Chapter 1
"You should have gone for bishop's check mate"Arasu said when I was folding up my chess board.
"Pchhh...leave it bro,I'm already fed up" I said while walking out of the tournament hall.
"Haha....don't worry my boy,you still have a chance to place"
"How? Out of 6 rounds we played ,I have already lost 3. Only 2 more rounds are left and I'm damn sure that I will be paired with a high rated player"
"Hmmm....may be not. If luck stays on your side"he said and walked along with me.
We were at Dharmapuri, faraway distant from my home as well as Arasu's. He was a chess coach,who became my friend from last few tournaments that I've attended. Two boys becoming friends in a short time is not a big deal.
The tournament venue was a small primary school. Childrens were running here and there joyfully after finishing each rounds of the tournaments.
"I wish I could be like them" I thought. But however,travelling miles from my home and meeting up with loss just by one wrong move is something I can't tolerate myself.
"Shall we eat something ? I think food will make me feel a little better now"I said to arasu.
"Hmm....sure,but I've had my lunch just a few mins ago. Can you go by yourself? I'll wait for you at the main gate"
"Annaaaaa...(brooo...)" I started whinning at him.
"Please da....hotels are just few steps away from the gate" he tried to convince me.
"Okay,but don't go before I come and give me a call in case pairing list for next round is issued" I said and walked towards the main gate leaving Arasu there.
I gazed along the school roads,there were small tea stalls and juice stops. The time was already 12.30pm,so I decided to ignore them to have my lunch instead.
After a walk of 500 metres away from the tournament venue,I saw a small hotel named 'Anna poorna veg'. I was in a state of hunger,where I could eat every non-veg food in this whole world. But I would sleep in the tournament hall in the next half an our if I do so. Thus,I chose to go with that vegetarian hotel.
"Meals? Sambar rice? Curd rice?...what do you want?" One of the server gave me choices for my food.
"Sambar saadham onnu..(one sambar rice)" I said and took a chair on the corner table beside the handwash.
I took out my phone and started scrollimg instagram for few minutes. The server guy came with a plate of sambar rice and placed it infront of me.
"Hmmm...." I said and started eating it. It was not good enough,but a reasonable healthy one for sure. I heard someone washing hands beside me and water drops were splashing on my elbow.
"Pchhh....why don't you just watch around before opening the tap?" I yelled at the person.
"Uhh...sorry..." She said and seated to the adjacent table near me.
She was a girl,probably a college student. She was wearing a black long top and a jean. Her hair was free flowing in the air. She took out a hair band and tied her hair ending it up in a pony tail. Her elbows were up revealing her underarms and the shape of her bosom areas.
"Men's weakness" I thought and let out a smile. She glared at me and I pretended to see somewhere else.
"One curd rice" I could hear her order to the same guy who picked mine. She looked a little more beautiful in her ponytail.
"Why don't my college give admission to cute girls like her?" I asked myself.
Few minutes later,her curd rice arrived and my sambar rice were getting inside me gradually. She was hurriedly having her lunch. I loved the way she was having her feast. Some part of curd spilled in her lips and she wiped it with her upper lips. I would have love to watch her entire day,but the next round was about to start in a few minutes. It made me leave that cutie curd riced girl.
"Good bye" I murmerred and walked out of the hotel after paying my bill.
Arasu was sitting exactly where I left him under a banyan tree.
"Brought something for me?" He asked.
"Never, you made me leave alone" I said in an aggressive voice.
"Pairing are published for round 7,players are advised to check your seatings and arrange in next 10 minutes please" chief arbiter announced through mike.
"Hmm...shall we?" I said giving a hand to Arasu. He lifted himself holding my hand.
We both went near the notice board to check the pairing list. Arasu was kicked out already as he had lost 4 rounds out of 6. But I had a few chances of reaching into the first 15 places.
"I'm at hall 7"he said peeking into the name list. He is 6'2 and I was just 5'3. Its easy for him to check the list than me.
"Find mine too" I said. The entire players were crowded around the notice board.
"You are at hall 3,against a 1200 rated player" he said and got squeezed out from that crowd.
"Hmm...that won't be so easy. Lets go then" I said and we started finding our respective tournament halls.
"Good luck daa" Arasu said and left to his hall and I got seated in mine.
Every players was coming one by one and the hall was becoming noisy after the arrival of them. I started arranging my board and pieces.
"Whoever comes now,I should be able to beat him" I took a deep breath and relaxed myself.
"You should be seated before 10 mins ma...don't you read the rules?" Arbiter was yelling at someone.
"Sorry sir...took some time for lunch" she said and came infront of me.
I froze for a second. It was her, the girl who I saw a few minutes before at that hotel. She was now sitting before me as my opponent.
"Abinaya...best of luck" she said with a smile,stretching her hands for shake...
