As soon as they stepped onto the beach, her heels sank into the sand down to the straps at her ankles. She wobbled with a curse under her breath, and before she could bend to yank it free, Abhay crouched down instead and opened the clasp of the strap.
Startled, she held onto his hard shoulder for balance as she stepped off. Sand gushed between her toes, making it tickle. A smile tugged at the edges of his mouth. It had to be unfair to look that good, she thought.
He straightened up, holding her heels in one hand, and gestured toward the entrance to the fair.
‘I can carry them,’ Siya said, lifting her chin.
He shook his head, and his voice drifted above the faint music coming from the fair as they walked further. ‘I’ve got it. You just look around and see if you like anything. We can try it right after the Ferris wheel.’
The beach narrowed as it met the concrete boardwalk, where people lingered. There were couples holding hands and taking pictures as teenagers loitered near the food stalls. A mouthwatering scent of sugar, and grease, and salt floated in the air.
They walked up the stairs to the gate to the Ferris wheel, and Siya tilted her head back. It was taller than it had looked from the balcony. Though its edges were lit with colourful light bulbs, it looked old and used. All kinds of warning sirens began blaring in her head.
She didn’t realise how tightly her hands were clenched around the cuffs until he tugged at the sleeve to get her attention.
‘Are you ready?’
‘No,’ she admitted, eyes still fixed on the wheel, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.
Clearly she failed, because he said, ‘You know, you don’t have to do it.’
‘I want to.’
The wheel slowly came to a stop, and the line of waiting people moved forward until they reached the empty outward-facing seat. The staff unhooked the security bar, holding it open for them.
She took a seat, and he sat beside her. The space was tight, so they sat flush against each other. She didn’t know whether her heart was hammering from the wheel jerking into motion or his proximity.
The wheel started a slow, steady climb, and she curled her fingers tighter around the edge of the metal safety bar in frontof them. She swallowed hard and turned to see him looking unbothered and relaxed like they weren’t swaying high up in the air.
‘Alright there?’ he asked.
Her throat had gone dry. ‘Do I look alright?’
He tilted his head, inspecting her as if it were a genuine question. ‘You look like you’re planning my murder for bringing you here.’
She chortled. ‘If it’s that obvious, I’m not doing a good enough job.’
‘You’re choking that safety rod like you wish it were my neck,’ he teased her.
She caught a smirk dancing at the edge of his mouth. ‘Don’t mock the terrified. It’s very bad karma, and certainly not a good way to start the new year.’
He gently nudged her knee with his. ‘I’m not mocking, I’m just trying to distract you from the fact that we’re very, very high up right now.’
The moment her eyes drifted to the shrinking world beneath them, she let out a startled yelp. ‘Oh my god. That’s not working! Do something else,’ she groaned and closed her eyes immediately. Her knuckles turned white around the steel as she clutched it for dear life.
His laughter cut through her panic, and she felt his fingers hold her chin and turn her to look at him. She opened her eyes and caught the warm light shining in the brown depths of his gaze.
He was so close that she could feel his warm breath against her cheek, and her heartbeat picked up speed. His voice smoothed over her like soft velvet as he said, ‘See, I found a better way.’
She loosened her grip on the steel bar enough so she could swat at his arm. When he leaned back a little, she took a deep breath. Siya fought the urge to fan herself as heat rushed up her neck.
‘When was your first time on one?’ she asked, keeping her gaze fixed on him.
‘Boys trip when I was fourteen. My childhood friend Raghav and I, along with our fathers, went trekking in Dehradun, and found a fair on one of our many accidental detours,’ he said, smiling at the memory. ‘We spent the day taking turns on each ride over and over until Dad had to drag us back to the car. Now we have a running bucket list full of roller coasters, bungee jumps, and paragliding joints that we want to hit.’
She stared at him like he was an alien species. ‘You want to fling your body in those crazy rides on purpose?’
‘Every time,’ he said without a hint of regret.
