Arjun's mother called from the kitchen, her voice laced with both curiosity and concern. "Arjun, how is your kabaddi practice going? Are you ready for tomorrow's match?"
Arjun looked up from his notebook, a faint smile playing on his lips. "It's going fine, Maa. Tomorrow is important. We'll have to prove ourselves because we're up against Yellow, yesterday's winners."
His mother paused, wiping her hands on her apron. "Yellow team? You know them well?"
"Yes," Arjun nodded, his mind already picturing the field. "I know Satya well. We had a practice match against them before. He's fast. Really fast."
Before his mother could respond, Arjun's father walked in, his stern face betraying a hint of disapproval. "If it wasn't vacation time, you wouldn't even be allowed to play," he grumbled. "And honestly, I doubt you'll ever make it to the ZP matches."
Arjun remained silent, used to the dismissive tone, but his mother shot her husband a reproachful look. "You always say that. At least support him when he's working hard."
With a deep breath, Arjun stood up and headed to his room, not wanting to escalate the argument. As he lay on his bed, his thoughts swirled with the upcoming challenge. His father's words lingered, stinging like a fresh wound.
As Arjun stared at the ceiling, sleep evaded him. His thoughts raced—strategies, past mistakes, Viraj's quick moves, Satya's fierce determination. Eventually, his eyes grew heavy, and the room faded into darkness.
The scene shifted. The camera zoomed into Arjun's closed eyes, and then slowly zoomed out as his eyes opened to the bright sunlight of the next day. He was standing on the ground, his heart pounding.
In front of him stood the wall of six players, arms locked, bodies tense. The game had just begun, and Viraj, the opposing rider, was advancing.
The commentator's voice cut through the tension, lighthearted and teasing, adding a touch of humor to the scene. "And here we go! Viraj is charging in like a furious monkey, and look at that leap! Oh! He jumps over two defenders! Still chanting kabaddi... kabaddi..."
Sidharth Sir, their coach, stood at the edge of the field, arms crossed, sunglasses reflecting the bright day. His expression remained stern, focused, and unyielding.
Lalit shouted from the side, his voice almost cracking, "Take him! Take him by that side! Karan, cover the other side!"
Viraj, agile and unflinching, spotted the gap, and with a swift leap, he crossed the line, extending his hand upwards in triumph, all the while chanting, "Kabaddi... kabaddi..."
The crowd erupted, clapping and cheering as the referee confirmed the point. One for the Yellow team. Viraj returned to his side, smirking and patting his teammates on the back.
Arjun clenched his fists, determination blazing in his eyes. This was just the beginning, and he knew they had to push harder. The match was on, and Arjun wasn't ready to back down.
Mohit took a deep breath, adjusting his grip on his jersey before stepping forward. Arjun placed a firm hand on his shoulder, his voice steady but encouraging.
"Mohit," Arjun said, meeting his eyes, "just focus on returning safely. One point if you can, but don't take unnecessary risks. We can't afford to lose you."
Mohit nodded, his jaw clenched. "Got it, Arjun. I'll play it safe."
Arjun glanced at the field, calculating. "Remember, if two consecutive raids end without points, the raider is declared out. We can't let that happen, or they'll get two easy points. So even if you don't score, just come back."
Mohit smirked, a glint of determination in his eyes. "I'll get that one point. Just be ready."
Karan, standing nearby, chimed in with a smirk. "Yeah, big guy. Don't let them toss you out like last time."
Mohit shot him a glare. "Not happening today."
As Mohit jogged towards the opposing half, Arjun called out one last piece of advice. "Stay aware of their right corner! They'll try to trap you there!"
Mohit gave a thumbs-up without turning back. As the whistle blew, he crossed the midline, chanting, "Kabaddi... kabaddi..."
Mohit understands Arjun's strategy. He realizes that Arjun wants to analyze the opponent's strengths and weaknesses, and Mohit is willing to follow his captain's lead.
The raid begins, and Mohit steps into enemy territory. It's like a battle between bears and wolves—both sides are fast and strong. Mohit starts at the right corner, trying to earn a point by crossing the line, but the defenders block him, preventing him from reaching the second line. He shifts to the other side, but they still refuse to give him an opening.
Observing from the sideline, Arjun notices that their rider, Viraj, is staying behind, which means Satya is not their main raider. This revelation sharpens Arjun's focus—they need to take Viraj down at any cost if they want to win the match.
While Mohit was still raiding, Arjun signaled his teammates to gather quickly on the sideline.
"Karan, Lalit, listen up," Arjun whispered urgently, his eyes scanning the field. "I've been watching Viraj's raids. He always favors his right side when breaking through."
Karan raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? The guy's quick. Feels like he's everywhere."
Arjun nodded confidently. "Trust me on this. He's using his speed to fake left but always breaks right. We need to tighten our defense on that side. Karan, you cover the right when he comes in. Lalit, you stay low and focus on his legs. Don't let him get past."
Lalit scratched his head, still uncertain. "But what if he switches it up?"
Arjun shot him a firm look. "We take that risk. It's better than chasing him all over the place. If we cut off his usual escape route, he'll hesitate. That's our chance to tackle."
Mohit returned from his raid, slightly out of breath and shaking his head. "No point. They've tightened up their corners."
Arjun clapped his shoulder. "It's okay. We got what we needed. Next time Viraj raids, we're ready."
Karan grinned, giving Mohit a reassuring pat on the back. "Time to take down that speedster."
The whistle blew, signaling the next raid, and the team dispersed, their spirits bolstered by Arjun's plan.
The pressure on Arjun's team intensifies as Viraj's swift raids continue to chip away at their lead. Arjun stays calm, analyzing Viraj's movements with each raid. He notices a slight pattern—Viraj favors his right side when breaking through. Arjun quickly shares his observation with Karan and Mohit, instructing them to focus on blocking Viraj's right. The next time Viraj enters their territory, Karan and Mohit tighten the defense, forcing Viraj to rethink his approach.
Meanwhile, Arjun prepares for his own raid, knowing they can't afford to lose momentum. He takes a deep breath, steps onto the opponent's side, and locks eyes with Satya, who seems determined to catch him. Arjun fakes a move to the right, then swiftly changes direction, catching the defenders off guard. He stretches out, tapping the midline just as Satya lunges at him. The referee blows the whistle—one point for Blue. The crowd erupts, and the scoreboard shows 15-13 in favor of Arjun's team. Arjun glances at his teammates, giving a nod of encouragement. They can still win this.
The first half ends with the score at 15-13 in favor of Arjun's team. As the teams swap sides, Arjun remains focused, his mind racing with strategies. Coach Sidharth Sir approaches him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Everything alright, Arjun? Need any help?" he asks calmly. Mohit, still frustrated, blurts out, "Sir, how do we catch Viraj? He's too quick!" Lalit, still animated, starts rambling about how they've tried everything, but Viraj keeps slipping through. Karan rolls his eyes and snaps, "Lalit, just shut up for a second!"
Sidharth Sir smirks, adjusting his sunglasses. "You're so busy chasing Viraj that they're just keeping the scoreboard running. Focus less on catching him and more on maintaining your lead. Stop playing their game and start playing yours," he advises. To lighten the mood, he throws in a funny example from a popular movie where the hero gets distracted chasing a cat while the villain gets away. Everyone bursts into laughter, the tension breaking for a moment. Arjun nods, understanding the coach's point. They needed to focus on their own game rather than constantly reacting to Viraj.
On the other side of the field, the match between Red and Green is going terribly for Green. Vishnu sits on the bench, wiping away the tears that threaten to fall. He glances at the scoreboard — 18 for Red and just 6 for Green. Out of those 6 points, Vishnu had earned 4 by himself. Frustration weighs heavily on him, especially after being tackled and dragged out of bounds in his last raid.
Vikrant, the star player of the Red team, is basking in the crowd's cheers, mocking the Green supporters by waving his hands and boasting loudly. His confidence is sky-high as the second half starts, with Red already in complete control. The Green players look disheartened, and Vishnu's absence from the field only adds to their struggles. The atmosphere is tense, with Red's dominance casting a long shadow over Green's dwindling hopes.
The air crackles with intensity as the teams regroup, sweat dripping and hearts pounding. Arjun's mind races, determination blazing like fire in his eyes. Viraj smirks from the opposite side, confident and unyielding. Across the field, Vishnu clenches his fists, refusing to let despair consume him. The crowd's cheers swell, a roaring wave of excitement as the second half looms. Arjun knows this is it—the moment to unleash everything they've got, to break past limits and shatter expectations. The battlefield is set, the warriors ready. One question echoes through the air: Who will emerge victorious when the dust settles? The real clash begins now!