His Angel, Her Treasure (UNEDITED)

Chapter 14

After a fun day covering most of the main attractions at Yosemite National Park, the gang headed back to their cabin. Following a light pizza dinner, everyone went to their rooms to call it a day.

At around 11:30 or 12, Sharanya woke up with a dry throat. She walked down to the kitchen to get some water as the water bottle in the girls' room was empty. Just then, she saw someone out on the deck. Curious, she went out to find out who was lurking around at this time of the night.

Aditya was getting the hammock ready to spend the night doing his favourite hobby, stargazing, when Sharanya came out. The sudden chill of the night sent a shiver down Sharanya's spine, making her slightly rub her arms as she walked over to the hammock. Aditya saw Sharanya shiver slightly from the corner of his eye and grabbed the fleece blanket that was lying on the hammock.

The soft moonlight shone on them as they came close to each other. Aditya's chocolate brown eyes drowned into Sharanya's hazel brown eyes — both glimmering under the moonlight, dimmed by the clouds — making it a very magical and intimate moment without much effort. As Aditya draped the blanket around her, Sharanya placed her hands on his hard chest. As though naturally, Aditya's hands dropped onto her waist, pulling her even closer into his personal bubble.

The two gazed into each other's eyes, drowning into the mysterious streaks of the truths held in each pair. They say, eyes express what words can't; they are the gateway to truly knowing someone inside and out. Sharanya was awestruck by the beauty of her Aditya; the serenity they held, along with a hidden sense of belonging and a cryptic feeling. She wanted to know what that feeling was, oblivious to the fact that she was the reason behind that feeling. She wanted to know why his eyes tried to hide the intimacy whenever she was with him. She wanted to know how they managed to captivate her, make her heart race, and calm her down all at the same time.

On the other hand, Aditya sensed a deep secret among the specks of love and laughter. It was like his Sharanya had kept him in the dark about something — something which impacted her a lot. He wanted to know that secret, to relieve her of that darkness, to fill her with all the love he could find in the world. He wanted to know why she used a mask of happiness even in her darkest moments, although he had seen her almost crumble. He wanted to know the truth which made her his Sharanya.

A few minutes looking into each other's eyes, Sharanya looked away from his eyes and stuck it on the moon that had finally emerged out of the clouds.

"The moon is very pretty tonight," she said.

"Indeed very enchanting," Aditya replied, his eyes still on Sharanya.

"By the way, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

"Well, I thought I could stargaze but..."

"Oh! Then please do! I'm not gonna disturb you. I was going back in now anyway," she said as she motioned back at the door.

Aditya pouted and said, "but I was thinking we could stargaze."

Sharanya chuckled and pulled Aditya's cheek. "Aww! Cho cute you are, Nav!"

Aditya rolled his eyes and both of them moved to the hammock to lie down on. However, the problem was, they had only one blanket and one tiny hammock between the two of them. Yet, they lay on the hammock, close but slightly far. Sharanya's arms itched to get closer to Aditya's warm body, but how she controlled herself, only she knew.

Suddenly, Sharanya felt herself move towards the left side of Aditya's chest as he pulled her closer to himself. Her arms, having a mind of their own, wrapped themselves around his torso, and she cuddled closer to Aditya. The moment somehow brought peace to Sharanya's mind after so long. A much needed one, in fact. Maybe it was the weather and nature surrounding her, or Aditya's heartbeat sounding like the only music she would want to listen to in her entire lifetime.