Day we met

Chapter 24- close yet far

"As the saying goes, if we wish for something, it will come true," Myrah said as we stood by the wishing pond.

"This is all nonsense. I don't believe in any of it," Advik retorted, crossing his arms. Aaron, standing beside him, nodded in agreement. "I'm with you on this, bro."

Aadhya, who was standing nearby, shot Aaron a sharp look and pinched his arm, silently urging him to stay quiet. It was obvious—men rarely bought into these stories the way women did.

"Fine, don’t believe in it. But don’t expect any dinner for the next few days," Myrah warned her husband playfully. She knew his love for food would make him reconsider his stance.

"You’ve become such a spoiled brat. How could you do this to me?" Advik said, feigning a hurt expression.

Ignoring his theatrics, Myrah took the coins from Advik’s hand and passed them to Saakshi, Dia, and Aadhya.

"I wish him lifelong happiness and for all his troubles to disappear," Saakshi whispered with her eyes closed, tossing a coin into the pond for Ric.

She then handed a coin to Ric and urged, "Why don’t you give it a try?"

He hesitated but finally took the coin, not wanting to disappoint her, and tossed it into the pond.

"What did you wish for?" she asked, her eyes wide with curiosity, giving him a look that could melt anyone’s heart.

"How can it come true if I say it out loud?" he replied with a smirk.

"You're so stingy," she muttered, just loud enough for him to hear, a playful grin tugging at the corners of her lips.

---

Michael had been doing his best to win Dia over. He’d made a good impression on her and had become trustworthy to everyone—everyone except Ric. Ric couldn’t stand Michael's presence and often found himself seething with silent fury whenever Michael was around.

Later that day, they all decided to visit an amusement park.

“Let’s go on the roller coaster!” Saakshi suggested with a sparkle in her eyes. She had never been on one before; her father had always refused to let her.

“I’ll pass,” Ric responded, his voice flat.

Saakshi frowned, disappointed. Ric had a knack for turning down anything fun.

“Oh my God, you’re afraid of it!” she teased, laughing. She was determined to get him on that ride.

Irritated by her teasing, Ric walked off without a word, leaving Saakshi searching for him. After a while, he returned, holding two tickets for the roller coaster.

“Don’t worry, I’m with you. Just hold my hand,” Saakshi said, offering her hand to Ric.

He took her hand, and they boarded the ride, their fingers intertwined. As the roller coaster sped through its twists and turns, they screamed with a mix of fear and excitement.

“This is way more fun than I imagined!” Saakshi beamed, her face glowing with joy. “This is my first time on a roller coaster. My dad never let me, but finally, I did it!” She sighed, utterly content.

“Since we’re here, why don’t we relive our childhood and wipe out all those old regrets?” Ric suggested with a grin.

“What are you waiting for, then? Come on!” Saakshi grabbed his hand and started running toward the next ride.

“Wait, I want some ice cream first,” Ric said, pointing to an ice cream stand.

“You’re not serious, are you?” she asked, her eyes wide with surprise. He nodded.