Twists Twirls Perils & Pearls

41. Heartbeats

Everyone at the dinner table was shocked by Swarnima's sudden departure.
"She said she was not comfortable. Poor girl must have got scared. Anyways, the diner is very good, jiju." Adah praised munching her food.

"Should I check?" Aadya asked.

"You Stay! I will go." Abhedya left from there.
'What a simple task it was... to make each other blush? Even if she just smiled, that beautiful smile of hers, I would have got the red hue on my face. She could not do that much.' Abhedya thought. He found it somewhat embarrassing.

He saw Swarnima in the corridor. Walking leisurely towards the dining area. He caught her in the middle, grabbed her from her shoulders and asked, "Why did you leave like that? What was so tough? Could you not say two words to me? Am I that bad? Oh! So, since we were fighting, you are now avoiding me?" Abhedya left her shoulders and stepped back. A few pencils and a paper fell from her hand and she kept looking at Abhedya.
The sound of pencils falling made Abhedya look at the floor. He picked the paper that fell and read it.
When he saw it, he had that smile on his face which was more than a mere blush.

"Oh! My god! What's written in the paper? Care to share Abhey? Your eyes have that shine, that sparkle." Arya took the paper from Abhedya.
He saw the paper and smiled. He turned the paper and showed the curious audience.
An A3 size paper with a pencil sketch of Abhedya smiling and a little girl on the left side of the paper making a heart with her hands.

Everyone saw the sketch one by one and were wonderstruck with the masterpiece Swarnima created in minutes.
"It's a wonderful sketch Swarnima but I wanted to see you say something." Adah requested. She was challenging the girl who barely spoke.

Swarnima stepped forward and with sign language depicted what her heart wanted to shout out loud.

You—— pointing her index finger at Abhedya
Smile— stretching his lips upwards to make him smile
My—- pointing to herself
Heart, beats— making a heart with her hand and taking her fingers in and out indicating its beats.
Abhedya lost his heart. He did.

The rain poured hard. There were no clouds, no forecasts but it rained. Was it an indication?

Tara took Maan's hand and held it tight.
Aadya hugged Swarnima tightly and confessed, "I swear Nim. If you said that to the one you loved he would have said "yes" to you on the spot. That was the most romantic thing anyone could think of, anyone could do. You are truly gifted."

"And I hope she finds someone who understands her and treats her like a treasure." Arya completed. He could read the tension his friends were going through.

"I guess we should call it a night. It's raining hard. Let's get to the tents." Maan told everyone.

"Jiju, I hope the tents are waterproof," Adah confirmed.

"Don't worry Adah, your cake won't get spoiled. It is waterproof." Maan told her jokingly.

"But I didn't get a cake?" Adah replied to him with all innocence.
Everyone laughed and Tara hit Maan's arm playfully.
Adah ignored the joke since she didn't understand it and didn't bother understanding it.

"Boys share one tent, girls share one tent. And Tara and Me have our tent by the river." Maan informed everyone and took Tara quickly in the rain far away from the teases and comments.

Abhedya was in a different zone altogether. Everyone proceeded to their tents. Adah entered the tent first and took the single bed. Swarnima and Aadya gladly took the double bed option.