[Formerly known as 'Trinkets']
Mahika and Amoli can't stand each other, but that's not the only thing they have in common.
Mahika treats Amoli like she's childish. Amoli thinks Mahika is a stuck-up prude. But Mahika's best friend and Amoli's brother...
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By the time Dhruv's car rolls to a stop outside his house, Mahika feels the weight of the day settling into her bones. Her exam had gone fine. Better than she'd expected, honestly. But her mind had been elsewhere the whole time.
Amoli.
And now, with her nerves simmering beneath the surface, it's all she can think about.
They had decided that Dhruv and Samay's apartment was the safest place to meet up for this conversation.
"Relax," Dhruv says softly, giving her a quick glance as he parks. "It's just us."
Mahika huffs, but her lips twitch despite herself. "Easy for you to say. You're not about to... you know."
"Tell three of my best friends that I'm in love with my girlfriend?" Dhruv teases gently, but there's no bite to it. Only warmth. "You're forgetting, I was there the first time you did this."
Mahika's face heats at the word love, but she doesn't correct him. Instead, she fiddles with the strap of her bag, exhaling slowly. "I know. I just..." Her voice softens. "I don't want it to be weird."
Dhruv's expression turns serious, his teasing fading into something quieter. "It won't be." He squeezes her shoulder lightly. "Promise."
She nods, swallowing against the sudden tightness in her throat. "Okay."
They step out of the car, the afternoon heat sticking to Mahika's skin as they make their way to the front door. It's already slightly ajar. Typical.
Dhruv pushes it open the rest of the way. "We're here!" he calls out.
Laughter filters from the living room, familiar and comforting. When they step inside, Mahika's heart gives a little jolt.
Amoli's sitting on the couch, tucked into one corner, her fingers wrapped around a mug. She looks up the moment Mahika walks in, and her smile-small but so incredibly warm-eases something inside Mahika's chest.
"Hi," she mouths, and Mahika thinks about the word love again when she waves back in greeting.
Keerti's perched on the arm of the couch, scrolling through her phone, while Sakshi sits cross-legged beside Amoli, halfway through explaining something that sounds suspiciously like a Bollywood conspiracy theory. Samay is sprawled out on the other couch, an amused smile tugging at his lips as he listens.
"Look who finally made it!" Keerti grins, eyes flicking between Mahika and Dhruv. "How'd the exam go?"
"Good," Mahika says automatically, her gaze lingering on Amoli for a second longer before she moves toward the couch.
"Survived?" Samay asks, his usual easygoing tone laced with just enough concern to make Mahika's throat tighten again.
"Barely," she jokes, plopping down beside Amoli, who shifts just enough to let their shoulders brush. The touch is grounding, and Mahika feels herself exhale a little more freely.
