˗ˏˋ long drives and awaiting surprises 'ˎ˗

➷

The morning that they're supposed to leave for the trip is a beautiful one. Because it's still early, the birds are singing away their happiness, and the slight chill in the air brushes across everything in its way and leaves it shivering.

One look at the sky and they can tell it's clearer than it has been in a while.

"Wow, I hate this."

It's the voice of one of the three figures standing outside Mahika's house with their arms wrapped around themselves; the voice of the most dramatic one out of them all.

Keerti. Of course, it's her: The beginning of all that is chaos, the end of all that is part of the universe.

"Me too," Sakshi mutters, rubbing her hands up and down her arms to get rid of the goosebumps prickling her skin. "I'm kind of jealous of Dhruv right now."

Mahika stares straight ahead, not a twitch in her expression. "Such a good day. So much enthusiasm. Naina is going to be so happy when she sees how excited we are."

"It's cold," Keerti whines, stepping closer to Sakshi so they can huddle together. They're all wearing sweaters, but none of them had expected the morning to be extra chilly. Once the sun shines upon them, it's going to be better.

Until then, Mahika watches them stand together like penguins.

"It's six in the morning," Mahika rebukes, then sighs. "It'll get better in an hour or so." When Keerti continues to look like she's slowly shrinking from the cold, Mahika rolls her eyes and bends down to unzip her bag, pulling out a scarf and holding it in front of Keerti.

It's brown, warm and smells like home, which is perfect considering her mother was the one who got her that scarf.

"Here." She shakes the fabric in front of her quaking friend. "If your teeth chatter any harder, you're going to wake up the entire street."

Keerti wraps it around her neck and half of her face in a way only her eyes are visible.

"Do you think Naina would hate me if I took a nap the entire ride?" Sakshi asks, stifling a yawn. Out of all three of them, Sakshi hates waking up early the most. Some days, when Mahika and Keerti are grumbling about how tired they are, Sakshi is as dead as a doornail in some corner. Mahika respects her for it, really.

"She'd be proud."

Mahika shakes her head. "Naina would let you sleep anywhere but on a trip. She's probably buzzing with excitement as we — is that... them?" Mahika squints at the approaching figure of a minivan from the end of the street, leaning forward to make up for the fact that she isn't wearing her glasses. "I think they're here."

"Unless that's not them and we're actually about to get abducted."

"Oh, my God, Sak, don't say that."

"It's them," Mahika announces. "I see someone's hand sticking out through the window. It's Naina. No one else is dumb enough to do that."

Sakshi giggles and playfully shoves Mahika, making her laugh along.

No one's here to abduct them, thankfully, proved when the minivan stops at the side and the door is thrown open even before the vehicle comes to a complete standstill, and out runs Mahika's best friend.

"Mahiii," she exclaims like she always does, and barrels into the taller girl's arms. Mahika yelps in surprise but holds them both up, unable to keep in a chuckle when Naina squeezes her arms around her waist and holds her tighter than she ever has.

"If you miss me so much, you shouldn't have married the poor guy," Mahika jokes, hugging Naina back and rocking them both side to side.

Naina pulls back with an amused twinkle in her eye and looks at her husband, sticking her tongue out and raising her voice on purpose when she speaks. "I know. I regret it every day."

He rolls his eyes good-naturedly, already aware of their antics over the past few years he has known them. "And here I thought marrying Naina was the only way to keep you from stealing her."

Mahika is the one who sticks her tongue out at him this time, which is not like her at all. It's probably why there's a surprised burst of giggles all around her just as she tucks Naina's head under her chin and says, "Well, you were wrong."

Akash narrows his eyes at her and does the 'I'm watching you' gesture with his index and middle finger before walking over to help them load their bags into the minivan. In mere minutes, they're off.

They were supposed to pick Samay up on their way. Luckily, he too, had been waiting outside his apartment. When he opens the door of the car to step inside, he does a double take at the sleeping figure in the back. Keerti turns her face away and lets out a laugh, and even Mahika is a little amused.

Sleepy Sakshi strikes again.

"What the —" He lets his halted words end in a sigh after a second, stepping inside and lifting Sakshi's head. Mahika is pretty sure he's going to wake her up but she's proven wrong when he carefully slides to the corner and gently lowers her head into his lap.

She doesn't even stir.

"What a gentleman," Naina teases.

"I ain't got these fat thighs for nothing."

Akash is the first one to laugh, and everyone else follows.

"Will we be late if I went in and said hi?" Naina asks, staring out of the window and at the house Samay just came out of. Mahika looks at the apartment as well, brows furrowed in confusion. It sure is weird that he didn't come out to talk at all.

Just as Akash opens his mouth to reply, Samay says, "He actually left for his parents' house earlier this morning."

"Oh."

At Naina's exaggerated pout, Akash reaches out and takes her hand in his own. "You'll see him soon, okay?" When her expression doesn't change, he sighs and leans back in his seat. "We'll fly out here every few months so you can meet everyone. I'm not stealing you away from your friends."

A slow smile spreads across her face. "Promise?"

"They're so cute," Keerti says, sighing and putting her head on Mahika's shoulder before closing her eyes. "It's disgusting."

A small smile lifts the corners of Mahika's lips but she doesn't say anything, warmth blooming in her chest.

As sappy as it is to admit, Mahika's heart is full with happiness at seeing her best friend happy. Although Naina is older than her, Mahika had played the role of an elder sibling for all of the years that they have been friends. She has watched her at her best and her worst, at her happiest and unhappiest. From her 'I think the idea of spending your entire life with someone is terrifying' and then finding and trusting Akash enough to fall in love with him, Mahika has been by her side through it all.

Naina spent her entire childhood living according to her parents' wishes.

Seeing her with her cheeks rosy with happiness and her hand in her significant other's is probably the most wholesome feeling Mahika has ever experienced in her life.

"Is it okay if I play something?" she asks, playlist already in mind.

"Oh, yeah. Go ahead," Akash says without looking away from the road.

When the first notes of a familiar song echo inside the car, Naina rolls her eyes but a small smile appears on her face. She meets Mahika's eyes in the rearview mirror, shaking her head when Mahika winks.

They both know it's Dhruv's playlist.

While the low hum of the heater, the lull of the music and the rocking of the car puts everyone except Mahika and Akash to sleep, she stares out of the window with her arm around Keerti, fingers tenderly caressing the side of the sleeping girl on her shoulder.

Let your guard down, the voice of the singer says in a way that makes Mahika feel the same way she does when she's sitting at the shore of the ocean with the breeze caressing the locks of her hair away from her face.

Get your heart pounded

We all bleed

We all breathe

And nothing stays the same.

-

Mahika is the first one to step out when the minivan stops in front of a house that definitely does not deserve the title of a 'cottage' considering how big it is, stretching her arms above her head as she yawns.

Samay is complaining about cramped legs as he follows after her, Sakshi's, "I didn't ask you to lend me your lap for three hours" echoing through the empty streets. They're in the outskirts, which means less noise and more greenery.

When she turns and sees Akash pulling the bags out of the car all on his own, she walks over to help.

"I've got it," he says with a smile and waves her hands away, pointing at Naina with his chin. "Could you just make sure she doesn't fall flat on her face, please? You probably already know how she gets after she wakes up."

Mahika laughs and nods, going over to stand behind Naina and sneakily snaking her arms around her, making her yelp in surprise.

"Oh, my God," she gasps, keeping a hand on her chest. "Bitch. I was about to smack you." There's still a hint of sleepiness in her voice so Mahika isn't surprised when Naina leans back against her and closes her eyes.

"Don't fall asleep on me."

"Shut up. That was one time."

"Three."

"I didn't fall asleep completely the other two times. Plus, it's not my fault you're built like a pole," Naina mumbles. "A very comfortable pole."

Mahika shakes her head with an amused chuckle.

"Mahika is very comfortable to sleep on. I can confirm." Keerti announces her presence with those words, standing beside them and pulling her arms above her head. "You should start charging people for this stuff."

"Mhm," Mahika agrees, putting her chin on top of Naina's head and staring ahead of her. Her hair smells like coconut and something familiar that she can't quite place. Whatever it is, it's pleasant. "This one definitely owes me a lot of money."

"Take Akash. He's rich."

Mahika lets out a surprised laugh. "Married men are not my type." Or any men, really.

"Then take all his money and run."

"Mean!" Akash calls from the back. "Stop conspiring against me." He passes by them and gives Naina a wide-eyed look. "Can you stop trying to sell me off?"

Mahika listens to them bicker back and forth while Akash takes the bags inside with Samay's help, looking around the place and marveling over how pretty it is. The path to the entrance is lined with flower beds, trees are spread out in the distance and Mahika can hear birds chirping, which is very, very rare at this time of the day in the city.

This is the kind of break they all deserve after how hard they have worked.

Sure, Mahika still has to work, but she doesn't really mind.

"You guys don't have to wait! The door should be open so just go ahead," Akash says, opening the door of the driver's seat again. "I'll park the car and be right back."

Mahika blinks in confusion but Sakshi is the one that speaks her mind.

"Open? Didn't we just get here though —"

"Must be the caretaker!" Naina says, suddenly wide-awake. She springs out of Mahika's arms and takes her hand, pulling her along as she makes her way to the door, the taller girl stumbling after her with a dumbfounded expression. Everyone else follows, the sound of the gravel under feet seeming to echo through the silence.

Before she can question Naina's switch in behavior, the door opens fully and out steps a familiar guy, making Mahika's eyes widen. She comes to a halt, unintentionally making Naina stumble a little.

If Arnav is here, that means —

Oh... Oh, no. Please. God. Why.

And sure enough, even before she can finish the thought inside her head, a familiar girl follows after him, a question in her expression that changes to match the stunned one on Mahika's face as soon as she turns.

"Mahi," she breathes in surprise, and Mahika feels her chest physically vibrate with the way her own name resonates inside it, mad that this girl in particular seems to have that effect on her without even realizing.

Swallowing back every emotion that rises up her throat and threatens to spill through her mouth, Mahika forcefully blanks her expression before she speaks.

"Amoli."

➷

a/n

😳😳😳

i made a playlist for this book. finally. attaching a link on the side :—

how we feeling about this btw 😳