EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED

8. The Wrestling Match

There was a paper stuck on there with a soft pin!

Anupamaa Merchant v/s Anuj Bharadwaj

Wrestling competition.

Venue :- Isn't that obvious!? Wrestling Arena.
Time:- 3:00 pm

Only an idiot of the two would run away from the ‘battlefield’!!

Anuj took that page out and tore it apart.

"There are 124 soft boards in college and it's on every single one of them. How many would you tear....!!??", A random boy told.

Anuj felt both angry and scared. He might not win but he did overpower her last night so one can never be sure. He couldn't focus in classes the entire day. His fingers were shivering but he had decided he would face her on the mat and break her nose for having poked it unnecessarily in his business in the past. He had heard from everyone how top-class she is and it was quite discouraging but it now looked like he has no option. He can't backoff now and give the whole college one more thing to tease him about.

"Khud vo karti hain meri life me jabardasti ki interference to unhe realise ni hota ki mujhe kaisa lagta hoga!? Aur ab!! Uggghh!! Ab jab main sirf help karne ki koshish kar ra to attitude dikha rahi hain vo mujhe... Itna attitude aata kahan se hai unke ander!!", he marched to the venue talking to himself.

And a lot of people had gathered to see it knowing their dislike for each other. Anupamaa was there in her wrestling dress. Her hair pleated in a neat french braid and for the first time he noticed how many muscles her arms had! She flexed her shoulders and her muscles edged out. Her thighs, strong and stiff. She looked intimidating!

'Baap rey....', Anuj gulped.

"You wanna fight in jeans!!" she asked.

"I'll change....!!", he went in ignoring the muscles of her arms between which he was going to be crushed and Manik was in the room.

"Are you out of your mind, Anuj!? Usse ladoge tum? Do minute me haath pair tod degi tumhare!!", he pressed his temples.

"I know!!", he gulped.

"You didn't tell me there is a match between you two!?", he asked.

"I didn't know myself how would I tell you? Give me something to wear...."

Manik gave him and he changed. "She's a professional! State level player!"

"I know Dad... I didn't invite her to come and please kindly land her punch on my nose!"

"Back off!!"

"No I won't!!!"

"Fine then... All the best!", Manik wished.

"Is it gonna work...??"

"In front of her!? On wrestling mat!? You!? Not a chance!! That's why I'm saying just let it be... Say you don't want to fight that' it! As simple as that......"

"I can't... It's not as simple as that...."

"You shouldn't have accepted the challenge!!"

"I did not accept... I came to college and it was just there... Pinned on the board and that's it... Here I am!! But if she wants it!! Let us do it!!", she slapped his fist on the palm of the other hand.

"Do good...!!"

"You're gonna support me right!?"

"I am not going to support anyone...!!"

"You are my dad...!!!", he frowned.

"And her coach...!!", he shrugged.

Vanraj was sitting there on the side and waved at Anupamaa who waved back. He called her. She went to him and they hadn't talked enough since yesterday nor had she told him what Anuj said. She looked around but he was sitting with just a bunch of his male friends nothing ambiguous about it.