Chapter 11: The Last Carousel

The air was electric, thick with the scent of buttered popcorn, spun sugar, and the mechanical hum of a hundred spinning lights. The exhibition was a sea of neon—purples, pinks, and golds reflecting in Malini’s wide, excited eyes. For a few hours, the shadows that haunted Priya seemed to vanish.

"Giant wheel! First thing!" Raji declared, her eyes sparkling like a teenager's. She grabbed Suri’s hand, pulling him toward the towering structure that scraped the night sky.

Suri planted his feet. "You go ahead. I’ll... I’ll wait here. I need to buy popcorn."

"Popcorn can wait, Husband-garu," Raji teased, tugging harder. "Are you telling me you're choosing a bag of corn over a romantic ride with your wife?"

"It’s not the corn," Suri muttered, his face turning a deep shade of red. "It’s... the distance between my feet and the solid earth."

The girls erupted into laughter.

"Nanna! Are you actually afraid of heights?" Malini giggled, clutching her stomach.

"Is that why you refused to move to the sixth-floor apartment?" Priya asked, joining in. "You told Ma it was because of the 'ventilation,' but it was actually the balcony!"

"Fine, fine! Laugh at your old man," Suri grumbled, though a small smile played on his lips. "I prefer the ground. The ground is loyal. The ground doesn't move."

Raji didn't let him off. She leaned in, her voice mock-serious. "As punishment for keeping this secret for twenty years, you are riding the Ferris wheel. I’ll be right there to hold your hand when you scream like a baby."

Watching them walk away—Raji dragging a trembling Suri—Priya felt a lump in her throat. She looked at Malini, who was happily devouring a pink cloud of cotton candy.

"You okay, Akka?" Malini asked, offering a sticky piece.

"I’m perfect," Priya whispered. She realized she had spent so much time fighting with Malini that she had forgotten how to just be with her.

They rode the roller coaster—a mistake that left Priya sobbing in mock-terror while Malini cheered—and ate spicy noodles until their tongues burned. It was a montage of pure, unadulterated love. A memory meant to last a lifetime.

They didn't know it was the last memory they would ever make together.