At the mall, everyone was merry. People were trendily dressed. The place was loud, colourful, chockful on that Christmas day. The families and kids were packed into the small arcade. With all the game consoles, bright blinking lights, and electronic video game music, the place looked like a mix of a sci-fi show and a crowded well-to-do fair.
A man bumped into some kids and spilt his drink. The kids couldn't help laughing. The man silently cursed as the drink spoiled the leather phone cover.
In a corner near the entrance, X stood silently watching the crowd. The joyful excitement of the kids and the hint of mob ugliness felt odd. All the commotion and crowd was claustrophobic. The people seemed oblivious to any of this.
Directly in front of him was one of those coin-operated machines where a kid could scoop as many candies with an overhanging mechanical contraption with metallic pincers. This sweet, little girl just did that, her parents watching over her. Some other parents were by the side with their kids.
Out of nowhere, three kids ran into the arcade, shouting, as if in a melee, and attacked the mouth of the machine where the candies poured out. The sweet, little girl was confused for a moment but then put in her hand with equal gusto before these other kids could snatch all of her catch. The mother got incensed, rebuked them heavily that they should have asked. One of the watchers sympathized with them for being kids. The adults didn't have any impact on these three other kids. They backed up a little with their spoils but didn't leave in case there was another round. This time though the parent was guarded. Seeing this, the three kids ran away, shouting wildly, playacting their adventures on one console to another like X does when out of cash. Nothing in the world seemed to bother the hardy, scraggly kids in that gaudy arcade on that Christmas day.
----
PS: Mall arcade in Banglore, Dec 25
