moving the mob of blankets to make space for her.

"I wouldn't really call myself safe. I have been known to put even the strongest werewolves in their places," Hritika said with a smirk, while counting the numbers of Alphas she had annoyed till date.

"How modest!" Neer chuckled.

"That I am," Hritika said, bowing a little in appreciation, before laughing out loud.

A silence fell over both of them, before Neer looked up at her with a small smile.

"Thanks," Neer said with gratitude, for having helped him get out of those dreaded thoughts.

"What for?" Hritika asked, tilting her head with curiosity.

"Just because," he said, not really wanting to explain the entire story.

"Okayyy," Hritika slowly nodded her head, "You're welcome then, for whatever you are thankful for."

Neer chuckled, before saying, "You just let it go. Aren't you a tiny bit curious about what it was for?"

"Who said I am not? I am, I very much am. I really want to shake you so hard that you have no choice but to tell you the truth," Hritika said, making Neer look at her with raised eyebrows and a muffled smile.

"But...,"

"But?" Neer asked when she made a dramatic pause.

"But then too many praises in a day aren't good for health. And I have already finished today's quota. So tell me tomorrow," Hritika said, before waving him bye.

Neer laughed at her weirdness, while waving her bye too.

"By the way...,"

"Damn! You scared me," Neer jumped as Hritika came back suddenly.

"What?" He asked, patting his heart to calm down.

"What?"

"Why did you come back?" He asked with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh that!" Hritika said, making an O with her mouth.

"Yes, that," he repeated, looking at her as if he was annoyed, however, he was enjoying every bit of her expressions.

"I just wanted to inform you that members of your group are having a meal, and wanted to ask if you were skipping it or—"

Neer was out of the door even before Hritika could finish her sentence, all the while cursing the other elements for eating without him.

Hritika stood there like a statue with her mouth hung open for a second, before she realized what happened and bursted out laughing.

"Damn, he really zoomed past me," she said, her hands on her waist as she rewinded the entire situation.

"Was it one of his powers? Or was it just the power of food?" She questioned out loud, before answering herself, "Must be the food. It has to be the food," she said, definitely sure that no power could beat the power of hunger.

"Am I talking to myself?" she questioned suddenly, "And did I really have that conversation with him?" she asked in a shocked tone, before face palming and muttering, "I must have gone crazy, totally crazy."

Scratching her forehead, Hritika too left the room, all the while wondering what had gotten into her. It wasn't her usual behaviour and she had no idea what made her act like that.