Before going home, we stopped at Maddilapalem to have Veg Manchurian noodles at one of the popular fast food stalls; where we ran into Pallav, our Cricket team Captain in college.

Pallav is now working as a lecturer in our college in the EEE department. Except for putting on some weight, he looked almost the same. Like a student rather than a teacher.

I missed college life when he started talking about the upcoming campus drive and annual day celebrations. But what surprised me the most is when he mentioned that Saraswati hasn't won a single match against BITM in the last three years.

"Are you kidding me?" Anju yelled in outrage.

Pallav's response is that the new kids aren't as competitive and hardworking as we were.

No matter what excuses he gave, I can't accept the fact that a cricket match with BITM isn't taken seriously.

What can be more important than Cricket during B.Tech days!

Netflix, he said when I pointed that out.

No movie or show can give you the exhilaration and excitement of playing cricket on field. Nothing!

"We lost six matches in a row? That's pitiful" Anjali screamed with indignation when we reached home.

"I can't believe BITM is upping us all this time"

"How can our juniors allow that to happen? It's Cricket for god sake" she complained, looking pissed.

That's exactly what I am thinking. For all our differences, she understands my language where the game is concerned.

"All the happiness of meeting Neha is just gone now" she said glumly.

The look on her face is far more disconcerting than the news of our repeated failures. This can't be it. We can't be done yet.

As the alumnus of Saraswathi and the ex- Vice Captain of our team, I can't let this go. I can't let this continue.

If not to keep up the reputation of our college, I have to do something to wipe that look off Anju's face.

But, what?

As minutes ticked by, an idea started to form in my mind.

It's crazy. There's no way Pallav would agree to this. But with the right planning, may be we can make it happen.

May be all is not lost. Yet.

Upon reaching home, I did something I haven't done in almost 3 years.

Call Pallav.

Hoping that he didn't change his number, I waited for someone to pick up the call.

He did and on voicing my idea went batshit crazy.

"There's no way we can make this happen" he repeated after my millionth attempt to convince him.

"Talk to our old team members first"

"Some of them aren't even living in India" he grumbled.

"Then we will select from the current team. You know who's good, right?"

"Even if we convince our old team members to come to Vizag and play, how are we going to do that with BITM team?"

"You know Neeraj. Talk to him. Say we will play a match for old times sake. For fun. Convince him and make it happen"

"Is it that important?"

I thought about it.

Ever since the idea of playing with BITM crossed my mind, all I can think is if I can be successful in erasing that stoic look off Anju's face that's ever present since she arrived.

Anjali had a different kind of glow when she played cricket. She was the happiest when she was on field. And I'd do anything to see that happen again.

Even try to convince Neeraj and every single guy that we were on war with; 3 years ago.

"It's not about rivalry" I confessed calmly "I am not asking you to do this out of some noble intentions, Pallav. This is personal"

"Anjali?" he guessed.

"Yes"

"Something's off with her" he observed.

"She's not the same" I agreed.

"What happened?"

"Honestly? I think it's me. But, she doesn't say anything. I keep hoping one day she'll be the girl I have known all my life but that's not happening"

"So you want to make it happen?"

"Yes. Anjali has a different aura on field. She loves the game, she's very driven and I want to see at least a glimpse of the old her"

He paused a beat "I will try Vamsi"

Three days later, I received a call back from him "Neeraj said ok. Did you hear me? He agreed!"

The excitement in his voice made me grin "Did he say when's ok with him?"

"Yes. The next Saturday. He's in Chennai right now. He said he will talk to his team"

"That's good news"

"Yes. But that also means practise"

"Have you talked to our team?"

"Phani lives in Australia. So, we have to go without our best bowler. Bhargav and Anand are in Bangalore. Kalyan and Swami are in Hyderabad. I have to talk to the others"

"Ok" I said, relieved that he's making plans already "Thank you, Pallav. This means a lot. Really"

The same evening, I went to Anjali's house to convey the news and as usual found her on the sofa, watching TV.

"Do you do anything besides this?" I said, perching on the sofa.

"I eat. Three to four times a day"

"I have something to tell you. And it's serious"

"Do you have HIV?"

"What?" I yelled, shocked by her question "Why would you say that?"

"You said it's serious"

If not for the coolly detached look on her face, I'd have thought she's trying to joke.

Because I am trying to convince her of something I'm most certain she won't be happy doing, I only managed a glare.

"What is it?" she said, looking unbothered by my reaction.

"We have a match with BITM in ten days"

That grabbed her attention instantaneously "What do you mean we?"

"We as in you, me, Bhargav, Anand and all our old team against Neeraj and his team"

"I can't play!" she announced, turning serious.

"Why not?" I asked lazily.

"I can't!"

"This is important for us. Saraswathi hasn't won a match since we last played" I purposefully brought up our college name to persuade her into accepting.

"Still, I can't play"

"Do you no longer care about our college's reputation? The old you would have gone to battle even if you were all alone!"

"I haven't touched the cricket bat in three years!" she yelled in exasperation.

"Wh-What?" I asked, stunned by her revelation.

"I didn't play cricket after I left" she murmured impassively.

"How can you not?"

She shrugged with a look of indifference.

It's difficult to believe that she didn't play for this long.

The first thing I did after joining TCS was sign up for the cricket club. I play the game on weekends with my roommates and sometimes with other guys living in our gated community.

Because that's what any cricket lover does. Find others who enjoy the game as much as you do. It doesn't matter if you are a working professional or a father, the game becomes integral part of you.

Anju had been like that.

"Why?" I asked, curious to understand her reason.

"I couldn't" she replied blandly.

"Tell me why?" I repeated in a louder voice knowing she's purposefully evading my question.

"I told you I couldn't play" she sounded angry.

"Why?" I roared in annoyance knowing it's getting on her nerves.

"Because it reminds me of you" she yelled back in rage "I couldn't play without thinking about you"

Once she began, there's no stopping her "We played together. We were always the same team. Over years, our team members changed but we didn't. I couldn't hold the bat knowing the person standing opposite to me isn't you"

She paused a beat before adding "You think I didn't just play? No. I haven't even watched a single match because every fucking time, I remembered you. I watch someone play and all I could think was this is how Vamsi would have played this ball; this is what his game strategy would have been like"

"I couldn't walk by the cricket ground without being reminded of you" she concluded.

She was always so strong and in control. To see her any other way is disconcerting; but to see the fire in her eyes return, brought a real sense of relief and delight.

Hell, the way she looks standing tall like an amazon inspite of being vulnerable makes me want to kiss the living daylights out of her.

"Anju----"

"Don't!" she said stopping me with her hand "Don't look at me like that"

"Why?"

"Because I'll start crying" Her voice quivered as she spoke.

"And that's a bad thing?"

" I'm stronger than that!"

"I won't get any close" I said, raising my hands in surrender "But please listen to me"

"I don't want to play"

"I will be there, Anju. I'm not going anywhere this time. Trust me. Please"

She shook her head "I don't want to"

"Pallav managed to convince everyone after a lot of struggle. We can't do this to him"

That's my desperation talking but the look in her eyes made me believe that she can be swayed "Everyone's arriving next weekend. They are playing even if we are not. Phani and Prem are abroad and we can't let the team down"

"But I haven't played in a long time"

Finally!

I exhaled a sigh of relief as I said "You can practise"

"The match is in ten days"

"I'll help you!"

And that's all we did morning til evening for the next ten days. We started with jogging in the morning, some physical exercise & stretching and followed it up with practise in the AU grounds.

Watching her get comfortable with the bat and watching her grow her confidence back is the single most captivating thing I've ever witnessed.

Usually I'm the one who bowls for her but I'm no good at spin bowling and that's some thing she's always had trouble with.

Spin is especially tough for her because she needs to put more effort in hitting the ball than the rest of us. In comparison, she has the biological disadvantage of not being as physically strong as we are.

Being the only girl player in a team of boys is hard enough. To that, add the fact that her vulnerability is displayed on floodlights. But she goes at it, without complaining once.

Which is something I have always admired about her.

Anjali may be a girl who wears her heart on her sleeve but she's also a girl who oozes confidence in everything she does.

And there's nothing sexier than a confident girl who speaks her mind and is capable of doing anything once she sets her mind on it.

Because she wanted to do good, Anjali worked harder to hone her skills.

Fortunately we made friends with other boys playing in the AU grounds and joined their team for a match every evening. That gave us all the practise we needed.

As usual, the match is scheduled to happen in BITM ground but unlike every other time, we are meeting our whole team directly without having practiced together before.

"My stomach's queasy" Anjali commented upon seeing new faces in our team and theirs.

We won the toss and chose to bat first. Anjali and I opened the innings as usual but after 52 runs of partnership, she lost her wicket; giving a catch to one of the new members of BITM.

I got bowled at 74 with my individual score at 38 making me join Anjali at the stands. The top order may not have been as successful as we wished but thankfully, Bhargav and Kalyan batted til the end taking our score to 168-2.

"All that practise and how much did I score? 23 " Anjali said bitterly during break time.

"You did so much better than me. I played almost every weekend and I couldn't even score a 40"

We restarted after a short break and Pallav set the fielding positions. Anjali got to be the second slip while I alternated between mid on and long on.

BITM openers Neeraj and Prakash maintained the required run rate mounting pressure and tension on our bowlers as the overs passed.

During the seventh over, they lost two wickets in a row making us breathe in relief.

But, it's short lived.

The next batsmen continued to keep up the score until Swamy dismissed them in the fifteenth and sixteenth over offering a remarkable turnaround to the chances of our winning.

Everything's not lost. Yet.

It is neck to neck but the battle only got more interesting by the last over when they have to score 8 runs with 6 wickets in hand.

Pallav gave a boundary in the first ball and any hope we had of winning up til then, is lost.

I may have arranged the match for Anju but I still want to win this badly. For her. For me. For Saraswati.

Our chances have switched again after Pallav took hat-trick wickets.

Four runs in two balls is their new target.

The next ball earned them a 2D.

The odds are in equal favour as we have 50-50 chances now.

If they score 1 run, it will be a draw but if they score 2 again, they are winning.

Anything can happen at this point.

With bated breath, I watched in anticipation as Pallav threw the ball at the batsman and watched him hit.

It happened so fast. One second I heard the ball being hit and the next, our team erupted in joy and everyone jumped into hug one another and I can only guess, somehow, we pulled off a miraculous victory.

But the real win isn't triumphing over BITM after 3 long years. The real win for me is when Anjali came running up to me with the biggest grin on her face.

"Did you see me take that catch?"

I didn't but I can't tell her that. Watching her smile brought a sense of unique joy and relief that I haven't experienced before.

My heart thudded loudly as she smiled up at me explaining how she jumped in and caught the ball with one hand.

She looked happy. She looked beautiful.

There's no way I am going to stand by and let this moment pass. Screw the repercussions!

My arms went around her as I bent to press my lips against hers. For a couple of seconds, she froze but then she kissed me back and my heart exploded.

My fingers gripped her hair pulling her closer as I kissed her harder, deeper and with a need I haven't known before.

Her arms came around my waist as her body dissolved into mine. She feels wonderful in my arms. And even more so, on my lips.

My tongue slipped inside her mouth as I kissed her gently and softly in the beginning and then with an intensity that made her cling to me in a tight embrace.

She looks exquisite, smells and tastes delicious and I don't want to stop kissing her but the catcalls and whistles around us pulled me back to earth and eventually I had to stop.

Touching my lips with hers one last time, I stepped away.

I have been thinking about this moment for a very long a time and I was right about one thing. It turned out to be so much better than our first kiss.

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Thank you for reading. Vote, comment and share if you like this chapter.

Thank you -WordSmith- for helping me in proofreading this chap and approving my cricket terminology. Again.

While I wrote this almost 6 months ago, I thought I'd add more detailing before publishing. Sadly, I couldn't. Hope it still turned out okay.

Things are gonna get rocky but you'll enjoy it. I think :p

Have a happy weekend :)

- JANAKI