The city passed by in blurs of grey concrete and streaks of sunlight, the morning bustle alive with vendors opening shop shutters, schoolchildren waiting at bus stops, and the endless stream of honks from impatient drivers. Inside the Thar, Arjun's grip on the steering wheel was firm, but his knuckles weren't white; it wasn't tension exactly—just that weight of unspoken thought that pressed against his chest. His gaze stayed on the road, but Shruti could tell his mind was still at the airport, or maybe even further—already in Mumbai with his father.
She watched him quietly, her chin resting lightly on her palm. His lips were drawn in a thin line, his eyes focused yet unfocused, as if seeing through the traffic, beyond the present moment. The silence between them wasn't cold, nor awkward. But it was heavy—like both of them felt the need to say something and neither wanted to be the first.
Then, as if a light switched on inside her head, Shruti straightened in her seat, her eyes bright with sudden purpose. "Take me to the gaming plaza," she said, voice firm, decisive.
Arjun blinked, startled out of his thoughts. "What?" He darted a glance at her, eyebrows furrowing.
"I want to go to the gaming plaza," she repeated, folding her arms across her chest like she'd just declared something perfectly reasonable, as if it had been their plan all along.
Arjun stared at her for a second longer before letting out a short laugh. "Now? You're serious?"
"Dead serious," she replied, eyes locked on the windshield ahead. "Right now."
He shook his head, half amused, half bewildered. "Shruti… we just dropped off Appa at the airport. And you want to go play video games?"
"Exactly," she said, glancing at him with a stubborn glint in her eye. "I want to play. With you."
Arjun smirked, trying—and failing—to hide the way his lips threatened to curl into a grin. "This is... really random, you know that?"
"So what? You like random," she shot back, tilting her head. "I want to go. I want to shoot zombies. Or race cars. Or whatever you play when you want to forget stuff."
That softened him more than he expected. The way she said it—not just playful, but as if she'd made a quiet vow to pull him out of his own thoughts, to share the weight he was carrying. His heart eased, the fog in his head clearing just a little.
"Alright," he said, the smile breaking through at last. "Let's go game our sorrows away. You're paying if we lose."
"Ha! I'll pay when we lose because of you," she teased, tapping his arm.
"Excuse me? I am a pro at gaming plazas. I have a reputation."
"Oh really? I can't wait to see this 'pro' in action," she said, her tone half-challenge, half-laughter.
He glanced at her sideways, a warmth in his eyes now. "Deal. But I warn you—I don't go easy on first-timers."
Shruti leaned back, satisfied. "Good. I wouldn't want it any other way."
He turned the car toward the lane that led to the plaza, the city's noise still a hum outside, but inside the Thar, the air felt lighter. Like the weight of goodbye hadn't disappeared—but at least for now, it didn't feel so heavy.
And as the plaza's neon sign came into view, Arjun shook his head with a quiet chuckle. "You're something else, Shruti."
She beamed. "I know."
---
The gaming plaza pulsed with life—bright neon signs flickered across every wall, casting streaks of electric pinks and blues over the buzzing crowd. The sharp scent of synthetic buttered popcorn mingled with the metallic tang of tokens and coins. Machines beeped, clanged, and sang—some celebrating victories with triumphant jingles, others mocking defeats with harsh buzzers that cut through the air.
As soon as they stepped inside, Shruti's eyes widened, her face lighting up like a kid let loose in a candy store. "We're playing everything," she declared, grabbing Arjun's wrist and practically dragging him forward.
Arjun laughed, letting her take the lead. "Everything? You planning to bankrupt me in one evening?"
She shot him a quick grin over her shoulder. "Absolutely. Starting with this." She stopped in front of the basketball hoop shootout machine.
The machine blinked to life as they inserted tokens, and the balls rolled into place. Arjun rolled up his sleeves, smirking. "You're about to witness greatness."
"Uh-huh. We'll see about that, Mr. Overconfident."
The timer started. Arjun's hands moved with ease, flicking one ball after another with calm, practiced precision. The balls sailed clean through the hoops, the machine chiming points with each perfect shot.
Shruti, meanwhile, picked up a ball, aimed, and launched it—only to have it bounce hard off the rim, ricochet off the side barrier, and roll right back toward her feet. She stared at it in disbelief.
"Hey!" she cried, pointing accusingly. "That one fought back!"
Arjun burst out laughing mid-shot. "Maybe it sensed your intimidation tactics."
"Or maybe it knows I'm saving my skills for later," she shot back, attempting another throw, this one at least hitting the board before bouncing away harmlessly.
When the timer ended, Arjun's score blinked on the screen—impressively high. Shruti's, on the other hand, barely registered.
"I was...warming up," she said defensively.
"Sure," Arjun said, grinning as he ruffled her hair. "Warm up all you want, champ."
Next stop: the car racing simulators. They buckled into the faux seats, VR visors down, hands gripping the plastic steering wheels. The starting countdown began, engines growled to life, and they sped off down digital tracks that wound through snowy mountain passes and neon-drenched cityscapes.
Arjun focused, weaving cleanly through tight bends, while Shruti zoomed ahead recklessly at first, overtaking him with a cheer. "Eat my dust!"
But then—crash.
"Nooo!" she yelped as her car slammed into a tunnel wall, sparks flying on the screen. "That tree came out of nowhere!"
Arjun's laughter echoed through the headset. "Right. The tree moved, did it?"
"Yes!" she insisted, half laughing, half groaning. "It was clearly a hostile tree!"
"Remind me not to let you drive in real life."
"Oh, like you're so perfect! Look at you—driving like a grandma."
"Grandma who's winning," he teased, crossing the finish line just as she tried to recover.
They moved on, adrenaline still high, to the air hockey table. Arjun barely let her touch the puck, his reflexes sharp, sending it zipping across the board before she could react.
Shruti narrowed her eyes. "Oh, it's on now."
"Hasn't it been on this whole time?" he teased, blocking another of her desperate swings with ease.
Then came the dance machine—the two of them hopping, jumping, and flailing to the beat. They missed more steps than they hit, but neither cared. They laughed breathlessly, hair sticking to their faces, completely out of sync but having the time of their lives.
Shruti wiped sweat from her brow, catching her breath. "Okay. Next. Fruit Ninja VR. Watch and learn."
Arjun raised a brow, slipping on the headset. "Prepare to be schooled."
He sliced through virtual fruit with precision, avoiding the hidden bombs with effortless flicks. Shruti went next, determined, but her blades kept hitting the wrong targets. Every few seconds—a virtual explosion, and the game buzzed in disapproval.
"You have ninja instincts," she complained, pulling off the headset as another bomb detonated on her.
"No," Arjun said with a laugh. "You have explosive enthusiasm."
Shruti swatted at him playfully, missing as he dodged back. "Just you wait, next round you're going down."
Then they entered the VR zone—the haunted house survival game. The moment the headsets were on, they were immersed in eerie, shadowed hallways, flickering lanterns, and distant creaks that made their skin crawl.
A ghostly figure lunged from a doorway. Shruti shrieked, instinctively grabbing Arjun's VR-clad arm. "Why is it always behind us?!"
"I told you not to take the creepy left corridor!" Arjun shouted, jerking back from another spectral jump scare.
"YOU opened the door!!"
"Because someone had to!"
They stumbled through the experience, yelping, laughing, and occasionally shouting directions at each other—always a second too late.
When they emerged, pulling off the headsets, both were flushed, their hearts racing. They collapsed onto the beanbags nearby, still giggling like kids who'd just escaped detention.
Arjun wiped his forehead. "Remind me why we thought that was a good idea?"
"Because it was awesome," Shruti said, grinning wide. "And because you screamed louder than me."
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
Before he could argue, she tugged at his hand. "Come on. One more thing. Let's watch one of those VR mini-movies."
"Shruti…"
"Please?" she pleaded, eyes shining.
He sighed, unable to say no. "Fine. But if it's about space aliens, I'm out."
They picked an underwater adventure, slipping the headsets back on. The world transformed—coral reefs glowing in soft pinks and greens, schools of bright fish darting past, a giant blue whale gliding above them in majestic, slow motion.
Both of them fell silent, breaths slowing, the weight of the day dissolving in the gentle sway of the virtual ocean. For a few magical moments, it felt like they floated there—alone, safe, surrounded by wonder.
When it ended, Shruti pulled off her headset, eyes wide. "That… was beautiful."
Arjun nodded, his voice quiet. "Yeah. It was."
And for the first time all day, his mind wasn't on the airport. It was here, with her, in that shared stillness.
Afterwards, they dove into one game after another, unstoppable in their playful chaos. First came the zombie shooting booth — a dark, neon-lit enclosure where the screens flickered with apocalyptic streets and groaning undead.
Shruti gripped the plastic gun like her life depended on it. "Cover me! I'm going in!"
Arjun smirked, aiming with deliberate calm. "It's virtual zombies, madam. No real danger."
"Tell that to the one that just bit my arm!" she cried, firing wildly. Her shots missed the target entirely, riddling the digital walls with holes.
Arjun laughed, picking off zombies one by one with precise headshots. "You know this isn't Fruit Ninja, right? You don't just swing and hope."
"Watch it, mister. I'm setting the mood."
The game ended with Arjun at double her score, but Shruti pumped her fist anyway. "Victory! We survived!"
He looked at her, amused. "We? I carried you."
"Carried my spirit maybe."
Next came the boxing simulator. They slipped on the gloves, and Arjun danced in place, bobbing his head. "Ready to face the champ?"
Shruti bounced on her toes, fists raised. "Bring it on. I'll knock that grin off your face."
The machine started, digital opponents flashing on screen, and they jabbed and swung at the sensors. Shruti's punches were all heart — wild, fast, and off-target — while Arjun's were slow but accurate. By the end, she was breathless and laughing.
"Okay," she panted, holding her sides. "That was harder than I thought."
Arjun wiped his brow dramatically. "I feel like I just went three rounds with you."
"Ha! Lucky for you it was virtual."
Then came the claw machines — a row of glass boxes filled with plush toys, keychains, and other trinkets that taunted hopeful players. Arjun dropped token after token, the claw descending, missing, sliding off the prizes.
Shruti teased him mercilessly. "So much for precision aim. Where's that zombie-slayer now?"
He scowled in mock concentration. "Shh. I got this."
Finally, after what felt like the hundredth try, the claw grabbed a lopsided teddy bear — its ear already drooping comically — and deposited it into the prize bin.
Arjun pulled it out with exaggerated triumph. "Behold! The prize of kings!"
He handed it to Shruti with a bow. "His name is Floppy," he announced.
She hugged the bear close, giggling. "Because of his ears?"
"Nope," Arjun said, smirking. "Because that's how your zombie shots went. Floppy aim."
Shruti gasped, stuck her tongue out at him, and mock-punched his arm. "You're awful."
"And yet, you're hugging Floppy. I win."
To be continued...