Page 51 of Game on, Love
I nodded, pleased with myself.
“Okay, I’ll answer anything if you answermyquestion.”
“That’s not fair.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Life’s not fair.”
“Answer mine first, and then I give you free rein over your question.”
He shook his head, amused. “Honestly, I’ve never really wanted to be in a relationship before. I’ve only ever known the meaning of love when it came to cricket, and that always seemed enough. It wasn’t like I had any spare time, either. Right up until last year, my schedule was filled to the brim and the most I could manage was no strings attached fun.”
“And after last year?”
Oliver looked away, almost as if gathering himself, before his eyes flickered back to mine. “Rules are rules, love. One for me, one for you.”
I exhaled, but the tightness in my chest remained. “Sure, what’s your question?”
He stared at me for a beat before asking. “Why areyousingle?”
I pursed my lips, trying to hide my surprise—almost expecting him to ask me why I had brought it up instead. “Let’s just say that I didn’t exactly have the best display of a relationship growing up, so the idea of being in one is as appealing to me as watching a cricket match.”
“Hey. Now, that’s just rude.”
I grinned as I continued. “Plus, with my work hours, it’s not exactly easy to manage a relationship.”
“Maybe you just haven’t found the right person to make it work with.” Something about the way he’d said it made me still, but I didn’t let myself read too much into it just yet.
“After last year?” I echoed my question from earlier, and he sighed.
“Let’s just say that life got a bit too real, and fun wasn’tfunanymore, and I had bigger things to focus on.” Suddenly, the air felt charged, and he glanced at the glass in front of him, his shoulders stiff.
“Maybe you just haven’t found the right person to make the real stuff fun with yet.” The words left me before I could register, but when his eyes shot to mine in surprise, lingering in a way that made my stomach flutter, I realised that I was glad I did.
I spent the rest of the lunch prodding him with questions, both out of curiosity and the addicting feeling that came with each answer. What course did he do at university? “Business Management.” Why not something in sports? “My Mum wanted me to have a degree as a backup plan, and doing a course related to anything with sport could’ve made it difficult if I had an injury.” Was it common for cricketers to have their off-season now? “Depends on what the highest level of format they are in. For players still in their domestic careers, it was. For players part of the main squad, their off-season changes according to the match schedule.” Is the match schedule different every year? “For domestic, it’s pretty much the same, but for International matches, they change based on the format time. As for the Test Series, there’s a rotation policy, and countries take turns hosting the series, and then comes the factor of weather. For Example, the series held in England are usually from May to September, compared to Australia and India, who hold their matches from October to March. This also affects ODIs or One Day International Series, and the country they are touring. But both series have concluded for this year.” Were he and Rihaan part of the squad? “This year, I wasn’t. But Rihaan was.”
He’d said it in a hesitant but even tone that made me pause. But before I could question it, our food arrived, and he changed the topic altogether.
15
Raina
GETTING OUT OFTHEtube station, I sighed inwardly. When I left the house 20 minutes ago, the sun was hung high in the sky, but now it looked like it was ready to crack wide open.
I glanced at my phone, pulling up the directions to the stadium. It was a quick walk, and as I got closer and closer, I couldn’t help but watch it in awe.
The Oval was breathtaking. The red-brick entrance was classic yet charming. The archways were decorated with some plaques and signage with the long, rich history of this very pitch.
Entering the stadium, I almost expected the classic aesthetic, as the distinct sound of cricket balls being struck echoed the halls, but it was the perfect blend of history and modernity, depicting the story of past players while building the new generation.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” A voice called out as I trailed the frames on the wall, each capturing the pain, relief, heartbreak and passion of the moment immaculately. I turned to the voice and noticed a young guy—probably still at university, watching me in amusement.
“It really is,” I replied, giving him a polite smile before turning back to the frames.
The Oval.
Birthplace of modern English sport.
“The Oval’s been around since 1845 and has seen some of the most iconic matches played—including the first ever test match on English soil,” He continued, but my eyes were fixated on thepicture of the two guys—which was only a couple weeks old—as they hugged each other while lifting the trophy. “That’s from the County Championship a couple of weeks ago. Oliver King and Rihaan Patel got a collective Players of the Match after winning us the championship on home ground. Are you here for the media tour?”