You touched the place in my heart where love runs wild

I bit my lip standing beside him. At the corner most secluded claw machine a kid trying and lost like all. He cussed

oh my Kids nowadays cuss?

The end of the world is near, I guess

This side happened to have fewer people in fact the machine wasn't crowded at all.

No one.

The only kid there left still cussing

I studied the machine.

"It's not working the chances in this one is in negative," I told him if he had difficulty in figuring it out.

"How many do you want?" He asked looking all business swiping the card.

I threw my hands exasperatedly can't he see it's broken

The claw shook shocking us or actually only me, he bent his head controlling the lever.

Then looked at me, "Which ones?"

I blinked turning to the box. The toys were all cute ones, closely observing I found it has cooler toys than any of the machines we have seen so far.

All my favs cartoon characters-

"Pooh," I said pointing at it.

my eyes caught something pink, green, and red tied all together in a ring, "mini doremons! Awww" I cooed.

"Oh my gosh it has Dora cake too" I saw bending squatting on the floor.

"hello kitty" I greeted the little cat reminding me of Shiru now known as Miru

"Pokemon!!"
Doing the mental quiz if I knew all of their names still.

"Minions ahhh!" I want them all each one of them. I watched them with greedy eyes.

"Pikachu!" I yelled wait what's that noise about.

I turned and found a crowd behind me I got up befuddled they all were watching enthralled in front, at Laksh as he woah--

He caught one!

Pikachu! What was he doing instead of dropping it in the hole he threw it to the opposite side against the box wall. I groaned but the toy bounced back after bumping to the box falling the other way in the hole!

The crowd cheered clapping really impressed. The kids exclaimed getting near to Laksh to learn a trick or two

Ahhhhh!!

I bent down to collect my first win

And found more toys at my feet, lying dropping out from the down flap which seemed to be full now.

Surprised, I pulled them out excitedly couldn't control my happiness. God!!! So many....they were all the ones like I called out just now. I laughed in amazement glancing back at Laksh holding them to my chest, he was already looking at me. And also the crowd was looking at me. My cheeks burned with so many eyes on me.

"Next?" Laksh asked with an eyebrow raised completely unfazed by the amount of attention he was getting. His gaze solely focused on me.

I drew my eyes away unwillingly back to the machine. Feeling slightly uncomfortable by the way I was moved. Something that felt deep so new and I never thought I could ever feel it. A warm little spark of it melting the tightness that had kept me restless, the intensity of this foreign sensation had me suck in a breath. It scared every fiber of my being. And to think of it, I didn't even know what exactly made me so scared?

I turned narrowing my eyes at the machine. I even forgot where I was. I put my hands on the glass staring at the toys. Nobody will be saved from me now

"Baby Yoda!" I yelled

"Mr. Rabbit!"

"Tweety"

"Penguin"

..
.

"Baby lion"

"Action Kamen!"

"Emoticons wait-" I turned "this one I'll pick" I gave a warning glance at the kids who were eyeing my toys with greed then brushed off Laksh from the control or tried to he casually stepped back behind me with amused expression as I stared at the stick of the controller.

If Laksh can do so can I!

Or not... after the third try

Some little boys booed laughing at my failure.

"Lemme tutor you"
Laksh said leaning from behind I froze. He bent his head over my shoulder his chin rested on it, from the back he extended his arms reaching for the controller. He put his hands on mine guiding them. My body tingle I forced myself to focus on the matter other than how he was literally pressed against me.

I looked down following the movements gluing my eyes on the claw.
"What do you want?" He asked the breath fanning my back hair giving me goosebumps.

"I- I - I want that one" I randomly pointed at one of the emojis not many toys were left now.

"Okay let's see if we can get this," he said.

I rolled my eyes at his modesty. A fake one.

Laksh fingers moved on the stick driving the claw right. I watched it with anticipation as it extended downwards reaching for the toy with opened jaws. Laksh nudged me to press the grab button I did I stamped my palm on it, waiting with hopeful eyes. And it went up but dropping the toy, my heart dropped too, Laksh immediately leaned more almost knocking me out but he had me stable with an arm instantly wrapped around my waist from behind.

My eyes widened

Laksh turned the stick back before it went to its original position but how can he? It's only one try.

"It's broken" he whispered in my ear telling his secret trick for it. The claw moved rightwards again it jaw opened to nab that yellow circular plush.

"Press-
Before Laksh could remind me I pressed it hard. Ow- oh wait!

It clawed it!!!

"Oh my gosh!!!"
I screamed turning around throwing my arms to Laksh pulling him for a quite enthusiastic hug Laksh held me by one arm while continued the work of dropping the toy in the hole.

The onlookers hooted.

Dear God

I hid my face in his shoulder laughing embarrassedly.

•

So the toy actually the emoticon was a flying kiss one. Laksh said he will take it when I blushed all the way home eating ice cream to cool my face.

Like I can't even keep the smile off my face I was feeling so giddy with a big sack of soft toys like Santa I carried. This reminded me of the happy part of my childhood with new memories now.

The staff called for the manager seeing the commotion but we were quick enough to leave the place before we were held for questioning for an almost empty claw machine now.

"How do you know I mean from where you got to know that broken claw machine works!"I asked staring at the mint chocolate chip ice cream. Wondering how the hell can some people actually 'eat' ice cream? The process is all about it licking it and keep it in your mouth until it melts.

He shrugged his shoulders moving ahead with his hands shoved in his hoodie pockets.

I frowned keeping up with him by covering the distance.

It was evening nearly dark with a chill winter breeze blowing.

I looked at the sky it was darkish blue when stared longer it appeared like a black canvas with streaks and a blend of hues. The sight was soothing like the atmosphere at the moment.

Sky at any time of the day has the most mesmerizing view. You just have to let your imagination lead you and you will notice all the wonders. Like, I could even spot some silver with shades of purple in the clouds.

It's fascinating how the longer you stare the more amazing things you spot? Like it's just there it was right out there, required a little change of your perception, its angle, the way you look it? From where you look? how long you look at it?. Things are all out there clear to be noticed, it's just all about perception.

"I got it when I was small. All the games were used to be crowded with other kids and I never got the chance to play them. I was -

"Shy?" I offered slowly.

He rubbed his neck awkwardly, "yeah that too and my parents made sure I stayed away from other kids they knew I would lose temper get into fights so yeah they were like you go play on the ones that are not taken over or hovered by other kids. That left me to the broken machines only or hammer one which I smashed I even lost count of how many times I did it. So yeah broken were never removed until clearly spotted by someone in fact if you notice properly there are more broken machines in the arcades, they looked like they are working but there is some or other malfunction in them you just have to be observant enough to notice it, use it wisely for your benefit and if they don't have-

"They are rigged," I said.

"Not all but yeah mostly" he agreed continuing the walk

I took small steps,
"Was it like hard for you being shy?" I asked licking my ice cream.

"Not it wasn't just I didn't have friends and yeah more than often my teachers marked me absent in the class when I sat right in front-

"Okay yeah well wrong question not to get snarky at me now," I said side glancing at him.

"I am not being sarcastic, it wasn't really a big problem"

"Uh-huh?" I hmmed not believing at all. He didn't have to lie to me. I won't really judge him.

"Until now"

I looked at him.

He was staring ahead.

"You felt lonely?" I asked guessing.

He shook his head then face me, "to feel lonely you have to first know what's it like when you weren't lonely? I didn't know the difference I didn't see the point, until now"

"Until now" I repeated in a low voice walking ahead absentmindedly. That's correct I knew how I was before, it was far from lonely. Far from now how I am.

Yep right you'll never know its absence unless you felt its present.
The same could be said about friendship
About love about anything...

"That's really deep" I looked back at Laksh. He was stopped there rooted to the same spot gazing at me.

Well, sometimes we are too busy wallowing in our own misery we forget others are no better than us. It's so wrong of me to treat myself special saying everything happens with me and God's unfair it's so unjust when I was selfishly only focused on me.

Like what did I think that this world has only me on it?

Shit, I am sharing it with seven billion peeps and God will choose me to be unfair to? This much stats I have also studied.

I smiled walking to Laksh couldn't decipher what was it but this boy could make me feel better even with few words even looking so small showing himself the glimpse of a shy vulnerable kid right in front of me to tell me I wasn't alone with dealing something difficult and I wasn't the only one to know how loneliness feels like.

I reached over tentatively stopped in front of him. Feeling shy all of a sudden.

Geez, it's either shy or full going on horny mood. My body system was really complicated and chaotic.

I took one more step raised my arms getting all awkward. Laksh saved me from further torture. He pulled me in a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around his back nuzzled my head to his chest the cologne was getting way too familiar for my own good. I mumbled, "you know you're not lonely you have a very savage a born winner Rival with you?" I asked closing my eyes listening to his heartbeat raging mines.

"I know I got to know" he said his lips on my ear arms tightening around my waist.

"You're making it difficult I only want you physically" I almost cried at that point. I will break to no repair if once again I fall. Because this time it looks real

"what's your favorite singer Laksh?"

"Kishore Kumar, why?"

••

Don't be stingy vote on both the chapters 😑