Trinkets

sixteen

˗ˏˋ jittery gazes and flimsy promises 'ˎ˗

➷

"... I'm just trying to come to terms with the fact that you guys have baking supplies available right on demand even though we're in the middle of absolute nowhere."

Sakshi's voice sounds genuinely baffled as Amoli makes her way down the stairs, stifling a yawn with her arms stretched above her head.

It had already been late when her and Naina had finally left the terrace, and while Naina seemed to retire to bed immediately, Amoli had ended up in her own room only to blankly stare at her ceiling for hours after that.

Courtesy of sleeping at five in the morning solely because she had been too lost trying to sort through her jumbled thoughts, she now feels like she needs another day to stay in and catch up on some sleep.

Akash breathes out a laugh. "Maya just stocks up really, really well before we visit."

Eyes still half-closed, Amoli takes a seat beside Naina just as Arnav adds, "Maya... is something else. Last time we visited, I jokingly said I craved chocolate and she just whipped out a box of Ferrero Rochers and handed it to me." Akash covers his face and cackles at the memory. Arnav widens his eyes and throws his hands in the air to accentuate his point. "We're literally in the middle of nowhere! How does one even— never mind. She knows us too well. Or she isn't human and just keeps materializing stuff out of thin air when we aren't looking. Either of the two."

Naina reaches out to rub her back when Amoli rests her head on the table, tilting her chin up and down to ask her if she's okay when their eyes meet.

"Headache," Amoli mumbles, closing her eyes just as the voices around her into nonsensical blabbers. Naina sympathetically pats her back.

"Sak?" Naina calls in the direction of the kitchen, and Amoli opens her eyes just in time to see the said girl pop her head out of the kitchen with a question on her face. "Could you get some of that pineapple juice Maya saved for Amoli?"

"Oh, she's awake? Are you feeling okay, Amo?" she asks, probably because Amoli had complained about a headache in the morning when Sakshi had tried to shake her awake. "Do you need an Advil?"

"Just the juice, please. Thanks."

Sakshi blinks at her, then looks at Naina. "What did she say?"

"Just juice." Then she turns to Amoli, brushing air away from her forehead before putting the back of her hand against it and hums. "You don't have a fever. Couldn't sleep?"

"Weren't you two up late?" Akash asks, voice playful. "I'm seeing a pattern here, Naina. Are you trying to make everyone sick so we don't have to leave?"

"Oh, no, how did you figure it out?" Naina says with no emotion whatsoever, looking at her nails for added effect.

A hand appears in Amoli's sight, and then there's the low thud of a glass being placed against the table. She looks up and sees Mahika's eyes shining with concern, so without thinking much, she blinks slowly and shakes her head in a gesture to assure her that she's fine, and Mahika lingers for a few seconds longer before sighing and walking back inside the kitchen. Amoli's eyes follow her until she disappears from sight.