INVISIBLE STRINGS // SARAJ

The morning sunlight streamed through the broken slats of the hut, falling in golden streaks across the dusty floor. Savi stirred, her head heavy against something warm and firm. She blinked groggily, realizing with a jolt that she had been leaning on Rajat's shoulder the entire night.

Her sudden movement woke him, his eyes flickering open. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the quiet air filled only with the sound of the rain, now a soft drizzle.

Rajat cleared his throat and shifted slightly, though the closeness between them remained. "You're awake."

Savi nodded, her heart beating faster as her gaze flicked to his face. His hair was mussed, his glasses slightly crooked, but he still looked... relaxed. Too relaxed.

Her eyes briefly dipped lower, to where his lips were just inches from hers. If she leaned forward even a fraction—

She snapped her head away, her cheeks warming. "Uh, yeah. Morning."

"Morning," he replied, his voice low and a little rough from sleep.

An awkward silence hung between them until Rajat fished his phone from his pocket, squinting at the screen. "I'll call the instructor, let them know where we are."

Savi busied herself straightening the blanket and folding it as Rajat stepped outside to make the call. She could hear his voice in the distance, steady and matter-of-fact, as he gave their location.

When he returned, she stood and brushed off her jeans. "So, what's the plan?"

"They're sending someone to meet us halfway. We need to climb up that hill," he said, pointing to a narrow trail leading upward. "Shouldn't take long."

Savi groaned dramatically. "Great. Just what I wanted to do after a night of no sleep—hike."

"You were the one who wandered off in the first place," Rajat shot back, a teasing lilt in his voice.

"Let's not start, Thakkar," she said, adjusting her bag. "Or I might just leave you behind."

"Like you could get anywhere without me," he retorted with a smirk, motioning for her to follow.

As they trudged up the hill, Savi couldn't resist throwing barbs his way. "You know, for someone who spends so much time studying, you're surprisingly fit. What's your secret? Carrying all your annoying-ness?"

Rajat glanced back at her, raising an eyebrow. "No, just all the assignments you dumped on me over the years."

She grinned. "Fair."

The trail grew steeper, and their banter slowed as they focused on climbing. By the time they reached the top, the view was stunning—endless green stretching out under a pale blue sky. Savi paused to catch her breath, leaning against a tree.

Rajat glanced at her. "Not bad, huh?"

She nodded, her expression softening. "Yeah. Not bad."

They shared a smile together, the cool air dancing through their hair. Savi felt oddly at peace here, She closed her eyes only to open them when she felt rajat's warm hand against hers. "We should keep going"

She nodded, and they kept walking- hand in hand. 

***

Once they had reached the camp, they found everyone rushing to them in a frantic and being taken to the medic they had, to check for any injuries. Once all the fuss was over, Savi realized that a few students had helped in packing away her stuff, she gave them a smile which seemed to be enough for them.