2. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝑰 𝑳𝒐𝒔𝒕

𝐄𝐤 𝐭𝐮𝐦 𝐡𝐢 𝐧𝐚𝐡𝐢 𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐡𝐚...

𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢 𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐯𝐚

𝐈𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐮𝐦 𝐣𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞

𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧

𝐈𝐧 𝐚𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐡𝐨𝐧 𝐤𝐢 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢 𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧

Samaira

- 17 years

- Female Lead

Anay

- 17 years

- Male Lead

Samaira's POV :

Main 17 saal ki thi jab papa ne mujhe badminton academy join karwa di.

Unka maanna tha ki "Mere Vacations waste nahi hone chahiye." Isliye unhone decide kiya ki meri summer vacation productive honi chahiye.Pr mera maanna tha ke Vacation khtm aur Badminton bhi khtm 😉

"Maine tumhara naam academy mein likhwa diya hai," papa ne ek din casually dinner table par bola.

Maine spoon hawa mein hi rok diya.

"Par papa, mujhe badminton pasand bhi nahi..."

"Pasand aayega," unhone seedha jawab diya. Discussion wahi khatam.

Mera plan simple tha vacation khatam, badminton khatam. Bas.

Pehle din jab main academy gayi, dhoop halki si golden thi. Court ke andar jaise alag hi duniya thi. Shuttle ki tick-tick, rackets ki takrahat, logon ki hansi, coach ki loud instructions sab kuch energetic tha. Har kisi ke face par excitement thi.

Bas mere face par nahi.

Main side wali bench par baith gayi, bag ko apne paas rakh kar. Mujhe laga main galat jagah aa gayi hoon. Mujhe sports wali ladkiyon jaisa confident feel nahi ho raha tha.

Main thodi reserved thi, thodi attitude wali bhi shayad. Par andar se... main comfortable cheezon se chipki rehne wali insaan thi.

Tabhi koi aaya aur bola

"Tumhe yaha maza nahi aa raha, right?"

Maine side mein dekha. Ek ladka mere paas baith gaya tha.

Brown aankhen. Clean face. Thoda serious expression. Par smile soft thi.

Zyada loud nahi. Jaise woh hasna jaanta ho, par unnecessarily nahi hasta.

"Dikh raha hai kya?" maine thoda sarcastically poocha.

Woh halka sa hasa, aur bola "Thoda."

Main usse pehle se jaanti thi. Woh hamare quarters ke bagal wale ghar mein rehta tha. Humne kabhi properly baat nahi ki thi, par face familiar tha.

"Tum Samaira ho na?" usne poocha.

"Hmm. Aur tum Anay."

Good. At least naam toh yaad hai.

Uska tone teasing tha, par respectful bhi.

Phir join kyun kiya? usne poocha.

Papa ne force kiya, maine shoulders ucha kar kaha.

Woh sirf sir hila kar bola, "Relatable."

Us din humne zyada baat nahi ki. Bas introduction level ki conversation hui. Par jab practice start hui, mujhe samajh aa gaya ki main bilkul beginner hoon.

Mera grip galat tha, stance galat tha, aur confidence toh zero tha.

Coach ne mujhe thoda scold bhi kiya. "Focus, Samaira!"

Main already irritated thi.

Practice ke baad jab main cycle lekar bahar nikli, toh Anay waha khada tha.

"Court ja rahe ho?" maine poocha.

"Roz jaata hoon," usne casually kaha.

"Saath chale?"

Main thodi hesitant thi. Par maine haan kar diya.

Road zyada door nahi thi, par mere liye problem aur thi mujhe properly cycle chalani hi nahi aati thi. Balance lose ho raha tha.

Handle tight pakdo, Anay ne side mein chal kar kaha. Break sudden mat dabana.

Main almost girne wali thi jab usne seat ke peeche se cycle pakad li.

Relax. Main yahin hoon.

Us ek line mein kuch alag tha.

Jaise woh sirf cycle nahi, mujhe bhi balance kar raha ho.

Agle kuch din routine ban gaya. Hum subah academy jaate, practice karte, phir wapas aate. Dheere dheere main shots samajhne lagi. Wrist ka use, footwork, net ke paas control sab Anay patiently samjhata.

"Racket ko tight mat pakdo, tension feel hoti hai," woh kehta.

Tum coach ho kya? main tease karti.

"Nahi. Bas tumhari improvement dekhna achha lagta hai."

Woh simple line thi. Par pata nahi kyun mere andar halki si warmth aa jaati thi.

Practice ke baad hum park mein baithte. Kabhi bench par, kabhi grass par.

Woh random stories batata. Apne school ke embarrassing moments. Apne stupid fears.

Ek baar usne confess kiya ki woh lizards se bohot darta hai.

"Tum seriously lizard se darte ho?" maine hansi rok kar poocha.

"Unka face dekha hai? Alien jaisa hota hai," usne defend kiya.

Main itna hansi ki meri aankhon mein paani aa gaya.

Woh mujhe dekhta raha. "Tum haste hue better lagti ho."

Mera dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.

"Mujhe mat ghooro," maine awkward ho kar kaha.

"Main ghoor nahi raha. Observe kar raha hoon."

"Difference?"

"Ghoorna creepy hota hai. Observe karna cute."

Main aankhen ghumakar hansi. Par andar se... mujhe uska mujhe notice karna pasand aa raha tha.

Ek din practice ke dauran main ek simple rally bhi lose kar gayi. Main frustrated ho gayi.

Mujhe nahi khelna, maine racket bench par patak diya.

Anay mere paas aaya. "Tumhe harna pasand nahi hai, right?"

"Mujhe harna bilkul pasand nahi."

"Par tum perfect nahi ho, Samaira."

"Mujhe perfect banna hai."

Woh thoda serious ho gaya. "Life mein sab haarte hain. Jo haar ko accept karta hai, wahi strong hota hai."

Us waqt mujhe laga woh over philosophical ho raha hai.

"Tum bohot gyaan dete ho," maine tease kiya.

"Free mein mil raha hai. Le lo."

Main hansi.

Days pass hone lage. Mujhe realise hua ki main academy jaane ke liye excited hone lagi thi. Par badminton ke liye nahi.

Anay ke liye.

Uski presence calm thi. Uska patience comforting tha. Woh loud ya overconfident nahi tha. Par jab main nervous hoti thi, woh bas mere paas khada hota tha aur mujhe lagta tha sab manageable hai.

Ek shaam jab sunset orange ho raha tha, hum dono park mein baithe the. Hawa halki thi.

"Vacation khatam hone wala hai," maine casually kaha.

"Hmm," usne grass ke blades todte hue kaha.

Phir main academy chhod dungi.

Woh ruk gaya. Kyuuun? usne bola

"Plan wahi tha."

"Ab bhi wahi plan hai Samaira?"

Maine uski taraf dekha. Woh mujhe dekh nahi raha tha. Bas ground ko.

"Mujhe pata nahi," maine honestly kaha.

Usne halki si smile di. Good.

Good kyun?

Because mujhe tumhare saath practice karna achha lagta hai.

Mere heart ne literally flip maara.

"Sirf practice?" maine slowly poocha.

Woh mujhe dekha. Do seconds. Teen seconds.

Phir usne nazar hata li. "Haan. Sirf practice.

Par uske tone mein "sirf" nahi tha.

Us raat main bohot der tak so nahi paayi.

Mujhe pehli baar feel hua shayad yeh sirf friendship nahi hai.

Shayad main badmi

nton ke liye nahi ruk rahi thi.

Shayad main Anay ke liye ruk rahi thi.

Aur mujhe bilkul idea nahi tha ki ek din, wahi court mere liye sabse painful jagah ban jayega.