Us │✔

11│Be Prepared

Jivika~

"I don't wanna play! I don't really like moving my limbs!" whined Lavanya, loud and clear. Used to her tantrums, we payed her no heed. Stealing the football from the games room, we claimed our property before the boys could. Picking up the plastic cones from the shelf, we made our way to the ground, dragging Lavanya across the mud-splattered ground.

"We'll make you the goal keeper," comforted Prajakta, ruffling the irritated girl's hair.

"Oye hoye, look there! Isn't that Jivika's chotta boyfriend?"
[Chotta: Little]

Dragging the second grader, they repeated the whole procedure again. That is, annoying the kid. Pointing at Kiara, Lavanya asked him, "Who is this person to you?". To which he perfectly replied, "No one!". On asking who Maahi was to him generated the same reply. Then she pointed at me and asked him the question again.

"Meri girlfriend."
[Meri: My]

Crashing to the ground laughing were they who changed the question this time. Instead they asked, "Who are you?". Pointing at me he told them that he was my boyfriend who apparently, I did not even know had existed. Running away from the kid, I tried to gather people to play.

Placing the cones, we constructed our goalpost. Staring ahead, I analyzed our team. Amaya, Maahi, Lavanya and I were on the same team.

Amaya and Laysa, the inseparable duo were chit-chatting, clearly not pleased about being on different teams. I watched Maahi groan, struggling to pull up her sulking best friend up from the ground. Lavanya, still grumpy, was busy sitting on the grass patch, not showing any mercy on her weightless friend.

Reminded of my best friend, I turned my head, to see her already staring at me. Laughing, she pointed on the other side of the ground, near the rusted fences.

The boys of our class aghast, examining the deflated ball in their hands.  The coach, trying to make them understand how they should play games other than football.

"Sir, you gave them the ball! Those girls are not even playing!"

Rhea, the coach's pet, our gold medalist swimmer, had gained his confidence before the day had even started.

That's right. Before the morning assembly had begun, we had pushed her into talking it out with the coach, claiming our stake on the ball for today. And he had straight away agreed to it. In fact, its only for those double games period, that we even attend school on Thursdays.

The coach blew his whistle, signalling us to start the game.

And we started, much to the boys dismay.

The ball, juggling between our feet, was thrown here and there. At present, its quite far from me, near the goal post of the other team.

I was a midfielder as always, standing in the middle of the ground, my hands resting on my waist.

The boys were also started their game with the deflated ball. Kicking, no not the ball, rather others balls. Cussing blatantly, not bothering to censor their mouths even in front of the coach. I guess, he must be used to this.

Knocking the ball high up in the air, drifting it through our game, they had every intention of disrupting our game.

However, it has always been like this.

Kicking their ball, I watched it rush over the basketball court. Satisfied, I shot them a smile, happy to be the reason of their distress.

"JIVIKA LEAVE THEIR BALLS AND FOCUS ON OURS!" bellowed Kajal, face red from exhaustion.

Oops.

The others cackled, rolling on the ground. God save all those dirty minds!

I trapped the ball under my feet. Giving it a light kick, I watched it dash across the field, to the other side.

Phew.

Rhea being the best forward of our class and the captain of our opponents, dribbled the ball back to our side. She is a really good player.

Just that her IQ was very less. The way she manages to blurt out the wrong things at the wrong time, gosh!

Focus, Jivika, focus.

Oh! The ball is on our side, again. I tried to take control over it but this girl's dribbling skills are stunning!

Thank God, thank god Maahi is the defender. Petite and small, thin and frail but she knows how to get the job done.Luckily, the next kick was hers.

The ball soared, touching the blue sky, kissing the clouds. I craned my neck, trying to estimate its landing.

And its coming down with full force, and it lands, here it is, in three, two, o—

"AAAHHHH!"

Dropping on the grass, he held his head, closing his eyes. The ball landed far away from him, right into the sandpit.

Amaan.

Call me insensitive, but I was laughing.

Wonder what happened?

No, no, its not the ball.

Maahi's wonderful flying shoe decided to go on a long flight today. The shoe, our messiah. Every game, every single one, we have won only because of this very shoe. Poor girl, her feet so tiny that even a size four shoe was big for her.

And it did not even hit his head, it just landed suddenly in front of him. Don't know why he's trying to make it a big deal.

Hand on his chest, he panted, trying to process what had just happened.

Maahi, stringing up a galaxy of apologies, meekly stood nearby to retrieve her shoe. That shoe has always saved our game. Never had it once, stayed where it should. Shoving her foot into it, she adjusted the tissues inside the shoes and walked towards me.

"Hey, you should check up on him, I know that he's being a drama queen, still."

Laughing, I crouched to his level.

"Are you insane?!" he asked as I lightly hit his head, trying to check if there is anything inside that box.

"Yes!" I replied, amused. How long can he act?

Irritated, he whined, "Why are you laughing mad woman?!"

"For putting me in trouble that day!"

"Huh? When?!" he asked, surprise etched across his features.

"Lata ma'am?" I countered, watching realization light up on his face.

"Okay, okay, sorry!" he voiced out, holding his ears. I was surprised. I was not expecting him to apologize.

"Really?"

Dusting his pants, he stood up. Silence prevailed. Finally, he decided to speak up.

"Not really!"

And he sprinted away.

What the—

Note to self mad woman: Be prepared and never believe this prat!

Turning back, he grinned.

And his uncanny resemblance to a chimpanzee made me howl.

I looked.

He looked.

We looked away.

And we looked back again.

~