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 are getting married, so they c...
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˗ˏˋembraced interests and presses of hearts'ˎ˗
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It's a little after two in the afternoon when Keerti hits 'pause' in the middle of their sixth episode of Love, Death + Robots and announces, "I crave ice cream."
Amoli raises her head from where it's resting right under Sakshi's shoulder just in time to catch Mahika throwing Keerti a mildly apologetic look. "You know I don't have any at home and ah, this was kind of spontaneous so I didn't—"
Keerti interrupts her with a forehead flick that echoes loud enough in the room to tell Amoli that it hurts, and says exasperatedly, "It's not that big of a deal, silly. We can just make a quick run down the store or something." When she stands up, though, Mahika does too, only to get another vexed look thrown her way. "Mahi. God. Seriously. Sit your ass down." Then she points at Sakshi after pulling her hair up in a quick ponytail and says, "You're coming with me."
"Okay!" Sakshi chirps in response and Amoli takes that as her cue to pull back and sit up straight, stretching her arms above her head and wincing at the newfound soreness in her neck.
"Guys, seriously, I can —" Mahika tries again, only for Sakshi to be the one to interrupt her this time.
"All these years of us spending more time in her house than our own, and she still treats us like guests." The words are directed at Keerti in a dramatic drawl, but they effectively make Mahika slump back down in a cross-legged position with a sheepish expression on her face. She looks up at Keerti with an exaggerated pout that makes her upper lip touch the tip of her nose, and it seems so unlike her, Amoli can't help but let a laugh slip past.
"Dude, it's okay to let us do stuff ourselves sometimes," Keerti says seriously. "Like, I know it goes against your mother hen nature or whatever, but we came here to give you company. Not for you to spoil us."
Mahika looks effectively chided, but she folds her arms across her chest like she doesn't know what to do with herself, still staring up at her friends with the same expression. Keerti stares her right back down, until Mahika breaks eye contact and slumps further. "Fine, whatever."
It's terribly endearing.
Sakshi seems to think the same as her, because she breathes out a laugh that drips with fondness, walking over to where Mahika's sitting with the sole purpose of taking her face between her hands and planting a loud kiss to Mahika's forehead.
When Mahika half squeaks, half laughs at the gesture, Amoli feels pure, unadulterated warmth bloom in her chest so quickly and with such intensity, it leaves her heart a little sore.
She has known them for a while now, but the way they've never been shy about the warm, genuine display of affection they share still surprises Amoli at times. One look at Keerti tells her that although she does not join in on the hugs, the half-smile on her face while she waits for Sakshi says more than enough about how she feels about them.
