Chapter 3: Misunderstandings and Emojis

A few days after their last study session, Naomi was scrolling through some old messages from Adarsh, noticing his unique, almost formal way of texting. She couldn't help but smile at how polite he was—no emojis, no short forms, just clean sentences that sounded almost poetic. Today, she decided she was going to get him to use some kind of emoji.

When they started studying that afternoon, Naomi, trying to keep a straight face, typed out a message:

Naomi: "Hey, let's see if you can use an emoji today 😆"

Adarsh paused, looking at the laughing emoji she'd sent. He'd seen people use them, of course, but he'd never actually sent one himself. He wasn't sure what each one even meant.

Adarsh: "Um, sure… I'll try. Which one should I use?"

Naomi smirked, feeling a tiny bit mischievous. She decided to start with something simple.

Naomi: "Try this one! 😊"

Adarsh stared at the little smiling emoji. "What does that even mean?" he muttered to himself, but typed it out anyway.

Adarsh: "😊"

Naomi burst into laughter on her end. She hadn't expected him to use it so quickly, and the thought of this reserved, shy boy typing out an emoji warmed her heart.

Naomi: "See, that wasn't so hard! You're officially a 21st-century texter now."

Adarsh: "Did I… do it right?"

Naomi: "Yes, perfect! Now, try this one: 😎"

He looked at the sunglasses emoji she sent over and hesitated. What was he supposed to feel when he used that one? He wasn't exactly feeling "cool" at the moment, but he typed it in anyway.

Adarsh: "😎"

Naomi was laughing so hard at this point that she had to take a moment to wipe a tear from her eye.

Naomi: "Oh, Adarsh, you're too good at this."

But just as things were lightening up, Adarsh misinterpreted her laughing emoji. He typed out his response with a hint of confusion:

Adarsh: "Wait… is 😎 supposed to be funny?"

Naomi: "Not exactly, but it's just… seeing you use it is so funny! You have no idea how cool you look right now. 😆"

As they continued texting, Adarsh found himself smiling a little more freely. With Naomi, he could be himself—even if that meant making a fool of himself with emojis. He wasn't used to being laughed with (rather than at), and the feeling was unfamiliar but pleasant.

Feeling daring, he decided to try another emoji without asking.

Adarsh: "😏"

This time, Naomi stopped, her cheeks instantly turning pink. The smug face from Adarsh felt unexpectedly… bold.

Naomi: "Wow, someone's getting confident over there."

Reading her response, Adarsh's face went bright red. What had he just done? He frantically typed an apology:

Adarsh: "Oh! I… I didn't mean it like that. I thought… it just looked… interesting?"

Naomi giggled again, her fingers hovering over the keyboard as she typed back.

Naomi: "It's okay, you pulled it off! Though I think that one's best saved for special occasions. 😉"

They laughed together, feeling closer than they had before. For once, the session wasn't all serious study notes and long silences. Naomi made a game of sending him random emojis, challenging him to guess their meanings, and Adarsh was surprisingly good at it. He might have been awkward, but he was quick to learn.

As the session went on, Adarsh felt a lightness he hadn't experienced in years. Maybe it was Naomi's laughter, or the fact that he was allowed to make mistakes without fear of judgment, but he found himself genuinely enjoying the silliness.

Finally, they ended the study session, and Adarsh typed out one last message, this time feeling a small thrill.

Adarsh: "Goodnight, Naomi 😊"

Naomi smiled, biting her lip as she replied.

Naomi: "Goodnight, Adarsh. Sweet dreams 😴✨"

As he closed his laptop, Adarsh felt strangely energized. He'd have to admit: the emoji session was fun. It felt as if, emoji by emoji, he was opening up, one step closer to a world he'd kept locked away.

And with Naomi by his side—virtually, at least—it felt easier to take on that world, one laugh at a time.