Yo! Good evening!

Well, I've never written fics with the first-person narrative. I usually speak from the third-person narrative point of view as an omniscient narrator. But this chapter, I'll be writing from Sanskar's point of view. Let's see how it goes!

Moving on... 💃💃💃

"Words in double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

(Words in braces) - Telephone conversations

Chapter 9

#Sanskar's P.O.V#

Desperate.

That was one word which I would like to describe myself right now.

Desperate to get out.

Desperate to get someone to tell me this is just a dream.

Desperate to get away from here.

Far away.

Far, far away.

Ragini shifted beside me and looked back towards a man. He looked like he was in his mid-thirties.

"Hi! So you decided to sit there. Sorry for earlier though." she said with a meek voice.

I watched as the man let out a sigh and shook his head. "Okay young lady. But you shouldn't push people out like that. Remember it next time, alright?"

She nodded and smiled towards him. She then turned and sat back comfortably on her seat.

I wish I could be care-free like her. As I looked down, I could feel my palms get wet with sweat.

Hey, it rhymes!

Joking to myself? Yeah.

That is all I can do right now to calm down my nerves.

Every second as I sat beside her on the ride, I could feel the bile rise into my throat. From the corner of my eyes, I could see her excited face as she awaited for the ride to start. Her pink lips forming a broad smile unconsciously.

I felt pity at myself. I wish I could enjoy the ride as well...like I once used to as a child until...

I shook my head to rid myself of those thoughts. After all, it was no use digging up old scars.

"Something wrong?"

I turned to her at her question. "No. Nothing Ragini."

She smiled a coy smile at me. She looks pretty when she does it. I don't think she realizes how beautiful she is. Her heart-shaped face, her brown eyes, her rosy cheeks with her natural blush. When she smiles, her eyes seems to light up with an innocence...something which attracts me the most.

I blinked as she waved a hand before my eyes. It would seem she was speaking something to me. Oops!

"Earth to Sanskar, earth to Sanskar!?"

"Quit shouting. I was busy thinking about an important matter which distracted me. What is it that you were asking?"

I watched as her lips turned into a frown and her eye twitched in irritation. With the expression she was making, I was sure she was about to tear me a new one.

"Arrogant Maheshwari! I asked you if you're feeling uncomfortable with my idea and want to get off before the ride starts. I was thinking for your benefit and you? You don't even have the audacity to be a little polite!?"

See? Told ya.

It's amazing how such a little thing can shout so much.

"Are you even listening to me nitwit!?"

"Yes I am okay! And you're right Ragini. I think it's better if I get off."

"Are you sure? I mean, I could have helped you get over your fear." she said with a sad pout.

Aww...cute. If it was any other case, I would have stayed for her. But the fear that is in my mind is something that I don't want to face.

"I know you mean well. But I th-" as I was about to get out of my seat, I heard the slow rumbling of the gears turning.

I knew it was too late now.

The ride was already starting.

Fear invaded my mind and I gripped the seat harder.

"I...I guess it's too late." she spoke, looking at me with something akin to sympathy.

I don't want anyone's sympathy. I'm not weak!

"Whatever! It's your fault I ended up here Ragini. If anything goes wrong, just wait and see what I do!"

I felt a bit guilty as I watched her flinch at my words.

"Sorry."

What the heck is wrong other her?! I don't want to hear a sorry. I was being rude to her in hopes that she will strike back verbally, thus provide me something to think about and distract me from my fear. But here she is being apologetic at the wrong time in the wrong moment!

I sucked in a deep breath and tried to calm myself. I closed my eyes as the ride slowly sped up.

I can do this.

I'm Sanskar Maheshwari.

I can do this!

However, the moment the ride sped up and descended, I felt as if my heart dropped down to my stomach and then flew out of my mouth.

The sound of the people in the back and front kept screaming reached my ears.

Was with delight? Or was it because of their fear? Was it excitement?

I didn't have time to contemplate on anything. My own fear was eating me from the inside. And all the chaos was making it worse.

I...I couldn't breathe. I could feel my lungs clogging up with the onset of a panic attack.

I tried to suck in air but it wasn't helping in the chaos. All the people's voices were making my mind a disoriented mess!

Out of all the voices, I recognized one particular voice that reached my ear.

It was Ragini's.

"Woo! Yeah! Woo-hoo! Faster! Yeah!"

I singled out her voice from amongst all others and concentrated on it. I tried to block out all other sounds and only pay attention to her voice.

She was the only familiar thing to me in this chaos.

My lifeline. My savior.

As I listened to her voice, my breaths settled down and was slowly returning to my normal state. Although she wasn't being obnoxious (as usual) her voice was comforting to me.

It was a chaos. But a much needed chaos that I embraced with my heart.

I could feel myself calm down and the fear being pushed to the periphery of my mind. Maybe this was me overcoming my fear?

Maybe her idea wasn't so bad after all.

Suddenly, I felt a jolt.

Guess I jinxed the fun-ride with my thought. Just when I thought everything was fine, something had to turn up to ruin it, didn't it?

Slowly, I opened my eyes to know what the matter was.

Yeah, I had my eyes closed till now. What can I say? My fear overtook my rationality, making me act like a scaredy cat.

I'm only human after all. Quit judging me!

The situation around me changed. There was complete silence.

But only for a moment.

Soon, the ruckus broke out again, but this time of a different kind.

The ride wasn't moving and the people's faces weren't those of happiness. They seemed distressed, panicky even.

To get a proper look, I dared to look to the side.

I wish I hadn't.

We were so high up from the ground that the highest buildings at the distance were at equal height as my eye level.

I couldn't resist myself from looking down out of curiosity and gulped in fear.

The ground looked so distant. And the people there looked like ants.

So this is what birds might feel like while looking down.

However, what was eating up my mind was why the ride wasn't moving.

Believe me when I say I don't like the ride. But the sooner it starts, the sooner I can get off this terror ride!

Ragini's voice broke me out of my thoughts.

"Um...I think..."

"Think what?" I pressed on when it was clear to me that she wouldn't finish her sentence.

"I think...there's a wittle, tinsy-winsy problem."

I glared at her as she was being cryptic. She gave me a sheepish look.

"Ragini, would you stop beating around the bush and spit out the truth already?!"

"Well um...there's no way to sugar-coat it." she took a deep breath and looked at me in the eye. "Sanskar, the ride has malfunctioned. We're stuck here until the workers fix the problem and restart it again."

...

...

...

"Um...Sanskar? Oi moron! You okay?" my brain seemed to have malfunctioned along with the ride and lost all coherent thought from the shock. It came back to reality when she poked me on the arm.

Now I know why the people were shouting in distress. It was because of the ride had malfunctioned.

Malfunctioned?

Malfunctioned?!

MALFUNCTIONED!?

I could feel my breaths quickening. There was a burning sensation in my lungs from being out of breath.

"Sanskar?" I could hear her uncertain voice. I don't blame her for not knowing what to do at a situation like this. After all, if I was in her position looking at someone getting close to a panic attack, I would feel uncertain as well.

"Sa-Sanskar? Sanskar! Oh my goodness! Sanskar!? Can you hear me?!"

She was panicking. I bet there was a look of horror on her face seeing my state, but I didn't have the time tolook at her. Only thing I was concentrating on was getting in some air. All I could feel was suffocation. Sweat drops rolled down my face. With shaky hands, I loosened my coat and opened the top button of my shirt in hopes of getting fresh air.

However, it didn't seem to be helping.

"Sanskar! What's wrong!? Sanskar!"

"C-can't...can't b-breathe!" I managed to speak despite the light-headedness that I felt. I was almost seeing black dots before my eyes.

"Oh no! What do I do? What do I do!?"

I squeezed my eyes closed, but felt her touch on my shoulder.

"Sanskar, try to breathe! Try taking deep gulps of air!"

"W-what...what e-else do you...th-think I've been tryi-ing to d-do?!"

"Eep! Sorry sorry! I can't think straight. I've never faced such a situation before!"

I couldn't blame her. After all, she was right. She didn't expect me to get this worse. Through the pain and suffocation, I heard her voice flutter in my ears.

"I think you can't breathe because you're panicking to much! Try to relax. Think of something good. Think of something happy. Think of...of...of flowers, of your parents, your sibling, your friends like Swara or me or Caleb."

Even though I couldn't verbally express my thoughts at the moment right then, I glared as hard as I could. She raised her hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay! Sorry, not Caleb! That isn't helping calm you down." her face turned from distressed to outright horrific, no doubt seeing my condition.

Suddenly, her expression turned to one of realization. She bit her lip and looked at me with uncertainty, as if contemplating whether to do what she was thinking of or not. Her reasoning seemed to win and she made a determined face.

I couldn't keep my eyes open through the pain of suffocation I felt in my lungs and squeezed them shut.

Was this my end?

Dying on top of a roller-coaster at the heights?

Well, at least my death is on a cool spot in a non-boring way with a smexy girl beside me.

I was talking nonsense, I know. But there was nothing else I could do. I thought since I was bound to a miserable fate, why not just go being humorous?

Before I could make sense of anything, I felt someone hold my face in their hands and turn my face to the side.

After that...

After that what happened was more of a shock than what a high volt electric current.

I could feel a pressure of someone's soft lips.

On my lips.

I was being kissed.

By?

I opened my eyes and found Ragini's face right in front of me.

So it was her lips on me?

But aren't they attached to her body?

That means Ragini was kissing me?

Oh.

...

...

OH!

RAGINI WAS FREAKING KISSING ME!?

I couldn't describe the joy I felt at that moment. Slowly, I closed my eyes and responded to her kiss, and brought my hands to hold her waist.

I could hear the same man from earlier saying to 'turn off the PDA' from the back seat. However, I was too lost in my world of bliss to give a damn about him.

But I guess Ragini minded since at once she broke away from me.

Would someone know if I push that man off the ride right now? I really want to.

"Oh my...I can't believe it actually worked." she said, looking at me wide-eyed. "Do you feel better now? Can you breathe?"

"Eh?"

Woah! How eloquent Sanskar Maheshwari. She just asked you something and you replied with an 'eh?' How eloquent indeed.

Did I ever tell you how much I hated the sarcastic part of my brain?

I realized that Ragini had been staring at me for sometime, looking at me expectantly. I cleared my throat and proceeded to answer. "I...I feel alright now. Yeah, I can breathe."

"Thank goodness! I'm sorry I did it without your permission, but that was only way I could think of an-"

"It's okay Ragini. I understand."

Of course I didn't mind her kissing me. In fact, I won't mind her doing it again!

"I was desperate to help you by any means possible. You looked blue from the lack of air and so I did it." she said all in one breath. "I saw it on a T. V show where the girl kissed the boy to stop his panic attack. You said you love me and so I thought me kissing you would work! Never thought it actually would work though. Three cheers for me! Ragini, the awesome wonder women, savior of male damsels in distress..." and she continued on singing praises of herself.

However, my mind was now able to process the events clearly.

I was panicking and so she kissed me just to calm me down.

To calm me down, so that I can take in breaths again. So that I was out of harm's way.

She did it to save my life. She didn't have any romantic feelings behind it.

At this realization, only one image came to my mind.

The image of my bubble of bliss being pricked by a needle. My male pride being ripped to shreds.

Ouch.

"Hey Sanskar. Good news! I just heard the people at the back say that the problem was fixed. We're ready to roll once again!"

I envied her ability to go back to the way she was acting a few minutes ago without any awkwardness from the kiss.

Like as if she and I never kissed. Like the kiss wasn't of any meaning to her. Like it was just a desperate measure at the desperate time.

That hurt my pride.

She just got to kiss Sanskar Maheshwari and she acts like it was no big deal?

She should be squealing about how awesome kiss it was or...or...or...ugh!

Just anything would do instead of this indifference towards it. How could she not be affected when I clearly was!?

I could feel my eye twitch in irritation and got ready to give her a piece of my mind.

Just when I was about to speak, I heard the groan of the roller-coaster. It was about to start.

What a timing!

Well, better get ready. Closing my eyes, check! Holding on tightly to the seat, check!

Suddenly, I felt a hand cover mine.

I opened my eyes and looked at the hand. It was indeed Ragini's. I looked at her in question.

She smiled her beautiful smile in return.

Wasn't I supposed to be angry at her? But she's making it hard with that cute face and innocent smile. How am I supposed to defend myself against such a weapon? This is totally unfair!

"Sanskar, hold onto my hand. That way, you'll feel less afraid."

"I'm not afraid! I'm just uncomfortable."

It was lame excuse and I knew it. After the way I panicked, it was even useless trying to lie. But my pride and ego would never let me admit my fear.

Ragini, however, didn't point out the obvious fact. She instead entwined her fingers with mine and held my hand more firmly. "I know. But I'm feeling a bit afraid, and hence I'm holding your hand Sanskar."

However, we both knew who was actually afraid.

For the first time in my life time, I found someone like her.

She was not perfect. In fact, she was far from perfect. She cussed, she was obnoxious, she was a chatter-box, a loud-mouth, a foodie through and through.

She was also not exceptionally beautiful. I've sen much more beautiful, graceful, elegant and luxurious women.

But she was in a word...

Unique.

She had her imperfections, she had her flaws...but that was only making her more beautiful to me.

Not outward beauty that would eventually decay with time. But her inner beauty that she possessed.

I tightened my grip on her as the ride re-started.

Throughout the ride, the whole time, I kept looking at her face as she kept staring ahead and enjoyed the ride.

The world around me was moving, but all I was paying attention to was her face.

Till now, I've wanted her because of her independent attitude, her will to not be restrained, her dominant and assertive nature.

But now...now I want her because she actually makes me happy. My heart and my soul feels at peace when I look at her.

Although I wanted her to marry me, it was a challenge for me.

But now, you aren't a challenge anymore Ragini.

You've become my promise.

I promise you Ragini. I promise to make you mine and show you what a good husband I can be. I will show you that I was made for you and you for me.

I promise you.

#End of Sanskar's P.O.V#

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To be continued...

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~ 🌹 Mona 🌹