Felt and Fell

Thirty-Five

Zoya

I was sitting in a high-stakes meeting, surrounded by colleagues and clients, my attention divided between the presentation on the screen and the incessant buzzing of my phone in my bag.

Each vibration felt like a tiny jab of guilt, but I knew I couldn’t afford any distractions right now.

The stakes were too high.

Aditya had been looking forward to this evening for weeks—the ISL football game was a big deal for him.

The gleam in his eyes when he first got the tickets was unforgettable; he had been so excited about attending it together.

Aditya loved football, always had. So much that he'd stay to watch matches in the countries he flew to.

The days My Captain Hooda wasn't away flying, he was playing football. The sport wasn't just a hobby for him; it was a passion that invigorated him.

I sighed inwardly, hoping this meeting would end soon so I could join him in time.

I didn’t dare check my phone, though; the stakes were too high for the company.

Minutes turned into hours, and before I knew it, the sun had dipped low in the sky.

Finally, the meeting concluded. I quickly gathered my things and almost sprinted out of the conference room. I fished my phone out of my bag and saw multiple missed calls and messages from Aditya.

My heart sank as I glanced at the time—9:30 PM. The match would have started by now, and I felt a pang of guilt wash over me.

I scrolled through the messages:
'Hey shortcake, when are you leaving?'
'I’m waiting outside the stadium.'
'Zoya? Are you coming?'
'I hope everything’s okay. I’m worried.'
'The match is about to start. Where are you?'
'Baby???'

My throat tightened as I read his last message:

'I guess you couldn’t make it. I’m heading back. Call me when you can.'

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. I dialed Aditya’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. I tried again, and when he didn’t answer, I decided to go straight to our house.

I could only imagine how disappointed he must be, waiting alone outside the stadium, excitement turning to concern and then to resignation.

When I arrived home, I found Aditya sitting on the couch, flipping through channels absentmindedly.

His face lit up briefly when he saw me, but it was clear he was hurt. The flicker of joy was quickly overshadowed by the disappointment in his eyes.

“Aditya, I’m so sorry,” I started, my voice trembling. “The meeting ran late, and I couldn’t check my phone. I didn’t mean to—”

"You could have at least informed me that you had a meeting," he interrupted, his tone laced with disappointment. "I was waiting outside the stadium, Zoya. I thought something had happened to you."

I swallowed hard, guilt flooding over me. “I know, I should have told you. But everything happened so fast. This deal is worth crores, and I got caught up.”

Aditya sighed, his shoulders slumping. “I understand that your work is important, Zoya. But I was excited about this evening. I was looking forward to spending time with you, sharing something I love...”

I moved closer to him, reaching out to touch his arm. “I know, and I wanted to be there with you.... I hate that I let you down.”

He looked at me, his eyes softening slightly but still holding a hint of hurt. “It’s not just....the game. It’s about us, making time for each other..... We already barely have time for each other....and now.... planning beforehand isn't any good...”