Before every storm, there is a silence — not empty, but full of breath held tight.
---
The rains had stopped in Kochi, but the weight in the air remained. It wasn't monsoon season anymore — it was something else entirely.
ISL title pressure.
National scrutiny.
And a boy who had become the symbol of something bigger than himself.
Arjun stood on the practice ground, staring into the distance. The stadium behind him loomed — not as a stage, but as a witness. To every moment of growth. Every fight. Every doubt.
He lifted the ball. Let it fall. Caught it on his instep. Again. Again. Again.
The rhythm was therapy.
"That's going to wear out your boots before the final," said a voice behind him.
It was Faizan.
Arjun smiled, then let the ball roll to a stop. "Better my boots than my nerves."
Faizan joined him. No tension now — just something quieter, earned.
"I talked to Coach Sameer," Faizan said. "He told me about Hannover."
Arjun didn't answer.
"You're not going?"
"No."
"Why?"
Arjun turned to him, no hesitation in his voice. "Because this isn't finished."
---
✦ Inside the Blasters Camp — Preparing for the Final Sprint
Coach Sameer paced in front of a projector screen with league standings. Blasters sat third — just one point behind the leaders.
"This is the final stretch. Five matches left. We win four, we top the table."
He turned, gaze sharp. "The first of those is against Goa. At home."
Arjun raised his hand. "What about AFC Quarterfinals? When do the draws happen?"
Sahal chimed in. "Tomorrow. AFC's broadcasting it live."
The coach nodded. "One match at a time. ISL first. But yes — April will be massive. We make it that far, and we'll be dancing with Asia's best."
There was no hype in his voice. Just steel.
"This team's history isn't written yet. Don't get distracted by articles. Scouts. Media. Noise."
He looked at Arjun when he said it — but the whole team heard.
---
✦ Kalyani — Far Away, But Closer Than Ever
On the sets of her film in Hyderabad, Kalyani sat in her vanity van. The AC hummed. Her makeup artist had left. And her phone buzzed.
It was a clip — a fan-edited video showing Arjun's assist to Faizan from the Bengaluru match. Set to the fan song:
"Oru paadam, oru veeran... Marannilla njangale…"
She watched it once. Then again.
The quiet pride in her chest was unfamiliar. It wasn't cinematic. It was real. Messy. Human.
Her reply was simple:
> "I saw the match. And I saw you. You didn't run from the pressure. You held it."
He didn't reply for two hours.
But when he did, it said everything:
> "Because I wasn't holding it alone."
---
✦ Press Conference — Noise Grows Again
A local reporter raised his hand during the pre-match press conference.
"Arjun, is it true that European agents are already contacting you through intermediaries?"
Coach Sameer leaned forward. "We're not here to discuss transfer gossip."
But Arjun stopped him with a gesture. Then, to the room, he said calmly:
"Yes, there's interest. But I'll leave when I'm ready. Right now, I'm not."
Another reporter asked, "What does 'ready' mean to you?"
Arjun smiled slightly. "When I've helped this team finish what we started. And not a moment before."
---
✦ Later That Night — A Fan Message
On Instagram, Arjun opened a DM. It was from a 15-year-old in Thrissur.
> "Chetta, I saw your interview. I cried. My appa said you're the first player he's seen who actually reminds him of IM Vijayan — not because of skill, but because of how you carry our hopes. Thank you for not leaving yet."
Arjun stared at the message for a long time.
He didn't reply.
But he took a screenshot and saved it under a folder titled: "Why I Play".
---
✦ Final Scene — The Calm Before
At night, Arjun stood at the stadium tunnel. Alone. No cameras. No chants.
Just wind.
He thought of the matches ahead. The eyes watching. The scout in Germany. The father whose photo he still carried. The mother who still watched silently from the stands.
He thought of Faizan — the friend now back at his side. Of Kalyani — far, yet closer than ever.
He didn't feel fear anymore.
Just fire.
And so, with no one watching, Arjun walked down the tunnel…
And into the silence that would soon be shattered.
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