Love On The Field

3

(Pc- Pinterest)

Anu plopped down in front of me, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "What's got you so engrossed?" she asked, nodding towards my phone. The classroom was its usual chaotic self, but I was focused on the football team members' data Coach had sent me that morning.

"Just checking out the football team's stats," I replied, not looking up. Anu's excitement was palpable as she asked, "Have you met AC yet?" I raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Who's AC?" Anu's jaw dropped. "You don't know who AC is?!" I shrugged, and she teased, "Figures."
"He's the football team captain," she revealed, a sly grin spreading across her face.
I was impressed despite myself. "How do you know everything about this college?" Anu winked. "I have my ways, babe." She patted my shoulder, and I rolled my eyes.

"Spill about AC," she said, curiosity getting the better of her. "Haven't met him yet," I admitted. Anu started to say something but stopped as the teacher walked in, and we both turned our attention to the front of the classroom.
_

"These classes are so boring," Anu yawned, stretching her arms overhead. We had just finished our class and were heading to the canteen, seeking a much-needed break.
As we walked, I couldn't help but think of a quote I'd seen somewhere: "Meri college ane mein sirf auto wale bhaiya aur canteen wale uncle ka hi kuchh fayda ho rahe hain." I chuckled to myself, thinking it was surprisingly true. Our college experience seemed to be a never-ending cycle of mundane classes, with only the occasional wisdom from unexpected quarters.

"Buy me this," Anu said, pointing at a packet of chips with a smile that made my eyes roll. "Just go buy it yourself, I don't have money," I replied, which was true. "Go ahead and buy yourself anything you want, I'll save the seat for you," I said, and with that, I headed towards a table, placing my belongings on a chair and sitting down next to it.

"Look, it's not even cooked properly," Anu complained, glaring at the chef who was far away. She was always like that - criticizing the canteen food, yet somehow still managing to eat it every day. It was a routine I had grown accustomed to, and I couldn't help but chuckle at her predictability.

Her mother passed away just as she was about to take her 10th board exams. As an only child, she and her father suffered greatly. Despite the challenges, Anu grew into a brilliant student, passionate about her studies - a stark contrast to me. She genuinely loves what she does, and her enthusiasm is inspiring, unlike me.

My gaze drifted behind Anu, and a tall figure came into view. Abhimanyu, sweaty and clad in shorts, was ruffling his hair, accompanied by Rishi - the same boy I had seen on the football field that day. As Abhimanyu gulped water, his Adam's apple moved, drawing my attention to his handsome features. He spoke calmly and gently, his voice soothing. However, his nose scrunched up, betraying a hint of disagreement with Rishi, his expression a picture of mild annoyance.

Cute.

"Are you even listening to me?" Anu shifted uncomfortably in her seat, jerking my attention away from him and back to her.
"Haa," I replied,
"You never listen to me," she whined, her voice laced with mock despair. I raised an eyebrow, disapproving of her claim, since listening to others was one of the few things I was actually good at.

"Tui bodle gechis," she pouted, wiping away fake tears as she gazed at me with a hint of sarcasm.

"You'd be famous if you were in a drama," I said sarcastically.

-

"You're late," Abhimanyu said, glancing at his wristwatch. "Sorry, the class ran a bit longer than usual," I murmured, taking a seat beside him.

"Here, I gave you some basic math, do it," he said, sliding me a notebook.

I lowered my head, internally laughing at myself and feeling embarrassed, because there was no way I knew this stuff.

I could feel his gaze on me, and I slowly looked up at him, "Ha ha ha, I-" I started to say, but stopped as he raised an eyebrow.
"I think I'm stupid," I admitted, feeling defeated, and closed my mouth, unable to continue.

With a gentle whisper, he said, "Listen carefully," as he took the notebook from me.

His eyes met mine, holding my attention.

Then, with a calm and measured tone, he began to explain the concepts in a way that was both clear and captivating. His teaching style was a remarkable blend of simplicity and insight, making even the most complex ideas seem straightforward and easy to grasp.

"Thank you," I muttered, taking the notebook from him. I worked on the next problem for a few minutes, proving to myself that I'm not dumb, I just struggle with math - and honestly, this course isn't for me.

"Good," he muttered in response.
"Huh?" I asked, confused.
"Thanks for today," I said, giving him a small smile.

He slid me some papers. "Here are the previous years' questions. You can check them and practice at home. I'll correct them tomorrow," he said briefly, and I nodded in response. "Ah, thank you so much," I thanked him, taking the sheets from the table.
-

"Boo!"
"Ahhhhh!" I screamed as my brother suddenly startled me from behind. "Don't you know how to knock?!" I yelled at him, who was laughing hysterically.
"Knock? Why do I need to knock?" He shrugged, still chuckling.

"I am an adult now," I said, resting my arms on my waist and gazing at the papers scattered all over the floor. I had been going over the papers Abhimanyu gave me, but then this bandor.

"Adult? Look at your height, you're not even half of me, 1½ ft," he teased, flicking my forehead.

"1½ ft?? 1½ ft hobe tor girlfriend," I scoffed in irritation.

"Tch tch, you don't know how many girls are behind me," he said, smirking.

"Ewww," I made a disgusted face. "They have such bad taste," I said, shaking my head.

Making an offended face, he said, "Maa khete dakche" and left.

Shaking my head, I crouched down to pick up the papers.

The weather is chilly today, with Kali Puja just around the corner. I gazed at the flowy curtains and walked over to the window, rubbing my palms together. "I should wear a sweater," I thought, and pulled the window shut. My eyes drifted to the ground beside our house, where a boy was playing football alone, again.

"Doesn't he feel cold?" I wondered.

Lost in thought, I closed the window. Wrapping myself in the blanket, I opened my laptop and began to review the bio datas that the coach had sent, which I hadn't had a chance to look at earlier.

I scrolled through, reading all the datas. My eyes fixed on the screen as I saw a familiar face - the captain, jersey number 09, Abhimanyu Chatterjee.

"He's the captain?" I whispered to myself in surprise.