Tara

“October 2016, Manchester City against Barcelona. Lionel Andres Messi scores a hattrick against a team that was soon going to win the Premier League two out of two times in the following seasons.”

That was the day Tara and I saw you for the first time and I swear we’ve never been able to take our eyes off your feet since. You’re always doing magic, whether it’s on the field or off the field.

Months before that match, my best friend had started being distant. She’d been through a horrible breakup and nothing seemed to make her happy. Her eyes were always glued to her phone screen hoping the guy would call or text or just post a picture of him on Instagram. She lost herself when her heart broke and seeing her cry five times a day broke my heart. I didn’t know what I could do. She wouldn’t play chess and our inside jokes weren’t funny anymore. I still kept trying. I gave her books and she never read them. I made her tea but all it did was keep the mug warm and cozy. Tara remained distant and cold. 

One day, while changing channels to find something that would make her laugh, I came across your match on Sony Ten 1. Honestly, I didn’t change the channel because I was intrigued by the way you ran with the ball and I’d completely forgotten about Tara by the time you scored your first goal (totally guilty about that). But then in a very slow-motion-Bollywood-ish fashion, Tara leaned forward to watch you too. Ever since we’ve watched all your matches and I’ve used them as my ladder to reach closer to my best friend again. Your marriage made her believe in love again. When you kept wearing the ribbon a journalist gave you for luck even after you lost the world cup, I swear she said “aww” for the first time ever. 

Thank you so much for being the greatest footballer, a crazy magician, and most importantly, the best human. Thank you for being my shooting star. Every time you touch a ball, you make millions smile. I hope this letter makes you smile. Te Amo.