The cricket ball

They reached the playground, she had to run some errand so she told him to wait here. He told her that he'll look around.

She had to go back to her hostel after this. They had had a good day.

There were some people playing cricket nearby in another part of the ground. There were others playing badminton.

He found some people to talk to, there was a girl in particular. She seemed quiet, different from the most crowd around here. He sat beside her, not intending to talk or observe her. She asked him if he was lost and he told her he was not.

His friend was done with her work and now she wanted to show him around as she had promised; she was looking for him.

"There you are, I've been looking for you all over." She said.

"Uh, I was just..looking" He said.

"I know" She said and smiled.

She signaled him to stay beside her so he did. They walked in silence for a few moments and then as usual she began to talk.

"Did you find anything special yet?" She asked, a general question by her standards and a very personal one by his.

"No." He said, squirming.

"What took you so long?" He asked.

"Some friends." she said, hiding the fact she had run into her ex-boyfriend and he had tried every bit to beg her to come back. But she was done with it, she had decided, no more of the bullshit.

"Oh, okay." He said. How easily he believed her, and how much he trusted her. She wished he was not the way he was. 

"Around here" She signaled.

He turned and noticed something, he was drawn to the cricket players. The bowler, was a pacer i.e. a fast bowler. The batsman seemed well built, he was too, he thought. Despite that he could not play cricket. He followed her, they had reached the other end of the ground. She turned around and begin walking towards the other side.

He noticed something was wrong, a cricket ball. The batsman had hit the ball in their direction and the leather ball was flying right towards her.

He jumped awkwardly and blocked the ball with his right palm before it could hit her and fell down on the ground, almost helpless.

She was awed. "Are you an idiot or something?" She said, helping him get up.

"It was about to hit you." he said, innocently.

"You're hurt." She said.

"A little." He said.

They sat outside the playground boundary. She looked at him, it did not matter what he was anymore.

"I should leave, it's late." He said.

"A few more minutes." She said.

"Okay." He said.

She stared at his face, contemplating whether or not she should try to kiss him. Awkwardly, she moved her face, near his and gave him a slight peck very close to corner of his lips. Had he moved even a little towards her, she would have found the lips. Before he could react though, she reached out for his waist, held it tightly, as tightly as she could. She wanted him to to feel it. Resting her head on his chest, she said.. "Thank you."

He adjusted, in his wheelchair, to make room for his friend.

"You could have been hurt more than I would." She said.

"I know, but I would rather hurt myself than hurt you." He said.

They did not notice but her ex-boyfriend was standing nearby, but he chose to walk away not saying anything.