"Arzal, what are you doing here?"
Seraphina heard Nevada asking him but her heart ached when she saw Lyra, coming from behind.
"Because me and Arzal thought to enjoy the rest of the night with you all guys," Lyra answered, smilingly.
Nevada scoffed whereas Seraphina remained shut.
"Okay, now let's proceed further then," Evelyn uttered and everyone followed her words.
Seraphina also turned around but her eyes caught his reflection still staring at her in the mirror but this time, she trailed her eyes away from him and then walked away.
Taking her slow steps, Seraphina was following everyone but she had lost her very interest in each and everything, especially after they came. She wasn't looking at them but was clearly aware of Lyra clinging on him like a leech but the thing which hurted her more was, he wasn't even trying to part himself from her and why would he be, after all they were going to be together forever.
"Hey, Seph, look fireworks,"
Seraphina looked in front of her and her eyes widened and her mood immediately lightened up by watching the huge and beautiful fireworks, which were illuminating the darkness of the sky.
A lot of people had gathered there and were gazing at it. A huge smile crept on Seraphina's face because for a brief moment, she forgot about everything. Those beautiful fireworks had completely engulfed her mind, like she was a little kid.
People and children started clapping and cheering in excitement and enthusiasm.
"Wow, " Nevada remarked, staring at the sky, fascinated and jumping in excitement.
Seraphina couldn't control her happiness. She also started clapping and giggling in happiness, unaware of those grey eyes which filled with satisfaction and calmness by finding her so happy.
"It's so beautiful, Neva, " Seraphina uttered and clutched the arm of the person, standing beside her because she thought it was Nevada.
But as soon as she felt the burliness of that arm, Seraphina snapped her eyes towards it and her heartbeat inflated, finding those silver staring at her.
Despite everything, Seraphina could never deny the power of those grey eyes held over her existence, like they owned and possessed her entire being, from the very day they had fallen over her.
She was completely lost in him when a firecracker bursted out loudly. Seraphina flinched and held his arm more tightly. She somehow got closer to him, so close she could feel their bodies' warmth colliding.
"Seraphina,"
Seraphina came back to her senses, hearing Nevada's voice. She immediately detached herself from him and stepped back.
She turned around and noticed Nevada was staring at them, a little unusually.
"Is everything alright?" She asked and Seraphina just nodded.
Seraphina turned around and found him still gazing at her. She sighed and got away from him.
"So, here's today's last destination of the carnival," Evelyn uttered.
Seraphina saw a heart shaped stage where a couple of lights were falling on it and it was decorated with beautiful red heart shaped balloons but the thing which caught her attention the most was, the bold and big words flashing in between the stage. 'MARKING YOUR LOVE'
The couples were getting over that stage one by one and were kissing each other and there was a metre on the screen which was inflating or deflating, everytime a couple was kissing.
"So, here's the couple who will get full 100% in their love metre while kissing is going to win a big and a special prize," Nevada said, reading the rules written on a board.
"Wow... that sounds amazing," Evelyn giggled.
"Yeah but none of us can participate in it because remember we all are loveless," Nevada chuckled whereas Seraphina remained shut until.
"Hey! Not all of us. Mr Grayson and Ms. Bailey can try, as they are a couple and who knows they might win,"
Seraphina's soul turned numb, hearing Evelyn's words.
"Yeah.. Don't want to agree but she's right. You both should try, Arzal. I want to know what's the special prize," Nevada rolled her eyes.
Seraphina teared her eyes at him and looked at him, desperated. Desperate to hear his denial.
"No, I am not doing this childishness," He denied, as she had hoped.
"Come on, Arzal. It's just a kiss and it's not like you haven't kissed Lyra ever before. I bet you both have done more than kissing,"
Seraphina fisted her palms, as those words of Nevada were like venom to her ears.
"No, Nevada. I am n... "
"Please, please. Go and try," Nevada persuaded because she had no clue of the mess going in between them.
"I think we should try, Arzal. It won't hurt trying, if they want us to," Lyra uttered, slightly beaming.
And that was it for Seraphina to hold back her tears. Her gaze watered.
"Yeah, now she's agreeing. Go and kiss the love of your life, Arzal. Afterall you both are going to marry each other and the day after tomorrow is your engagement, so you both should get to know how much true your love is, for each other,"
The tears in her eyes turned more vigorous, hearing Nevada, especially when she collided his and Lyra's hand.
"Here, they would like to try," Nevada yelled, raising her hand and looking towards the announcer on that stage.
"Now go and kiss and get back with the special prize," Nevada pushed them towards the stage.
Seraphina, like a frozen statue, watched them getting on the stage. He wasn't halting. He was willingly going there, to wreck and shatter her already breaking heart into more pieces.
"Give a round of applause for this beautiful couple, everyone," The host announced and everyone started clapping and cheering for them but Seraphina. Her body had turned numb. Her heartbeat had completely dropped.
It looked like she had even forgotten breathing. Her watery eyes continued to stare at them, despite getting painfully broken by watching their closeness.
She was gazing at them, like a lifeless body, without blinking for once.
His palms were tightly fisted, so vigorously that his knuckles had turned pale. He made no attempts to get closer to Lyra or to hold her. He wanted to shove her away from him, as far as possible but even he was helpless because he couldn't risk Seraphina's life.
Arzal saw Lyra coming closer to him. He sighed and tossed his head, only to meet with those shimmering azure eyes in the crowd.
His chest tightened by witnessing the tears which were rolling down from her cheeks. He knew her enough to know how much it was hurting and breaking her.
Seraphina felt like someone was taking her heart out from her chest with each growing second. She witnessed their closeness which started making her suffocated.
Lyra was about to kiss him but Arzal's phone started ringing. He immediately stepped away from her and took out his phone. He saw Nicklaus's number flashing on it.
Arzal trailed his eyes at the crowd and noticed Nicklaus was nodding at him because Nicklaus had noticed everything which was happening there.
"This call is important. I've to take this," Arzal uttered and got down from the stage and walked away from there, leaving Lyra alone on the stage.
Lyra also came down from the stage after waiting for him for a couple of minutes but he didn't come back. Another couple got on the stage and then he came back.
"Damn, Arzal. You just ruin the... "
"Enough, Nevada," Nicklaus raised his voice and Nevada now got completely quiet.
"Let's go, we should head back home now. It's already late," Nicklaus further uttered and everyone nodded, until
"Where's Seraphina?" Arzal asked, scanning everywhere in search of her.
"Seraphina? She was just beside me a little while ago but... " Everyone panicked, whereas he gritted his teeth.
"Even Ryan isn't here. Where are they both?" Evelyn spoke
Arzal fished out his phone and dialled both of their numbers but they both were unreachable. He clenched his jaw and gripped his phone, which didn't go unnoticed by Nicklaus.
"They must be here somewhere. Let's find them," Nicklaus said and everyone started looking for them.
"Seraphina, don't cry please. Tell me what's wrong?" Ryan asked, worriedly looking at Seraphina, who was sitting on the bench and was crying her heart out.
Ryan saw Seraphina running away from that stage, so he followed her for her safety.
"Don't cry please," He requested because he didn't know why that poor soul was crying so badly.
Seraphina didn't open her mouth, instead started crying so hard that she started choking on her own tears because now her endurance had enough. She wasn't capable of holding back her pain anymore.
"Hey! Calm down, please calm down," Ryan turned more worried.
Trying to comfort her, he placed his one hand over shoulder and one on her head and started caressing her softly.
"Please calm down, Seraphina. Plea..,"
"Get the f#ck away from her,"
Both Seraphina and Ryan raised their heads, hearing that roaring voice and Seraphina chewed on her inner cheek by watching him.
"Boss?"
"Leave us alone," He spat, glaring at Ryan while walking towards them.
"And tell everyone that I have taken her back home because she wasn't feeling well," He commanded.
Ryan obediently nodded his head and left from there, leaving her alone with him.