The Night Fair

e l e v e n

Avika and Aditya didn't say a word after Kaia disappeared. They were too distressed in watching their hands—or the scenery around them. They were too many confusing questions; absolutely no idea about what was happening with them. So much so, that now even holding a fireball— something as cool as that— was at back of their minds.

Avika stated, "So—"

Aditya simultaneously said, "so, this—"

Both of them cleared their throat. Staring at each other with same mirrored expression of confusion, they waited for each other to say something. Finally, Aditya broke the silence, by saying, "It's crazy, right?"

Avika chimed in, "Extremely."

Taken by sudden awkwardness that shimmered around both of them, they cracked their brains to say something. Kaia sudden disappearance was still on the tip of their tongue yet they couldn't bring themselves to say it. It still felt weird, without Kaia taunting them after every single second.

And this beautiful yet bizarre environment didn't help.

A slight wind ruffled the ends of Avika's braided hair, making a strand rest peacefully on her cheeks. She sighed, and tucked the strand behind her hair, she finally asked, "What should we do?"

Aditya shrugged his shoulders. He gestured around, and said, his broad shoulders drooping, "I—I have no idea. Ever since we decided to drink that orange thingy," —talking about the ghost, that offered them the drink during the fair; right before Kaia arrived— "Kaia pretty much told us what to do, when to do, how to do. . ."

He trailed off. Kaia's disappearance was the last straw for him. She—she had no right, he angrily thought, to leave them like this. She was the one to drag them in such a mess, and now she left them hanging.

Just another instance which proves, you have no control over your life, his inner voice mocked.

He suddenly said, frustration and sadness bubbling in his voice, as he could no longer control. He was spiralling. "How did we end up here, Avika? How? And why?" He asked, almost choking on his words. His throat closed up, and he thought of everything he did to get to that fair.

He ran away— which took almost whatever courage he had. He faced monsters, ghosts, everything— only to reach to The Night Fair. Only To find this? To end up like this?

He wanted to cry, throw things around! Sit down between such beautiful tulips, and pluck them one by one, asking them, what did he do to deserve this? His grandfather, he said—didn't he— his problems would end if he found The Night Fair? That— That the answers he was looking for were there?

Then why?

Then why didn't he? When he found Avika, he thought that she might know what all this is about? That his grandfather also told him about a brave girl who he might meet during his journey. That finally, he would reach his destination. The peace he wanted would be his.

But he never told her about Kaia. Or how she forcefully entered into his life— threatening him with things he was ashamed of— of how he spent his childhood. She had no right, and yet she did. He didn't tell her off— why should he? After all, she was helping them. Right? Making sure that they stay safe. Then why did she leave them here? Out of nowhere?

Before he knew, he was sitting on his knees. The coolness of the ground, and the grass he trampled, trickled him. He shivered, covering his face. He was crying.

His shoulders shaking, he bit his lips hard, trying to stop the incoming flow. His eyes hurt— he had shut them as tightly as he could. His throat closed up, his lips parted, and he cried. No he didn't make a sound, he couldn't—he was hurting too much. His head hurt. His cheeks were sticky and wet. He swallowed some oxygen, trying to quell it down. But he couldn't. How long would he try to push things down?

His heart cried with pain, with burning questions that he had no answer for. He kept looking for the bright light at the end of the long, dark tunnel. But it never came. No matter how fast he run, how slowly he walked on his tiptoes, the journey of endless pain, torture, sadness, never ended.

His hands shook, as he covered his face in despair. He whimpered slightly. He tried, he had tried so hard— so many times, yet it didn't end. All those times, he promised himself that one day those scars that lined his back, the small broken front teeth (which he told everyone, that it was an accident), the small scar on his thighs, would be worth it.

Freedom. He scoffed. What was freedom? He let out another sob. Why wasn't it his? Why his efforts always failed. Maybe that's why his mother—

Avika's hesitant voice called him out, "Aditya?" She gently grabbed his shoulders, and them left it. Then waited. Aditya didn't say anything. He couldn't. His mouth was too sore, his eyes too red, his heart too painful— he couldn't.

Avika didn't say anything else. She was baffled when Aditya asked her those questions. In her entire life, she never thought of them. Maybe she would have if she was not always searching for some adventure. Something dangerous and risky to do. She was staring at those pearl stones beneath her shoes, when she heard a sob.

Then, she saw him fall down. She gasped, but he was crying to badly to even notice her. His shoulders were shaking, he was breathing erratically, his sobs slightly audible.

Avika was lost.

Nanaai often used to slap her whenever she cried. She used to mock her, "Stop crying, girl! It is for losers. Are you a loser?" Avika would them, clap her hands to her mouth and bit down her cries. She would sometimes whimper, but only when Naanai was not around.

So, she was lost. She had no idea what to do.

When he whimpered, Avika sighed. She remembered what her friends' mothers used to do. They would squeeze their daughters' hand and gently mutter things. Like 'shhh' or 'it's going to be okay, hon.'

So she went there. But he was crying so heavily that she was shook. She tried to squeeze his shoulder, but it felt weird. She had never done it before. So, she sat down. Next to him. Taking a deep breath, she tried not to pity him. We should never pity other, her mother would often say, instead empathize them. She slowly said, hoping he would hear her, "Shh." It felt weird, but his breaths slowed down. His crying did too. His shoulders finally stopped shaking, and he became still.

Avika felt good. Not that way, but at least she didn't bail out. Last time someone cried, she literally slapped them. She again said, "It's going to be okay, hon."

Aditya didn't say a thing. Then, he gave her a barest nod.

She didn't speak anything after that, nor did he say anything. They sat, a blanket of silence enveloping them.

--
thoughts?

Notice the difference between Avika and Aditya? Especially when it comes to feelings?

Also, thoughts one Naanai?

Hopefully, I will update next chapter by next week *fingers crossed*