1.2 | Under The Hazy Winter Sky | ✓

6 | christmas fest

25th december 2013

THE FEST WAS BUSTLING with people walking around, hand in hand. Kids ran around, unbothered by the crowd. Balloons danced with the wind, their strings tied to the stalls.

Christmas trees were decorated and placed at the center of the fest, near a fountain. Saina's mouth watered as she stared at the food stalls. She tugged on Gaurav's shirt, who immediately caught on to what she wanted.

"You guys go on ahead. I'll buy her some snacks." He pointed at Saina.

Ved nodded while Maya gave them a teasing grin. "Enjoy your alone time, lovebirds."

The group split up.

Ved and Maya continued walking forward. She browsed through the food stalls, paying more attention to the dress stalls.

"The town's dresses are usually all made of wool." She commented. Ved nodded. "The town is usually pretty cold all year round. So, they dress warm."

Maya committed the information to memory as she continued looking around. The fest reminded her of the one she had gone to with Vineet and Anu last year. Except this fest didn't have any Ferris wheel.

She really missed the two.

Her eyes paused on a balloon shooting game stall. She never succeeded at these types of games but always wanted to give it a try.

"I'm going to try that one." She pointed at the stall. She paid her money to get her darts.

"You know the rules right, young lady? Three darts. If you hit at least two balloons in a row, you get one of these plushies here."

Maya browsed the plushies. She saw the fox and the bunny placed together. She blinked and looked away.

"Alright."

"Which one do you want?" Ved asked, standing behind her.

"I think the fox one."

"But, the bunny one is cuter."

Maya let out an amused scoff. "Are you seriously bickering with me on which is the cuter doll?"

Ved shrugged, with a smile. Maya shook her head, turning around, getting her head back in the game.

Ved walked towards the shopkeeper as she heard a loud noise and turned to figure out the source of the noise. By the time she looked back at the balloons, Ved had already had an exchange with the shopkeeper and was standing behind her.

"Alright, let's get those damn balloons."

She threw a dart. Surprisingly, it popped a balloon.

With eyes wide with surprise, she got ready with her second dart. Another balloon popped. Maya narrowed her eyes. She thought she saw a second dart flying right along with hers but she couldn't be sure.

She slowly turned around to look at Ved, who was standing behind her, arms crossed. Upon noticing her gaze, he gestured a thumbs up.

With narrowed eyes she turned back around. She held the third dart. This time, she pretended to throw it. Another balloon popped.

A smile formed on her face. 

"What exactly are you doing, Ved?"

Ved made no response.

She threw her dart, which pathetically fell short of the stall's desk. Ved let out a chuckle and went to collect the prize. He picked the fox.

"You wanted the fox, right?"

Maya hummed as she gazed at the snout of the fox. It was a smiling fox bunny. Why did it resemble Ved?

She shook her head slightly and continued walking forward with Ved, in front of her.

"You should hold my hand. Else, we'll get lost."

Maya stared at his outstretched hand. It was bigger, wider than hers. Holding onto the plushie with one hand, she placed her hand in his, glancing at him.

He smiled at her and then led her forward, trying out different game stalls.

At the end of the day, she had many plushies with her.

Saina gave Gaurav a side eye after staring at Maya's plushies. "Why can't you win the games on these stalls, too?"

Gaurav, "...."

The world is an unfair place.

˚₊ ❄︎

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