Elements had to put their emotions on the back of their minds. They didn't have time to feel sad when the question of their survival was hanging on the lines.

"Shall I call Ravi?" Sameera asked hesitantly.

"Sameera...," Gyaan trailed off. He too was hesitant to say no and break her heart. However an affirmative answer could be dangerous to their lives.

"I am not speaking emotionally," Sameera said, immediately understanding his hesitance. "Just hear me out once," she requested.

"Go ahead, I am sure it would be of worth if you are insisting," Neer said, as he blinked to let her know he was there by her side.

"Ravi was making plans to get us out safely from that hospital on that day. And he hasn't even been on T.V speaking against us. Maybe he still hasn't ditched us like others—" Sameera stopped abruptly as she remembered Avan was listening. Clearing her throat, she changed her sentence, "Maybe the bad guys haven't got to him yet. Maybe he can help us and no one will come to know."

"Oh yes! Ravi Uncle always stays at home. He might be safe," Avan exclaimed happily.

"Not only he can help us financially, but he can also let us know about the places we need to stay away from here. If not the whole information, he might have at least some inkling of what the media people are planning," Sameera finished, looking at others hopefully.

"You need to hurry then," Gyaan said, confusing her with his weird response.

"Huh?"

"It's night time. The shop with the phone booth might get close soon. Hurry and call him."

Gyaan's words brought a huge smile on Sameera's face. She stood up hastily, covered her face with her ghunghat and almost ran towards the place

"Gosh! At least take the money for the call," Ahana yelled, from where she was sitting, causing Sameera to run back. She snatched the money from Ahana's hands and left yelling, "thanks," over her shoulders as she ran.

Sameera's chest was heaving as she ran towards the shop. She patted her chest to calm down a little, but neither her heart stopped thudding wildly nor did the butterflies in her stomach.

It felt ages since she last spoke with him. Taking a huge breath, she dialled his number. Crossing her fingers, she prayed that he picked the call as it was the last chance she would get to talk to him, before they all went into hiding.

"Hello."

"Ravi," she whispered breathlessly, as tears formed in her eyes upon hearing his voice after a long time.

"Sameera? Sameera, is that you?" Ravi asked with urgency.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! I had lost hope of finding you. I searched the entire hospital but couldn't find you," Ravi rambled, his heart finally at peace now that he had spoken with Sameera.

"Where were you Sameera? It has been so many days. You are okay, right? Sameera why aren't you speaking? Are you hurt?" He asked, as his heart thudded again in fear.

"I am alright, I am alright," Sameera said immediately, so that he wouldn't worry, "well at least physically," she whispered at the end.

"Ravi, the news...," Sameera started hesitantly, wanting to know why the researchers would back-stab them.

Ravi cursed as soon as he heard the words, "It's all a mess. Everyone is fighting for their lives here all because of Neer. We are all on the brink of losing our jobs. Forget that, we all would have been arrested if Maanvi didn't give us a script to follow and lie about not knowing you all."

"Maanvi gave you that script." To say Sameera was baffled was an understatement. But it did make sense. Maanvi released the fictional video, so how hard it must be for her to write a script for researchers.

"Yeah, she did. The poor girl was so heartbroken yet she helped us. This is all because of Neer. I can't believe he could turn out to be so vicious. He seemed so kind," Ravi said.

"Neer didn't do anything," Sameera said in a stern tone, not leaving any room for discussion, "He is a victim here. He is being used."

"I don't know all that nor do I care. Sameera siding with him is committing suicide," Ravi said, hoping she would come into her senses.

"Sameera, listen I know the world is against you all, yet I can bring you to safety. It is going to be hard, but I won't give up. I will fight against everyone for you.

"We can't deny that you are an element now, the whole world knows it. Let's just show them that you are a good one. The video clip only shows Neer's destruction and the testimonies are mostly about Ahana. We can easily tell the world that you weren't involved in all this. It was all them.

"You can become an eye-witness and an information provider. If you join hands with the government to help capture Neer and Ahana, they might leave you alone. We will leave here and go live peacefully at some quiet place, away from all the hustle and bustle."

"How can you even suggest that?" Sameera asked in a broken voice, as she barely managed to keep standing. Her legs were about to give out from what she heard.

"Sameera, don't be emotional and think. You all are being hunted. Even if Neer didn't do anything, like you are insisting, they have proof against him. You need to leave them for you to survive. If you want you can bring Avan with you. The authorities will easily believe your words if a small, innocent looking child agrees and repeats what you said."

"Are you the same Ravi I knew and loved?" Sameera asked, as her heart broke into pieces.

"I am just trying to protect you. Now it's up to you. It is either dying with the elements you have no relation to or spending your life with me and creating a family together. The choice is obvious, right? Answering it should be easy," Ravi said, while trying to make arrangements to bring Sameera home.

"Yeah, the choice is very easy," Sameera said, devoid of any emotion.

"Exactly. So tell me where you are, I will come to pick you up. Do you need me to bring—

Sameera interrupted Ravi's blabbering with her quiet words, "The time we spent together was the best time of my life."

"Sameera?" Ravi rubbed his ears, not believing his ears, "Sameera you aren't insinuating what I am thinking right? I mean you must be just saying this out of blue...."

"It was nice knowing you and loving you," Sameera said her last words to him, before her legs gave away.

"Madam, Madam, are you okay?" The shopkeeper came out running.

"I am fine, I am fine," Sameera reassured, before standing up with his help.

"Are you sure? Do you want water?" The shopkeeper asked.

"No, I am fine," Sameera said, before asking, "How much for this call?"

"Don't worry about it. It's on me," the shopkeeper said with a kind smile.

"But—"

"It's okay, Madam," the man said. How could he possibly take money from the woman who possibly lost something very dear to her. Her face might have been covered in ghunghat, but her voice and body language clearly showed that she had lost something or maybe everything that night.

"Thank you," Sameera said, her voice hoarse from crying, before leaving the place.

She wiped her eyes and perched up a smile, before she entered the alleyway where elements were waiting for her.

"What's wrong?" Ahana asked, seeing right through Sameera's fake smile.

"The call didn't connect," Sameera lied through her teeth.

Everyone else bought the lie easily. Knowing that it was her last chance to speak with Ravi, it made sense that Sameera was heartbroken.

"It won't be soon, but I promise that you will meet him again one day," Gyaan promised.

"Yes, as some time passes by, everyone will forget about us. And then we will come back," Ahana said, squeezing Sameera's shoulder in comfort.

Sameera nodded trying to look as confident as Gyaan and Ahana, but some stray tears fell from her eyes, betraying her.

"Oh Sameera, everything will go back to normal soon," Ahana said, hugging her.

Sameera hugged her back tightly, taking as much comfort she could take from them while still lying. She didn't know how she was going to break it to them that nothing was ever going to go back to normal.

The people they trusted had long gotten rid of the elements to protect themselves.

Whether it was befriending the elements to save the world or betraying the elements to save themselves; the humans were selfish creatures that would go to any lengths for their purpose.