Trinkets - Chapter 22: Chapter 22
You are reading Trinkets, Chapter 22: Chapter 22. Read more chapters of Trinkets.
The day has barely started and Mahika feels tired already.
The backs of her eyelids feel like someone has set them on fire as she searches through the body of students in the hallway for one person in particular, her already tired limbs growing more weary the further she navigates her way through the sea of people.
She hadn't even taken the time to properly dress herself for college today—which is a first for her—but she doesn't regret it one bit. The plain cotton shirt and a pair of washed-out jeans that she had thrown on in a hurry feel light and airy on her skin; a little bit of mercy on her body from the drastic rise in temperature this morning.
Since everything is ticking her off today anyway, she didn't need to add itchy, uncomfortable clothes to the mix.
And there's only one thing that had gotten her out of bed today anyway.
Meeting Dhruv.
She's missed him terribly; all the way from his witty jokes to his silly remarks. It's been too long since she's seen her best friend in person, and she craves his presence like dried soil craves the first drizzle of rain. She longs for the ease that comes with his presence. The comfort of his warmth. The more she thinks about him, the more restless, the more impatient she grows. Because she knows that the second he's beside her, the ache in her chest and the discomfort rising in her belly would both dissolve into nothing.
So when she sees a mop of dark, curly hair just outside the cafeteria that she's all too familiar with, she wastes no time before she's hurrying over in the person's direction.
Dhruv turns around just in time to have her barreling straight into his arms, letting out a low, surprised oof at the force with which Mahika tackles him into a hug. It's not long before he's letting out a chuckle, though, still sounding a little winded, and Mahika doesn't even care that there are probably a hundred stares fixated on them right now.
It doesn't bother her. Not anymore.
Because if the world around them wants to believe that physical affection is synonymous to romantic love, that's not her problem.
"I missed you," she breathes against his shoulder, and allows herself to feel smaller than she is when he wraps her in an embrace and pats her back.
"I missed you, too," he replies, just as softly, and then holds her at arm's length to look at her face. "Everything okay?"
She nods quickly. "It is now."
He smiles at her, warm as ever, and holds his hand out for her to hold. "Let's go meet everyone else before classes start?"
Nodding again, she clutches at his arm like it's the root to her stability. She's never appreciated his thoughtful nature more than she does right now, because Dhruv never asks questions unless he's absolutely sure that she wants him to. He gives her everything she would need, without hesitance and interrogations.
Every time she's close to him, though, she's reminded of a conversation that she had with her mother once. It's funny now, but it wasn't back then.
"Do the two of you have something to tell me, or..." her mother had said once after coming home from work one day and finding them sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn on Mahika's lap and some silly reality TV show playing in front of them.
And Mahika had furrowed her brows in confusion. Dhruv though, like the little shit he is, had thrown his head back and laughed.
"What?" Mahika had asked, genuinely confused with her fingers still dipped in the bowl.
"Your mom thinks we're dating."
Mahika's face had scrunched up in pure disgust, like the idea itself made her stomach roll with revulsion. She looked at her mother over Dhruv's shoulder with the expression visible on her face. "Ew, no."
Dhruv nodded and gestured at the space between them. "No possibility of anything ever happening here."
"Ah."
Mahika groaned. "Oh, my God, Ma, seriously? Why do you look so disappointed?"
And her mother had sighed, and made her way to the kitchen, grumbling, "He's a good boy, okay?" under her breath but loud enough for them to hear, only making Dhruv laugh harder.
It's a fond memory now, just another reminder that her mother always welcomes Dhruv into the house with open arms. She was never the nagging type, and Mahika had always been allowed to have boys over even when she was younger, unlike the parents of her friends back then who weren't as easygoing with their own kids.
"Did you and Samay not come together?"
He clicks his tongue, lightly shoving away the people coming in their way as they look around the cafeteria for their friends. "He left early today. Dunno why."
"Early? That doesn't sound like h—oh, there they are."
Immediately perking up at the sight of Sakshi and Samay looking engrossed in a conversation in the corner of the cafeteria, she begins making her way over to them. It's noisy and crowded around them, but Sakshi still notices Mahika and Dhruv before they reach the table and waves them over with a big smile on her face.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think it was you two who haven't seen each other this entire time," Dhruv comments, slapping Samay's back in greeting just as Sakshi gets up to wrap Mahika in a quick hug.
Sakshi scoffs at the contrast. "You won't get it."
"Where's Keerti?" Mahika asks quickly, because she knows that Dhruv and Sakshi would launch into a whole new round of banter if she doesn't intervene. Dhruv gives her a look that tells her he knows what she's doing, but she pointedly ignores him.
"Picking up books from the library. She should be back any second now."
Mahika nods and pulls out the chair beside Sakshi's to take a seat, resisting the urge to cringe at the sound it makes. All these years in the same college and the noise still makes her head fill with white noise.
"What, are we not enough for you, Mahi?" Samay asks, leaning forward on his arms and regarding Mahika seriously. He only gets a deadpan stare in return until his expression breaks and an amused smile slips past, followed by a, "My bad."
"It always is," Sakshi tells him jokingly, and they immediately launch into another playful dispute.
Made aware that she can't really keep them from arguing like seven year olds for long, Mahika resigns herself to gesture for Dhruv to sit beside her so she can show him pictures from the Gaigar trip that she had taken on her phone instead.
Only five minutes in, and the giant smile on Mahika's lips and the words slipping past her lips both freeze in place when a picture from their day at the lake appears on her screen; a picture of Amoli looking at the lanterns above them, her head covered with her dupatta and her eyes sparkling just as bright as the sky.
It's the only picture of another person on her phone amidst all the scenery.
Mahika only scrambles to flip the image away when Keerti's voice greets them from directly beside Dhruv, her heart seeming to beat inside her chest at the speed of a hundred miles per second as she tries not to drop her phone. If Dhruv is startled, he doesn't show it.
"This is the type of shit that makes it hard for me to convince people that the two of you aren't a thing," Keerti says, probably referring to how closely huddled together Mahika and Dhruv had been. "People are always like, 'Heyyy, is Dhruv single?' but then don't believe me when I say yes."
Mahika would have chuckled if she wasn't trying to quell the blood rushing to her head. She knows she has come out to Dhruv already and there's no need to hide it or be nervous about it around him anymore. She knows that. But there's still a hint of panic inside her chest, like needles poking into her flesh as if hellbent on reminding her of the discomfort that comes with being closeted.
"That's on them for not coming to me directly," Dhruv says airily while letting Keerti wrap him in a side hug before she takes the last empty seat available at the table.
"Oh, please. I always tell them to take it up with you directly, but it never works," she says with a roll of her eyes. "I think it's because you and Mahi are always together." Mahika tries to tune back into the conversation over the white noise inside her head at the mention of her name. "They're probably intimidated by her."
Mahika wants to say something. Do something. But she's still shaken up by how close Keerti had been to seeing her phone, and Mahika can't push back the familiar unease in her belly. One of them is going to notice. Soon. And she won't be able to talk.
Except a hand falls on top of hers under the table, jolting her out of her reverie.
Dhruv gives her fingers a delicate squeeze, and when Mahika looks up at him, her eyes only meet the side of his face. He continues to talk to Keerti as he pats the top of Mahika's hand twice in assurance, and then pulls back without anyone noticing.
"You say you want them to approach you directly like you'd actually say yes," Samay jokingly pokes at Dhruv.
"Direct rejection saves time," is the only thing the latter says, and then promptly switches the topic. "Does anyone want something to drink? I'm feeling generous today since I'm seeing your stupid faces in person after a while."
And Mahika, probably for the tenth time today, silently thanks the stars for giving her a friend like him.
Later that day, in the confines of her room and the security of being away from the eyes of the world, she sends the very same picture to the girl it belongs to with a faint smile on her face.
OH
Mahi 🥺
That's so pretty
you're pretty
😳
sorry, does that make you uncomfortable?
it's probably creepy enough already that i took your picture without your permission
Oh no I was just
A bit taken aback?
I don't mind
I'm not used to hearing these things from you, y'know?
oh
right. it's because i don't say it enough
we'll change that
😳😳
*checks notes* Uh, that's not very 'let's try being friends' of you
Mahika laughs louder than she had meant to, falling back on the bed and curling to her side with her knees up before typing another text. The thought that Amoli is comfortable enough with her to joke around like this makes her feel giddy.
you were the one that suggested it. and i don't remember dignifying it with a response
You agreed!!!
i said 'that sounds nice' not 'yeah amoli let's be friends'
So we aren't friends? :(
i don't know
Then what are we :(
i don't know
MAHI
I'M KIDDING god
making fun of you is too easy
do better
Ok we definitely aren't friends now
And I'm keeping that picture so I can show it to you later and remind you that you're obsessed with me 🙄
Mahika breathes out another laugh, and the grin stays glued to her face for the rest of their conversation. The flutter in her belly takes over the ripple in her heart; the one caused by the fact that despite her jokes and her tendency to tease Amoli every chance she gets, she actually doesn't know whether they can call each other friends or not.
The backs of her eyelids feel like someone has set them on fire as she searches through the body of students in the hallway for one person in particular, her already tired limbs growing more weary the further she navigates her way through the sea of people.
She hadn't even taken the time to properly dress herself for college today—which is a first for her—but she doesn't regret it one bit. The plain cotton shirt and a pair of washed-out jeans that she had thrown on in a hurry feel light and airy on her skin; a little bit of mercy on her body from the drastic rise in temperature this morning.
Since everything is ticking her off today anyway, she didn't need to add itchy, uncomfortable clothes to the mix.
And there's only one thing that had gotten her out of bed today anyway.
Meeting Dhruv.
She's missed him terribly; all the way from his witty jokes to his silly remarks. It's been too long since she's seen her best friend in person, and she craves his presence like dried soil craves the first drizzle of rain. She longs for the ease that comes with his presence. The comfort of his warmth. The more she thinks about him, the more restless, the more impatient she grows. Because she knows that the second he's beside her, the ache in her chest and the discomfort rising in her belly would both dissolve into nothing.
So when she sees a mop of dark, curly hair just outside the cafeteria that she's all too familiar with, she wastes no time before she's hurrying over in the person's direction.
Dhruv turns around just in time to have her barreling straight into his arms, letting out a low, surprised oof at the force with which Mahika tackles him into a hug. It's not long before he's letting out a chuckle, though, still sounding a little winded, and Mahika doesn't even care that there are probably a hundred stares fixated on them right now.
It doesn't bother her. Not anymore.
Because if the world around them wants to believe that physical affection is synonymous to romantic love, that's not her problem.
"I missed you," she breathes against his shoulder, and allows herself to feel smaller than she is when he wraps her in an embrace and pats her back.
"I missed you, too," he replies, just as softly, and then holds her at arm's length to look at her face. "Everything okay?"
She nods quickly. "It is now."
He smiles at her, warm as ever, and holds his hand out for her to hold. "Let's go meet everyone else before classes start?"
Nodding again, she clutches at his arm like it's the root to her stability. She's never appreciated his thoughtful nature more than she does right now, because Dhruv never asks questions unless he's absolutely sure that she wants him to. He gives her everything she would need, without hesitance and interrogations.
Every time she's close to him, though, she's reminded of a conversation that she had with her mother once. It's funny now, but it wasn't back then.
"Do the two of you have something to tell me, or..." her mother had said once after coming home from work one day and finding them sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn on Mahika's lap and some silly reality TV show playing in front of them.
And Mahika had furrowed her brows in confusion. Dhruv though, like the little shit he is, had thrown his head back and laughed.
"What?" Mahika had asked, genuinely confused with her fingers still dipped in the bowl.
"Your mom thinks we're dating."
Mahika's face had scrunched up in pure disgust, like the idea itself made her stomach roll with revulsion. She looked at her mother over Dhruv's shoulder with the expression visible on her face. "Ew, no."
Dhruv nodded and gestured at the space between them. "No possibility of anything ever happening here."
"Ah."
Mahika groaned. "Oh, my God, Ma, seriously? Why do you look so disappointed?"
And her mother had sighed, and made her way to the kitchen, grumbling, "He's a good boy, okay?" under her breath but loud enough for them to hear, only making Dhruv laugh harder.
It's a fond memory now, just another reminder that her mother always welcomes Dhruv into the house with open arms. She was never the nagging type, and Mahika had always been allowed to have boys over even when she was younger, unlike the parents of her friends back then who weren't as easygoing with their own kids.
"Did you and Samay not come together?"
He clicks his tongue, lightly shoving away the people coming in their way as they look around the cafeteria for their friends. "He left early today. Dunno why."
"Early? That doesn't sound like h—oh, there they are."
Immediately perking up at the sight of Sakshi and Samay looking engrossed in a conversation in the corner of the cafeteria, she begins making her way over to them. It's noisy and crowded around them, but Sakshi still notices Mahika and Dhruv before they reach the table and waves them over with a big smile on her face.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think it was you two who haven't seen each other this entire time," Dhruv comments, slapping Samay's back in greeting just as Sakshi gets up to wrap Mahika in a quick hug.
Sakshi scoffs at the contrast. "You won't get it."
"Where's Keerti?" Mahika asks quickly, because she knows that Dhruv and Sakshi would launch into a whole new round of banter if she doesn't intervene. Dhruv gives her a look that tells her he knows what she's doing, but she pointedly ignores him.
"Picking up books from the library. She should be back any second now."
Mahika nods and pulls out the chair beside Sakshi's to take a seat, resisting the urge to cringe at the sound it makes. All these years in the same college and the noise still makes her head fill with white noise.
"What, are we not enough for you, Mahi?" Samay asks, leaning forward on his arms and regarding Mahika seriously. He only gets a deadpan stare in return until his expression breaks and an amused smile slips past, followed by a, "My bad."
"It always is," Sakshi tells him jokingly, and they immediately launch into another playful dispute.
Made aware that she can't really keep them from arguing like seven year olds for long, Mahika resigns herself to gesture for Dhruv to sit beside her so she can show him pictures from the Gaigar trip that she had taken on her phone instead.
Only five minutes in, and the giant smile on Mahika's lips and the words slipping past her lips both freeze in place when a picture from their day at the lake appears on her screen; a picture of Amoli looking at the lanterns above them, her head covered with her dupatta and her eyes sparkling just as bright as the sky.
It's the only picture of another person on her phone amidst all the scenery.
Mahika only scrambles to flip the image away when Keerti's voice greets them from directly beside Dhruv, her heart seeming to beat inside her chest at the speed of a hundred miles per second as she tries not to drop her phone. If Dhruv is startled, he doesn't show it.
"This is the type of shit that makes it hard for me to convince people that the two of you aren't a thing," Keerti says, probably referring to how closely huddled together Mahika and Dhruv had been. "People are always like, 'Heyyy, is Dhruv single?' but then don't believe me when I say yes."
Mahika would have chuckled if she wasn't trying to quell the blood rushing to her head. She knows she has come out to Dhruv already and there's no need to hide it or be nervous about it around him anymore. She knows that. But there's still a hint of panic inside her chest, like needles poking into her flesh as if hellbent on reminding her of the discomfort that comes with being closeted.
"That's on them for not coming to me directly," Dhruv says airily while letting Keerti wrap him in a side hug before she takes the last empty seat available at the table.
"Oh, please. I always tell them to take it up with you directly, but it never works," she says with a roll of her eyes. "I think it's because you and Mahi are always together." Mahika tries to tune back into the conversation over the white noise inside her head at the mention of her name. "They're probably intimidated by her."
Mahika wants to say something. Do something. But she's still shaken up by how close Keerti had been to seeing her phone, and Mahika can't push back the familiar unease in her belly. One of them is going to notice. Soon. And she won't be able to talk.
Except a hand falls on top of hers under the table, jolting her out of her reverie.
Dhruv gives her fingers a delicate squeeze, and when Mahika looks up at him, her eyes only meet the side of his face. He continues to talk to Keerti as he pats the top of Mahika's hand twice in assurance, and then pulls back without anyone noticing.
"You say you want them to approach you directly like you'd actually say yes," Samay jokingly pokes at Dhruv.
"Direct rejection saves time," is the only thing the latter says, and then promptly switches the topic. "Does anyone want something to drink? I'm feeling generous today since I'm seeing your stupid faces in person after a while."
And Mahika, probably for the tenth time today, silently thanks the stars for giving her a friend like him.
Later that day, in the confines of her room and the security of being away from the eyes of the world, she sends the very same picture to the girl it belongs to with a faint smile on her face.
OH
Mahi 🥺
That's so pretty
you're pretty
😳
sorry, does that make you uncomfortable?
it's probably creepy enough already that i took your picture without your permission
Oh no I was just
A bit taken aback?
I don't mind
I'm not used to hearing these things from you, y'know?
oh
right. it's because i don't say it enough
we'll change that
😳😳
*checks notes* Uh, that's not very 'let's try being friends' of you
Mahika laughs louder than she had meant to, falling back on the bed and curling to her side with her knees up before typing another text. The thought that Amoli is comfortable enough with her to joke around like this makes her feel giddy.
you were the one that suggested it. and i don't remember dignifying it with a response
You agreed!!!
i said 'that sounds nice' not 'yeah amoli let's be friends'
So we aren't friends? :(
i don't know
Then what are we :(
i don't know
MAHI
I'M KIDDING god
making fun of you is too easy
do better
Ok we definitely aren't friends now
And I'm keeping that picture so I can show it to you later and remind you that you're obsessed with me 🙄
Mahika breathes out another laugh, and the grin stays glued to her face for the rest of their conversation. The flutter in her belly takes over the ripple in her heart; the one caused by the fact that despite her jokes and her tendency to tease Amoli every chance she gets, she actually doesn't know whether they can call each other friends or not.
End of Trinkets Chapter 22. Continue reading Chapter 23 or return to Trinkets book page.