Chapter 13 Rides and a Few Almosts
DIVYA
My head is still spinning when the ride finally slows down.
For a moment the entire world tilts sideways—bright lights blurring together, the sky and ground trading places like they’re arguing about who belongs where.
The metal bar in front of me rattles as the ride groans to a stop, and I cling to it for an extra second before daring to move.
“Didi!” Neel’s voice bursts beside me. “That was AMAZING!”
I blink rapidly, trying to convince my eyes to behave. The amusement park lights flicker into focus again—yellow bulbs strung along railings, neon signs flashing somewhere near the entrance, the faint smell of fried food drifting through the evening air.
My hair has escaped whatever dignity it had earlier and is now flying wildly around my face.
I laugh. It's a genuine laugh. The kind that bubbles out before you have time to think about it. “I think my soul left my body halfway through that,” I say, pressing my palm to my forehead.
Aditya’s voice comes from my other side, steady and amused. “You’re the one who insisted on the spinning ride.”
I turn toward him and narrow my eyes. “That was before I realized it spins like it’s trying to send people into another dimension.”
Neel is already unbuckling himself with the enthusiasm of someone who has discovered pure joy. “Again!” he declares.
“Absolutely not,” I say immediately.
Aditya raises one eyebrow. “I thought you said you were brave.”
“I said I was willing to try things.”
“That sounds like bravery.”
“No, actually it sounds like bad decision-making.”
Neel jumps down the moment the attendant lifts the bar and runs ahead toward the exit gate, bouncing on his heels like his body contains too much energy for normal walking.
Aditya climbs out more gracefully. Then he turns toward me.
“Need help?”
I wave him off confidently. “I can get out of a seat without assistance, Mr. Gupta.”
I stand up. But the world tilts again. My confidence vanishes instantly. Before I can embarrass myself further, his hand appears in front of me.
I grab it without hesitation. For a second I forget to let go. His fingers are warm. Strong. And unfortunately very distracting. “Better?” he asks.
“Much,” I mutter, releasing his hand quickly.
Neel is already halfway down the path when he notices we haven’t caught up.
He spins around dramatically. “Why are you two walking like grandparents?”
Aditya sighs. “Because some of us enjoy having functioning internal organs.”
Neel ignores him and grabs my wrist, pulling me forward. The amusement park is exactly the kind of place I would never normally come to.
Too noisy.
Too chaotic.
Too many people laughing and shouting and moving in every direction.
And yet—right now it feels strangely wonderful.
Maybe it’s because it’s a weekday and the crowds are thinner. Maybe it’s because the evening air has cooled just enough to make walking comfortable.
Or maybe it’s because for the first time in years I’m not thinking about bills or inventory or responsibilities.
I’m just… here.
With them. Neel drags us toward another ride that swings high into the air like a giant metal pendulum.
Aditya looks up at it thoughtfully.
“Absolutely not,” he says.
Neel gasps. “You are scared!”
“I am not scared.” Aditya argues.
“Then prove it.”
Aditya glances at me. “You started this.” he accuses me.
“I suggested the park,” I say sweetly. “Not emotional blackmail.”
He sighs like a man accepting his fate. “Fine.”
Ten minutes later he is seated beside me again while Neel sits in front of us, already cheering like he’s won something.
The ride launches forward. I scream. Aditya laughs. The night stretches around us like something wide and open. By the time we stumble off that ride, my cheeks hurt from smiling.
We wander through the park slowly after that. Stopping at random stalls. Trying ridiculous games.
At one point Neel wins a cheap plastic whistle and immediately begins using it to terrorize the surrounding population.
Aditya buys cotton candy for him.
Then ice cream.
Then a fried potato twister that Neel insists is the greatest invention in human history. I watch the two of them together and something warm settles quietly inside my chest.
They look… comfortable.
Like they’ve known each other longer than they actually have.
We stop near a game stall where people are trying to toss rings onto bottles. Neel squints at the prizes hanging behind the counter.
“Didi,” he whispers conspiratorially, “you need that teddy bear.”
I follow his gaze. The teddy bear is enormous. Ridiculous. Pink. “I absolutely do not.”
“You do. I know you better.” He folds his hands against his chest and looks up at me as if challenging me. I see from the corner of my eyes Aditya is already stepping forward.
“Three rings,” he tells the man running the stall. I cross my arms.
“This is unnecessary.”
Neel grins at me. “It is extremely necessary.”
Aditya misses the first ring. Neel gasps dramatically. The second one lands perfectly. The third ring wobbles on the edge of the bottle before dropping neatly around it.
Neel erupts into celebration like they’ve just won a national championship. The man hands over the giant teddy bear. Aditya turns and places it directly into my arms.
It’s so big it nearly knocks me backward. I stare at him. “You didn’t have to do that.”
He shrugs. “You look cute with it, Divya." He smirks and I roll my eyes, I hate and love how easily he teases me.
Neel nods approvingly. “Excellent decision.”
I hug the ridiculous thing tighter than I intend to. Because for some reason my eyes suddenly feel suspiciously warm.
Later we find a quieter corner of the park where fairy lights are strung between trees.
Neel sits on a nearby bench eating the last of his ice cream. Aditya and I stand a few steps away.
“You’re smiling,” he says.
“So are you.”
"I am having a great time." He shrugs.
"Me too," I admit silently, "I didn't know I had it in me." I chuckle.
"Fun?" He raises an eyebrow.
I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, "I mean have you looked at me, I do nothing except work and Neel." I smile, "Don't get me wrong, I love it but I am not...fun." I shrug trying to appear non-chalant but deep down I wish I could do all this once in a while, be a bit...free.
"You can't blame yourself, you are only twenty two with responsiblity of whole another human being and no help," He says warmly, "besides..." He links his pinky with mine, "you are plently fun, Divya." He smiles as if he means it.
I meet his eyes. Something in my chest shifts. Behind us Neel suddenly clears his throat loudly. We both turn. He is staring at us with exaggerated suspicion.
“You know married people hold hands a lot.”
I nearly choke. Aditya blinks. “That sounds like a statistic you invented.”
“No,” Neel insists. “It’s scientifically proven.”
I cover my face with one hand. “This child is going to ruin my reputation.”
Aditya glances at me. Then slowly holds out his hand. “Well. Science is science, Divya.”
I stare at it. Then at him. Then at Neel who is watching like a hawk.
“Oh my God,” I mutter. I slip my hand into his. Neel beams like he just solved world peace.
“Much better.”
Aditya squeezes my fingers lightly. And unfortunately my heart decides this is an excellent moment to start beating like it’s training for a marathon.
Later, as we walk toward the Ferris wheel, Neel suddenly stops. “I’m tired.”
He climbs onto a nearby bench dramatically.
Aditya kneels in front of him. “You want to go home?”
Neel shakes his head stubbornly.
“I want to sit.” Aditya disappears for a minute.
When he returns he’s carrying three small paper cups. Hot chocolate.
Neel’s eyes light up. “YOU ARE THE BEST.”
He hugs Aditya without warning. Then looks at me expectantly. I laugh softly and hug him too. “Thank you,” I whisper in his ear, "for taking care of us."
For a moment none of us say anything. "You can count on me on that from now on," he whispers back and smiles at me.
Aditya turns to me slowly. His expression is half amused. Half something else. For one strange second the world narrows to just the two of us.
The lights.
The night air.
His hand still loosely holding mine.
He leans slightly closer, he's so close that I can feel his breath on my lips—“DIDI I DROPPED MY CHOCOLATE!”
The moment explodes into chaos. And I stumble back but Aditya stablizies me as he grabs my waist and pulls me towards him.
For the first time in my life I want to shout at Neel, because damn he has interrupted this kiss for the second time now.
But instead I burst out laughing so hard my stomach hurts.
Aditya drops his head back with a groan. Neel stares at the melted disaster in his hands. “This is tragic.”
"Agreed." Aditya sighs and I laugh again.
For a second the laughter refuses to stop.
It spills out of me uncontrollably, my shoulders shaking as Neel mourns the melted remains of his hot chocolate like something deeply tragic has just happened. The poor paper cup hangs sadly in his hands, a thin brown trail dripping down toward his shoes.
Aditya presses his fingers to the bridge of his nose.
“This,” he says slowly, “is the second time in you have interrupted something extremely important.”
Neel looks up immediately. “More important than chocolate?”
Aditya opens his mouth to answer. Then pauses. Then sighs like a man who has realized he cannot win this argument. “Yes,” he says eventually.
Neel gasps like he has just discovered betrayal. “You are cruel.”
I laugh again, leaning slightly against Aditya without meaning to. The warmth of his arm around my waist is still there from when he steadied me a moment ago, his hand resting lightly against my side.
Neither of us moves.
The contact is simple.
But it makes my stomach flip in a very inconvenient way.
Neel finally climbs off the bench, still looking heartbroken about the spilled drink. Aditya buys him another one from the nearby stall and the crisis is resolved quickly enough.
For the next twenty minutes Neel insists on riding the Ferris wheel three times.
By the time we finally start heading toward the park exit, the night has deepened into something softer. The loud music near the entrance has faded behind us, replaced by the gentle hum of distant rides still spinning in the dark.
Neel walks ahead of us swinging the giant pink teddy bear by one arm like it’s a trophy.
I glance at Aditya.
“You didn’t have to buy him another hot chocolate.”
He shrugs.
“He looked like he might stage a protest.”
“That’s possible.”
We walk in silence for a few steps. My hand is still in his. I’m not sure when that happened again. Or why neither of us has let go. The warmth of his fingers feels steady and grounding. My thumb brushes lightly against his knuckle without thinking.
He notices. I know he notices because his grip tightens slightly. Something soft settles in my chest.
Up ahead, Neel suddenly darts toward a small shooting game stall and starts arguing with the operator about the rules. Aditya and I slow down behind him.
“Divya.”
His voice is quieter now. I turn toward him.
The park lights glow softly across his face. For once he doesn’t look amused or teasing. He looks… thoughtful.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
He hesitates for a moment, like he’s choosing the right words. Then he lets out a small breath.
“Would you go on a date with me?”
I blink.
“We are technically on one right now,” I say slowly. He shakes his head immediately.
“No.”
There’s a faint smile on his lips, but his eyes remain serious. “This doesn’t count.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Neel’s list does not qualify as a proper romantic arrangement.”
I laugh quietly.
“That sounds very official.”
“I’m being serious.” His thumb traces the side of my hand absently.
“I mean a real date.” The words settle gently between us. “No missions,” he continues. “No supervision from a seven-year-old.” I feel warmth creeping up my neck. “Just you and me.”
For a moment I don’t say anything. Because something inside my chest is doing strange, hopeful things again. He shifts slightly closer.
“Only if you want to,” he adds quickly. “You don’t have to say yes.”
I look up at him. Really look this time. The man standing in front of me spent the entire evening making sure my little brother had the best night possible. He bought ridiculous prizes. He endured terrifying rides. He held my hand like it was the most natural thing in the world.
And he almost kissed me. Twice. My lips curve slowly.
“Yes.”
The word leaves my mouth before my brain has time to analyze it.
Aditya blinks.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
The smile on his face grows immediately, slow and genuine in a way that makes my heart feel ridiculously light. “Good,” he says.
Then he nods once like he has made a very important decision. He places a quick kiss on my forehead and I smile, "This saturday?" He asks and I nod.
Neel suddenly runs back toward us. “GUESS WHAT.”
“What?” I ask.
“I won another whistle.”
Aditya sighs dramatically. “We’re going home.”
Neel beams proudly. I glance at Aditya. Our eyes meet.
And for a moment the amusement park lights, the crowd, the noise—everything fades a little.
Because suddenly the thought sitting quietly in my chest feels impossible to ignore.
I am already looking forward to that date.