"Mamma!!!! This girl stole my toy!!!"
What the hell? Her mother came running from behind. A lady in her late 30s with expensive clothing. She looked like the mamma version of Regina George from Mean girls. Her face screamed of money and arrogance, a lot of it.
                          
She bent in front of her daughter and asked her,
"What happened to my doll?" 
Doll? Yes Annabelle she is.
"She stole my toy, cotton candy. I just won him." Cotton candy? How can she name that toy cotton candy?
                          
"Okay enough! Firstly it's a white kitty soft toy and not a pink one so it cannot be named as cotton candy." 
Tara made a very logical point there.
                          
"Secondly, she won it for me. You were just standing here looking at us." The deadly version of Tara was appearing in front of us.
"THIS KITTY IS MINE!"
Starburst!!! Run everyone run....run for your life. Tara the devil is here to eat us alive!!!
                          
"TENNAGERS. That's the only valid reason for this kind of behavior." So the mamma hen began speaking.
"Drowning in hormones, you people can do all crazy things, even steal from little girls. Give me back the toy. I'll pay for your drugs instead."
This lady makes me want to claw her face out. If she doesn't shut her trap, I'll sit on her shoulders and pull her hair out while singing Devil's haircut by Beck.
                          
"Excuse me ma'am, but you are crossing your limits. It is quite obvious where this girl inherited her bratty tendencies from."
Abhaas had taken it upon himself to end this argument. He continued,
" If you have enough money to buy us drugs, you surely can buy a whole toy shop for your daughter. I insist you buy her some manners as well 'cause she needs it as much as you do. Satan's race won't find acceptance in human society, if you get what I mean. Now we wish you a good day and take your leave." Abhaas was smooth and mildly offensive when it came to insults. He held my hand with his chin high and we started walking. He had the aura of the boss. When he speaks, the world shuts down for me. 
                          
I heard Ulka finish with her,"Hope you choke on that money one day!"
                          
"It's best if we don't let this hamper our time or mood here. Even the shopkeeper knew she was lying." Ishaan can make the most politically correct statements in the world. I wonder if he's tutioned by Chanakya himself.
"It was soo badass Abhaas!!" Ulka said
"Thanks dear. But you know what's even more badass? This ride." We turned our heads towards the ride and saw a huge pillar with two seats attached. The seats were suspended on a vertical pole which I suppose is able to move 360°.
"It's like sitting in a juicer - blender."
"Yeah it is. Who's in?"
                          
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"Just hold onto these handles. Do not leave them or else you'll get hurt. Got it?" The instructor told Ishaan. He was the one that decided to get on this ride with Abhaas.
"What happened to badass Ulka?" Snehal knew when to mock. 
                          
Abhaas was trying to convince  Ulka to take the ride with him. But she didn't budge even when Abhaas was about to lift her and put her on the seat. A no is a no.
"I never said badass is good. Badass is badass. I always go for good." Ulka avoided any eye contact with us. But who can blame her? This ride is too risky for us.
                          
"What makes you love the cat so much Tara? I mean it's just a white cat." Ulka asked. Though it was a clear cut move to divert our attention from Ulka's embarrassment, I was equally curious for the answer. I know Tara's crazy for soft toys but this was way too much.
                          
"It's white.... reminds me of mom. She was wearing a white coat the last time I..."
Tara's face shrank visibly. She continued,
"I've made a truce with the situation but I need something to hold onto."
She tied a handkerchief to the kitty's paw, said it belonged to her mother.
"I'll treasure it forever." All four of us group hugged. It was liberating to know that Tara has finally moved on with life.
                          
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
                          
We stood below as the ride began. The start was good. A left, right, north, diagonal, straight down. It was fun watching. 
"This tape can go a long way blackmailing. Look at their faces." Tara said as she recorded the guys. The speed increased and their expressions changed further. Ulka and I were moments before falling flat on the ground laughing while Snehal was live on Instagram. 
                          
"Is it raining? There are few drops on my phone lens." Snehal asked us.
"Yeah maybe, I feel it too, unless. Oh god it isn't rain it's the guys puking!!!" Ulka's comment left me shocked. I felt another drop on my hand. It could contain thousands of germs that are currently partying on my hand. They can cause so many diseases. I'm falling sick. I want to puke too. I can feel the food crawling up my food pipe. I'm going to burst any moment.
"Let's clean up. The washroom is there." Tara said. I followed her with Ulka and Snehal.
We finished up all the sanitizer bottles and wet wipes we had, to clean up. I would as well go home and bath in sanitizer.
                          
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
                          
As the ride got over, we returned. Armed with tissues, throw up bags, water bottles, mouthwash and mint candies. The guys went to the washroom with our 'clean up after puke kit' and returned after fifteen minutes.
"Badass is bad huh!" Ulka's comment left us all laughing. The guys gave us sheepish smiles and continued to look at each other with embarrassment. They didn't plan on taking the ride to end up giving a puke shower to the fun fair.
                          
"Guys are you okay?" Tara asked, concerned as always.
"Yeah. Better. Did you enjoy the puke shower?"
"Eww Ishaan! Let's not discuss that part."
                          
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
                          
We returned to the food stalls because apparently the guys had to fill up their stomachs. Vomit had caused a famine inside there. Though for me it was just another bite we were having, for Snehal it turned out to be a lot more.
                          
At the order counter there was a donation box, displaying donation to the 'Boarding school of North'. She stood by it for like 10 minutes as Ulka and I observed her. Then she went to the table, picked up her purse and threw a ₹500 note in it. For a moment I was scared of her. She went back to the table and slammed her bag with a loud thud. "Is she okay?" The shopkeeper asked. "Don't mind her." I replied.
                          
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"Stop staring at me like I'm an alien."
"Your behavior is not what Snehal's is. Who are you?" Ulka had taken it upon herself to calm Snehal down.
"Disguised as our Snehal, did you abduct her and then replaced her? Are you going to ask for money to let her free? If so then keep her to yourself. We're not wasting a penny to save her." If one doesn't stop her, Ulka can go on and on.
                          
"Okay that was rude! I can't even trust you with my life." Snehal said rather loudly.
"At least you are speaking! Now open the bottle of your mind and spill the contents inside. If you don't comply I'll  squeeze it out of  you." Ulka and her metaphors.
                          
"Okay fine. I'll tell you what happened. But promise me this doesn't go out of the group." Snehal finally agreed.
"So we're discussing a big secret at a crowded food court and we're not supposed to leak it huh?" Ishaan was right. Who knows? Maybe that 'Give me the kitty' monster and her manufacturing machine are hiding under the table, recording our secret. We found a couple of benches near the parking area. We decided to sit there and let Snehal scream her heart out.
                          
*****
                          
What do you think about the chapter? They's something coming up in Snehal's life as well. Stay tuned.