“Try ‘Brontë’!” Dimple looked excited for the first time that day.
Pinky tapped one square, and it asked her if she wanted to input a number or a letter. She chose letter, tapped to B, and went on to the next square. When she’d spelled out “Brontë,” she sat back and waited. The lock sprang open, and everyone cheered.
Samir grinned at her before realizing what he was doing and looking away. Pinky felt a pinch of guilt. She hadn’t meant to ruin his fun with what she’d said earlier. “Let’s see what we have here.” He lifted the lid and reached inside, pulling out a small square velvet box. When he opened it, he frowned. “Huh.”
Samir took whatever was in the box and held it out to Pinky on his palm, as if hoping she could decipher it. But she was just as confused as he was. It looked like a small plastic heart with a hole on the pointy end.
“Oh, I bet I know what that is!” Ashish took the heart from Samir and slipped the plastic piece Sweetie had held up into it. “It’s a key.”
“A key to what?” Dimple asked, and then, as if they’d all realized it at the same time, their gazes swung to the nondescript door at the far side of the room, across from the one they’d entered.
“The ‘door to the future’!” Samir exclaimed.
They all speed walked over to it, aware of the dwindling time.
Rishi quirked his mouth as they studied the door. “There’s no keyhole.”
“This isn’t a regular key.” They looked over at Ashish, who was examining the key with the heart-shaped top. “Look, there are no jagged parts. It’s all smooth. Besides, it’s plastic.”
They all examined the key and then stepped back to look at the door again. He was right; there was no way it was going to work.
Pinky sighed. She was very tired of this escape room. It had done nothing but confuse and frustrate her, and she wasn’t just talking about the clues. Her eyes darted over to Samir and then away, remembering what Dimple had said. Sometimes those make the greatest love stories. Ugh, no way. No way were she and Samir anything at all like Dimple and Rishi. She leaned against the wall next to the door, hoping to wait out the rest of the time, when she felt something click.
Turning slowly, she realized she’d opened a camouflaged panel on the wall. “Um, guys?” She opened the panel door fully. Inside was a hollow rectangular slot with a heart shape on one end. “I think we found where the heart-shaped key goes.”
There was a collective intake of breath, and then, very carefully, Ashish handed the key to Samir, who handed it to Pinky. “You found the panel,” he said, his eyes serious, holding hers. “I think you should be the one to put the key in.”
She took the key. Their fingers brushed lightly, but even though her heart sped up and began to freak out, Pinky forced it to quiet down. She inserted the key into the slot and waited. There was a loud click, and the door in front of them popped open.
“Congratulations!” Amy the guide was on the other side, her smile as wide and beamy as ever. “You’ve managed to escape and have therefore reunited Armand and Guinevere!” She broke into applause, and after a pause, the group joined in—all of them except Pinky and Samir, who were catching each other’s eyes and laughing.
Ashish
Amy led them to an area of the facility that was reserved for winners, according to her. The way she said it, with a flourish, it was pretty obvious to Ashish that she thought they should all feel a thrill of accomplishment at her words. All he really felt was amusement.
Along one wall was a bright-pink heart–filled photo backdrop that said LOVERS REUNITED.
“Okay, what I’d like you all to do is pose in front of that,” Amy said to them, her cell phone at the ready. “It’s for our wall of fame out in the lobby. One couple at a time, please.”
Ashish led Sweetie to the backdrop and dipped her down just as Amy took the picture. Sweetie was laughing so hard, her eyes were completely closed in the picture.
Dimple and Rishi went next, and Rishi, not one to be outdone by his little brother, picked Dimple up while Amy took the picture. Dimple actually looked like she enjoyed it, squealing and laughing in a way that made Ashish’s jaw drop.
Pinky and Samir were next. They trudged to the backdrop like they were being led to the gallows and stood there like wooden pegs, about thirty feet apart.
Amy’s ever-present smile faded. “Um. Could you guys squeeze in a bit? I can’t fit you both in the same picture.”
Ashish snorted but made sure to feign innocence when Pinky gave him a look.
Pinky and Samir moved infinitesimally closer. Amy held up her phone and then lowered it slowly. “Um, could you guys smile? You won!”
Her enthusiasm infected neither Pinky nor Samir. “Can you just take it?” Samir said. “It really doesn’t matter. I’m sure she doesn’t want to be up here with me any longer.”
Pinky looked at him, her expression undecipherable. “You know what, Amy?” she said, still looking at Samir. “Take a picture of this.” And then she wrapped her arms around Samir’s neck and pulled him to her. Before any of them could process what was happening, Pinky planted a giant kiss on his cheek. Samir’s eyes bugged out as if they were on stalks.
And Amy, who apparently had great timing, took the picture right at that moment.
* * *
“One for a keepsake!” Amy singsonged, handing each couple a copy of the picture she’d taken of them. She’d hurried to the back to print them all out, and no one had had the heart to tell her not to bother.
Rishi looked at his and Dimple’s picture as they filed out of the facility into the cool early-evening air. “This is actually cute. I’m gonna frame it in my dorm.”
“I think I’ll do the same. Frame it in my room, I mean,” Sweetie said, looking shyly up at Ashish. The plaza was still bustling, and a group of teens walked by, laughing at something. “Unless you want it?”
“No.” He kissed the top of her head as a breeze curled around them. “I’ll just have to come visit you a whole lot if I want to see it.”
Her eyes shone. “Deal.”
Pinky and Samir were in front, with Pinky lugging her ridiculously oversize poster board through the plaza. Samir had taken the photo from Amy since Pinky didn’t have any hands free. Ashish heard Pinky say, over her shoulder, “So you’ll toss that, right?”
“Yep.” Samir looked down at the picture in his hands as they passed a trash can. And then, very casually, he slipped the photo into his pocket.
Ashish grinned. No one else had noticed; Dimple and Rishi were deep in a conversation of their own, and Sweetie was looking up at him. “I knew it,” Ashish said, chuckling.
“Knew what?” Sweetie furrowed her brow.
He gestured with his chin toward Pinky and Samir. “I think there’s more to come on that front.”
Sweetie turned to look at Pinky and Samir, shaking her head a little. “You might be right, Ashish Patel. There’s definitely more to them than meets the eye. I always get a vibe around those two.”
“It was love at first fight.” Ashish laughed. “They just don’t know it yet.”