Its 6a.m. morning next day, I did not need to travel to stadium today as its an off week for us. I took my phone to have a quick check. Me, Zahiri, Adhi and Rachin had a chat group and a message suddenly popped in it. It was from Zahiri, he posted "Guys its our off week, can we plan somewhere out?" Rachin replied back saying sure and also he mentioned "Dhidhi its your first time being part of us, so definitely you need to make it." I replied yes. Zahiri send a emoji to show his happiness. Adhi posted sure "I am available too, count me in". Zahiri then asked if we can visit nearby Amusement park, my excitement just raised because its been several years since I visited a Amusement park, so I readily accepted his idea. Rachin and Adhi agreed too.
We decided to meet at gate of Amusement park by 9a.m. I went in to take a shower and returned back wrapping myself in plush towel. As I opened my closet, I was greeted by a sea of dresses, all neatly hung and organized by color and type. I had always been a dress-wearing kind of person, ever since I joined the team as an analyst. It was part of the uniform, a way to project a professional image and show that I was a young, capable woman. But today, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to dress the way I felt, not the way I thought I should look.I scanned the racks of clothes, my eyes landing on a bright pink T-shirt and a flowy blue skirt. It was a bold combination, but it called to me, like a breath of fresh air on a stuffy day. I tossed the T-shirt on, feeling the soft cotton against my skin, and slipped the skirt over my hips. The fabric swished around my legs as I twirled in front of the mirror, feeling alive and carefree. I had combed my hair, put on my signature Kajal and pink lipstick, and worn my watch on my right hand. I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled, satisfied with my reflection.
I hopped off my Vespa and noticed all three of them were waiting for me at the entrance of the amusement park. Adhi was the first to greet me with a warm smile. His half-sleeve black shirt had a floral pattern on it, and the top two buttons were undone. He was wearing a sandal-colored pant, and I could see a cross pendant hanging around his neck. Zahiri was dressed in a white T-shirt and a red shirt on top of it, paired with white pants. He was smiling brightly, and he looked so excited to be here! Rachin was wearing a black hoodie with cool graphics on it and he had a very mysterious look about him. He looked like he belonged in a small town somewhere, like one of those characters in a movie.
I was feeling a bit confused as I walked towards Adhi and Zahiri. They were giggling at something, but I was not sure what it was. I noticed that Rachin removed his cooler and was looking me up and down with an amused expression. "Dhidhi, you look like a high schooler," Rachin said with a smirk. 'It's out of your style, isn't it?' I smiled and replied, "I like dressing this way, but I need to maintain my professional etiquette when it comes to work. That's why I dress differently when I come to the stadium." Zahiri chimed in then, "Dhidhi, now it looks like you're the high schooler and we three are taking you here to play." The 3 of them burst out into laughter. I felt relieved as the tension was broken. I was happy to be part of this small group of friends and to share in their fun and laughter.
Four of us entered the park, and I could feel the excitement building. I was eager to start playing and enjoying the day with them.
We started our day with a thrilling ride on the carousel wheel, then challenged ourself with the maze house and finally the haunt house. After all the excitement, we decided to take a break and sit for a while. That's when I asked them if they wanted to eat cotton candy. Adhi, was surprised and asked if I was still a kid. I replied that anyone can eat cotton candy at an amusement park. The trio broke out into laughter and agreed to have some. I bought cotton candy for all of us and we started eating as we had some light-hearted conversations.
Zahiri asked me, "Dhidhi, do you have a boyfriend?" I shook my head and said, " No." Rachin, was surprised. He looked at me with a shocked expression and said, "Don't tell us you were never in a relationship before." I nodded in confirmation. I had never been in a relationship before. I was content with my life and happy with my single status and asked them a question in return, "So you guys are mocking me for not having a boyfriend, tell me how many girlfriends do you have? Definitely being Mr. Handsome's of India, you will have girlfriends".
Zahiri chuckled and replied, "No one yaar, I had a girlfriend when I started my cricket career but she ran away when my performance dipped". We all laughed at his reply, and he said, "So if you know someone right for me, introduce her to me, I don't want to be single anymore". I smiled and Rachin supported his point by saying, "Me too dhidhi". All three of us turned towards Adhi, waiting for his response, but he stayed still. He quickly refocused on the topic we were discussing and said he doesn't need a girlfriend.
We exclaimed together, "Ohhhhhhh!" Zahiri then said, "That's true, Adhi doesn't need our help to look for a girlfriend. He's got plenty of admirers from all over the world!" The three of us laughed and I added, "I saw his fanbase in Sri Lanka, there were so many female fans holding boards for Adhi. They were all screaming his name!" and all 3 of us laughed.
The city was covered with a dark sky, the stars twinkling like diamonds. Adhi suggested that they take a ride in the Ferris wheel, and the other two readily agreed. I, however, was more hesitant. I had a fear of heights, and the thought of being high up in the sky was making me feel uneasy. But the other two would not hear of it, and they continued to persuade me to join them. Eventually, I gave in, and the four of us headed to the Ferris wheel. The first thing we noticed was the size of the Ferris wheel. It was huge and it seemed to reach the sky. I nervously stepped into the carriage, my heart thudding in my chest. I was never a fan of heights and the Ferris wheel was moving ever higher. Adhi, entered the carriage and sat next to me, offering me a comforting smile. Zahiri and Rachin, two of our other friends, sat on the opposite seats.
The Ferris wheel started moving up slowly and I held Adhi's hand out of fear and closed my eyes tightly. I could feel the wind against my face as we got higher and higher. All at once, I felt a sense of peace and calm wash over me. I opened my eyes to see the beautiful dark sky and twinkling stars. Adhi smiled at me and said, "See, I told you it would be alright."
Little did I know that my calmness wouldn't last. Suddenly, the Ferris wheel stopped and our carriage shook. My fear reached a peak and before I knew it, I had fainted and fallen onto Adhi's shoulder. When I woke up, I had a hazy memory of Adhi rubbing my arms and Zahiri rubbing my feet to warm me up. Once I was fully back to consciousness, the two of them started to mock me for my fear of heights. We soon reached the ground and got off the Ferris wheel. I was embarrassed about my fear and tried to laugh it off with my friends, but deep down I was still embarrassed about my reaction. I promised myself that I would conquer my fear of heights one day.
It was about time for the Amusement park to get closed, We walked out of the gate, waved each other bye and I travelled back to my home.
I changed into my pajamas and hopped into bed. Just as I was about to doze off, my phone pinged. It was my group chat with my friends, and Zahiri had posted all the photos we had taken today. I smiled as I looked through each and every photo, feeling nostalgia for all the fun we had. Then, I stopped at a photo of Adhi, and I couldn't help but say "this kid really does look handsome".
I kept my phone aside and said good night to myself as I snuggled comfortably into my bed, ready to get a few hours of much-needed rest.