ishq lost & found

37; Last Time

There was one thing Saad may have liked more than he liked Ranya. And that was soccer, his top sport. He had been playing from a young age, because his dad always dreamed of one of his sons being an athlete if they didn't have any academic goals. Luckily for him, he won the jackpot with his first son, who was book smart with the skills of a professional soccer player.

He had been playing his entire life, from the moment he could walk, to every opportunity he got during school. He was always on the team, and he was almost always captain. He even played outside of school, in a group for their city, which was quite the achievement as it was very competitive and not every soccer player could get accepted. Of course he had though.

There were many games that were important to Saad, but this game was absolutely vital to him. He knew it was his last game before he was going to leave for university; before Ranya had found out, and he wanted to leave her with a good memory. He wanted one last reason to celebrate something with her, see her laugh, see her smile. He wanted to ingrain that memory of her before moving away, possibly forever.

He had spent hours practicing, wanting to make this game count. He knew she would be there, she always was. But this game was tight, the score was too close, and she was on the edge of her seat. She clutched the railing, knuckles white watching every pass, every sprint. He was everywhere on the field, obviously pushing himself to the limit.

Things had been a bit weird between them lately, and Ranya had noticed. She wasn't sure what happened, but there seemed to be some kind of distance between them that she couldn't quite understand. She had no idea of the conversation between Salman and Saad. But, regardless of the awkward tension and the newfound distance between them, she would never let him down.

She actually hated watching him, especially as they got older and she decided to read up on sports injuries, praying that during every game he would be ok, that he wouldn't get too badly hurt. She had the same anxiety this game, her heart in her throat as she watched him with concern. She wanted him to win, but more than that she cared about his safety, well aware how rough boys liked to play.

But then it happened. He sprinted for the ball, colliding with another player, that too with a considerable amount of force, crumpling to the ground pain clear in his expression as he grabbed his knee. Her heart plummeted, she froze, unable to breathe as he laid there. The active crowd went silent, murmurs erupting amongst them as she whispered to herself, "Please.. please get up..." Squeezing her eyes shut.

Around him, his teammates began to gather, the crowd holding it's collective breath. Their coach rushed towards him, kneeling beside him, talking to him, checking his leg. She felt a bubble of panic rising in her chest, wishing she could hear their conversation, her fingers digging into the edge of her seat.

She was completely absorbed in him, barely aware of her surroundings. Then, as his coach helped him stand up, he glanced toward the stands. His eyes scanned the crowd until her found her, on the opposite end of the field . He held her gaze for a moment, the concern evident in her expression somehow reducing his pain. Despite the ache he still felt, he gave her a small, reassuring smile, lifting his hand with a quick wave. Ranya let out a shaky breath, feeling the tight knot in her chest loosen a bit.

Disappearing for what felt like hours, Ranya wondered what he was going through. She wished she had been on the other side of the field, closer to where he got hurt so she could have a better understanding of his injuries. She just wanted to know he was one hundred percent okay. But still, his smile and wave left her feeling a bit more ease. After a few tense moments, Saad showed back up on the field, cheers erupting since he was well known amongst the crowd.