CHAPTER 4: An Enchanting Evening at the Zoo

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As evening descended, the group arrived at the zoo a carefully chosen destination. Bhoomi's love for animals was no secret; her room overflowed with plush toys, each a potential peace offering for anyone seeking her forgiveness. Eli often joked that if you needed to make amends with Bhoomi, just hand her a cuddly animal plush.

At home, Bhoomi had three dogs, but no cats her mother harbored an inexplicable fear of feline creatures. Now, within the zoo's gates, Bhoomi's face lit up like a constellation. She dashed ahead, leaving her friends in her wake. As they wandered among the enclosures, Bhoomi's attention fixated on a zookeeper showing a baby porcupine to a group of children.

Approaching the zookeeper, Bhoomi asked if she could take a photo while holding the adorable porcupine. The zookeeper agreed to the photo but insisted on being the one to handle the prickly little creature. Bhoomi, though slightly disappointed, understood the zookeeper had a job to do.

As Bhoomi prepared to pose, she realized her camera was missing. Panic set in until she spotted Rosy holding it, shaking her head in mock disapproval. Eli chimed in, teasing Rosy as their "MOM." Even the zookeeper couldn't help but smile. He asked if the group wanted a collective photo. Adam, who loved animals but had his limits (dogs, cats, horses, and cows were acceptable; others were off-limits), looked mildly offended.

With the zookeeper holding the baby porcupine, Bhoomi puckered up for her photo. She leaned in without touching the little creature, but as she made her kissing face, the porcupine shifted slightly. Its back grazed her lips, and Bhoomi jerked back, eliciting laughter from her friends. Undeterred, she declared, "Even the baby porcupine wants a kiss from me!" She rubbed her lips, feeling the faint poke of its quills.

Eli took the camera, and Bhoomi eagerly checked the photo. Despite her startled movement, the shot captured her mid-kiss, as if she were truly smooching the tiny porcupine. Satisfied, they spent another couple of hours exploring the zoo before heading back to their respective homes.

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