In the game period he was playing his best cricket and she was madly watching it. And no other girl except her was there. So she caught the boys attention.

A figure with messy hair and covered with sweat came running to her and said " Hi ". It was Tarun. He was panting. She stopped breathing.

For three years of studying together from standard 6th, Tanvi never heard Tarun initiating conversations with girls. So she also never started. So, it was the first Hi.

Tarun calmed his breath but Tanvi's heart started pounding. However she managed to not let it come on her face. She surprisingly said " Hello". Tarun checked her top to bottom and asked, "Do you like cricket?". Tanvi half offended but proudly answered, " Yes, who doesn't?". Tarun scoffed, " Typical girls" he stated. Now Tanvi was fully offended, she knew what he meant but she's just a girl. " What do you mean?" Tanvi demanded. " You are not a girl.", he said mockingly and moved to resume his game. Tanvi shouted," Girls also know cricket,love cricket and play cricket." Everyone on the playground gave her looks.

Tarun replied from afar, " What about a match tomorrow?" Tanvi excitedly said, " Don't lose hope about winning." After this little challenge they resumed their job.

Saraswati urf Saru, Tanvi's best friend and neighbour who was playing badminton heard all this and came running to Tanvi. " Hey, what did I hear?" She said trying to breathe. " The ears ain't mine" Tanvi said sarcastically. " Bro! I heard Tarun challenged you for a match." She said with a serious shocked face. Tanvi bit her lips innocently and said, " Ye..ah."

" Are you crazy? Do you not know how aggressive and brilliant cricketer Tarun Trivedi is." Saraswati was shouting now. And caught other students attention. "Shh..." Tanvi said taking her best friend to a corner. "Of course I know, but he challenged me first. He questioned my cricket knowledge!!!! Can you imagine?" Tanvi complained to her best friend.

"So I couldn't let it slide." She said with an innocent face. " Okay okay just don't screw it tomorrow." Saraswati said encouraging her best friend while patting her shoulder.

Tanvi had a habit of thinking about what happened in the day and analysing herself before sleeping.

She remembered her conversation with Tarun, she excitedly accepted his ridiculous challenge but she had zero experience of cricket in real life. All she knew about cricket was watching it. On top of that she had only one team member- herself. But thought of Tarun starting the conversation turned her cheeks apple 🍎.

Sun comes up and a new day. And Tanvi remembers about the match which might end even before starting.

The morning bell rings and they are seated in the classroom. Tanvi and Tarun both are back benchers. Tarun was a backbencher because he wanted to be but Tanvi was a backbencher because she didn't want any unnecessary attention. Tarun speaks up ( again!!!),"So, are you ready for the match?" Tanvi hesitantly says, " Ye...Yes" as her last day's courage has run off. And suddenly Tanvi stands up and says in a single breath, " I am sorry I should not have agreed for a match . In my team there is no one other than me who can play", even though I don't know how to play.

" So cancel the match." She said regretting.

Tarun looks at her as if he knew it beforehand and laughs. Tanvi watched him being confused.

"Who said ' Don't lose hope about winning '?"

He says mocking Tanvi. Tanvi says, " Only if I had a team, you have no chance of winning." Not letting Tarun demean her. " Alright, what about a 1-1 match? I will ball you one over if you score more than two runs, and you ball me and I score less than 15 runs you win." Tarun says not letting Tanvi get what she wanted." We should play accordingly, toss, inning 1 and inning 2. The difference would be innings of one over and teams are of one player. " Tanvi stated confidently." Why do you want to lose too much?" Tarun asks with a smirk. Before Tanvi could counter him teacher enters the classroom.

In the game period they met on the playground as decided. Tarun comes to Tanvi never leaving his daring look. " So let's get started "."Ye..ah, su..ure". Tanvi says hesitantly. Just like coins go up Tanvi's heart rate as well. Tanvi calls it "Tail". It's head ! ' I am losing it for sure'. She thinks in her head. Tarun chose to ball first. Tanvi gets ready to bat but she doesn't know how to hold a bat practically. Because all she knows about cricket is watching it. However, she remembers her inspiration and there comes Tarun's bowling attack. Even though he usually bats he can ball a newbie like Tanvi. Here comes the first ball, a good length ball. Tanvi couldn't even touch it. Another one is a short ball. It was more like a bouncer to her. So no run again. Here the third ball is a slower one. Tarun wasn't enjoying beating Tanvi anymore. She understood the ball and had time so she hit it with all her might. " Four!!" Saraswati cheers for her best friend from the audience. Everyone in the class was aware of this challenge so all boys and girls came there even though girls had no interest in cricket but they wanted gossip. No body else clapped for her besides her only friend and her opponent.

Tarun didn't waste another second and dropped the fourth ball. The stumps fell and bowled. A loud cheer came for Tarun. Tanvi dropped the bat and moved towards the ball. Tarun also got ready for his awaiting turn. Tanvi only thinks about bowling into the stumps. Because she loves it when stumps from the front team fall. She uses all her speed and aims into the stumps. A Yorker! It's her first time to ball that too a Yorker. She was shocked. Tarun was mesmerized. Another one and Tarun is bowled. On the second ball? Without making a single run? How the hell this could happen!!! Tanvi was surprised by her bowling and Tarun was impressed. " Yeah, you win. And girls also know,love and play cricket." He stated with acceptance. But Tanvi couldn't accept it. " Better" Tanvi marked in pride without appearing to be surprised herself. " See you, I got to go". Tarun said looking towards the boys. "Yeah, sure you need to hide your face". Tanvi says to make fun of him.

As Tarun was about to leave hearing Tanvi he stopped and said, " Don't fly too high, it will hurt a lot when you fall." Reminding Tanvi her own place and what happened today was only one time thing.

Tanvi knew it better than him that it was just an accident that she won. But why would she accept it? But she also didn't want to drag it. So she didn't say anything and let Tarun go.

Saru came running to her and hugged her tightly. " Bro, you did it!!!" She said excitedly. Tanvi also returned her smile."But,how ??" Saru asked pulling back from the hug. " Don't ask me." Tanvi said smiling. And they returned happily home.

After coming back Tanvi tried hard to replicate her Yorker. But no matter how she couldn't do it. So finally after 2 hours she gave up and sat down. Now she was hundred percent sure that this win was just her adrenaline which worked amazingly where they were needed.

The next day Tanvi and Tarun passed by but Tarun acted as if nothing happened. He was just as if those two days were solely Tanvi's imagination. Tanvi felt hurt but didn't say a word. She thought it was even legitimate for her to be hurt. Yes,it was. Tarun acted indifferent not because he lost the match and didn't want to accept it but because his heart has been acting differently since after. He could see Tanvi from afar,and when he couldn't see her he'd search for her. He couldn't understand why all of a sudden he could see Tanvi everywhere. But if you would ask Tanvi she had an answer for all these things. Because it is what she has been feeling for Tarun since they came back from a competition together.

Tanvi was all about studying and she only tried to focus on herself but it's been a few days that her mind, rather her heart would think of someone else. Tanvi went for an essay competition and Tarun went for a General knowledge competition a month ago. They lived out of the town for two days in another school for the competition as it had many parts. On the first night it was raining a lot. Tanvi had seen many street dogs and cats on campus. Being worried about them she went out with an umbrella. Most of the dogs and cats were lying on the corridor,safe from rain so she was about to leave for her room. Then she heard kitten mews and went in that direction. A kitten had fallen in the drain and rain had filled it a lot so it was just floating. Completely soaked, trembling from the cold and was asking for help. When Tanvi reached there she saw a figure lying on the ground over his stomach. Not caring a bit about himself he extended his hand for the kitten and took it out of the drain. Then he ran to a corridor hiding the kitten in his chest and laid it there. After a few minutes he returned with a jacket and a towel of his. He tried to wipe off the water from the kitten with his towel and then wrapped it in his jacket and played with it for some time.



Tanvi was watching it from afar and she realised it was Tarun. The so-called rude, ignorant boy of her class. But the Tarun Tanvi was seeing now was nothing like that. He was kind, empathetic. Her heart did something unusual. Since then Tarun was different for her. But she couldn't name this strange new feeling.

A few days passed by and they didn't say a word to each other. They were both dying to hear from each other. Their annual examination was close so they had to make a group project together as their roll numbers were closest. When the teacher asked them to do it none of them showed it on their face. But deep down they were waiting for this very moment.

"You prepare for the project, I will present it. If you need any help which I doubt, you can tell me." Tarun suggested Tanvi when everyone was discussing projects with their teammates in the classroom. Tanvi also agreed,"Okay". Because for her writing something instead of speaking was the best option. Even though Tarun wasn't so talkative,he was confident about himself. Tarun passed his copy towards Tanvi. She stared at him with confusion. " Give me a number to contact you." Tarun said clearing her confusion. But Tanvi was scared now her family was so orthodox. A boy calling her would be equal to her eloping. So she said, " No need." Tarun was now disappointed. But his disappointment appeared to be anger when he took his copy back and slapped it on the table. Tanvi feared him,his anger. " I will ask you if there will be something in class." Tanvi said a bit scared from inside but casual on top. Tarun ignored her and went out of the classroom.

Tanvi lived in a joint family with her grandparents, cousins, elder parents, younger parents and her parents. She had no siblings. Her parents loved, trusted and supported her a lot. But as they were living in a joint family they had to obey some unsaid rules. Her grandparents wanted a grandson instead of a granddaughter. As others had a son and a daughter. They wanted Tanvi's parents to have another baby,but Tanvi's parents denied. Tanvi almost always was unnoticed or ignored in her family which she didn't complain about. Because when they would notice her they would notice how fat she had become. How not so pretty she was unlike her cousins. So she'd always drown herself in books. Books were her best friend. But she couldn't say any of those to anyone. She had to endure it all until she became something in her life.

Now Tarun was disappointed, frustrated because Tanvi denied him to give her number. He didn't return to the classroom till the end of the day.

Tarun returned to the class room when everyone went home already. On his table he found a note.

I am sorry. I didn't give my number not because I don't want you to contact me but because I can't use phones.

After reading that a smile threatened to come on Tarun's face. He looked around not seeing anyone, he let that smile fill his face.

Then he took out a piece of paper from his notebook and wrote something and put it under Tanvi's bench. The next day when Tanvi sat on her bench and put her bag under the bench she found that paper. It read-

Okay. I understand.

And nothing else but it was enough to make her smile. They presented their project as they decided. And got the best marks. Soon their annual examination ended and they transferred to a new class. And as always Tarun got 1st position and Tanvi got 2nd.

     A new beginning. Tanvi would always watch Tarun play. But she wasn't alone anymore. Many other girls would watch boys play, hoping to get their attention. But they only focused on playing.

Tanvi always held her water bottle on the playground as Saraswati would always forget to bring hers but get thirsty after playing badminton. Tarun noticed it. He said to one of his teammates," Hey, I am just coming after drinking water." And moved towards Tanvi. Tanvi had no idea where Tarun was headed. But when their eyes met her heart threatened to come out of its place. She moved her gaze.

"You have water?" Tarun said extending his hand forward for the bottle. "Yeah" Tanvi said clutching the bottle closer to her. "Then give na!!" Tarun requested but ordered at the same time. Tanvi had a habit of drinking water directly from bottles like her lips touching the opening while drinking. Saru didn't mind it because they were friends from diapers. But Tanvi was unsure about Tarun. She said, "I drank directly from it, you don't mind?" Tanvi said giving her bottle to Tarun. "I do but my throat is having an upper hand right now." And he drank from the bottle. Indirectly. He couldn't say that it was his heart that wanted any sort of contact with Tanvi. So he blamed his thirst.

  Tarun gave it back to Tanvi and their finger touched for a micro second. But electricity went down their body. They both jerked not so visibly but from inside. And Tarun just resumed his game leaving Tanvi shaken.

  Saru saw this from afar and came running to Tanvi. "Girl!!! What did I see???" She said placing her hands on her knees catching breath. "How funny? Those aren't my eyes." Tanvi said lifting her eyebrows with a sarcastic smile. Saraswati sighed and said, "He drank from your bottle! He kissed you!!! Indirectly." She practically made no sound while uttering indirectly. "Have you lost your mind? Or it fell when you were running to come here?" Tanvi said with shock. "Don't tell me that I will be pregnant the next day." Tanvi said while shaking her head. "Grow up!!" She said passing the bottle to Saru.

      "Ok!! He didn't kiss you. But he drank from your lip-touched bottle." She said with acceptance but still with some excitement. "You drink from it every day so does that mean you kiss me every day." Tanvi said stating the fact. And moved towards their classroom. "No, he's a boy and he hates others'leftovers." Saru said, following Tanvi. "He was Thirsty" Tanvi said moving ahead. " So,you won't accept it. Right? " Saru said stopping in her place. Tanvi looked in her direction once and moved ahead ignoring her rants. "Tanu!!!!!" Saru yelled behind her and ran behind her.

        Tanvi was always a quiet girl for everyone but to Saru she was different. She would joke with her,laugh with her. But she still never cried with her or talked about deeper feelings. She trusted her loved her yet something stopped her. She feels like if she shares about her hurts then she is asking for sympathy. And Tanvi wanted anything but sympathy.

        Saraswati didn't trouble Tanvi anymore about that because she knew Tanvi the best. Even though Tanvi never said many things she would understand it. How Tanvi was an overthinker and she also understood Tanvi's emotions about Tarun. But never confronted her. She always wanted to give her that space and time to talk about her emotions by herself. But never physically. And after her parents Saru was the one who loved her the most and Tanvi also equally loved her. She'd seem immature to the world but in reality she also had lived her share of things she just didn't show it. She'd ignore it. That's why they were best friends.

    Tanvi kept thinking about how Tarun drank from her water bottle when her father came to her room. "Beta, what are you doing?" Manish Shah, Tanvi's father,who loved her a lot. Asked,coming near her. Tanvi was reading on her study table. "Nothing, Papa. Just revising what I read in the class today." Manish smiled and said "Nice, can you give me a minute? We need to talk." A seriousness placed his proud expression. Tanvi also got scared seeing the change. "Yes", she said closing her book and  offering her chair to her father and she herself sat on her bed.

He took a deep breath in and said, "Our company is opening a branch on Dehradun, therefore to manage that I will have to go." Holding Tanvi's hand in his he continued,"I want to go with you and your mom,but you also have your life here, school, friends, your cousins, grandparents, everything."

I only have you,mom,Saru and School. And....Tarun??

Tanvi thought in her mind. "Papa, I will go with you, the school has started just now, and Saru and I will always be best friends."Tanvi said, assuring her father. But was she herself sure? No.