The sun hadn't yet risen over Kochi, but Arjun was already awake.
The glow of the match still lived in his muscles — the freekick that had sent the crowd into frenzy, the walk to the fans, the moment he tapped the crest on his chest. But none of that mattered now.
Because next up was Mumbai City FC. Away.
And every game left was a final.
He opened the folder on his phone again — "Why I Play". The DM from the Thrissur kid stared back at him. Below it now were more messages — dozens — kids, parents, former coaches, even a nurse from Kozhikode who said her hospital paused shifts to watch his games.
He didn't reply to most.
But he saved every one.
---
✦ Morning Briefing – Blasters Recovery Session
Coach Sameer didn't sugarcoat it.
"Mumbai are unbeaten at home this season. They're fast, clinical, and dangerous in the first 20 minutes."
He flipped the projector slide.
"And they're watching you, Arjun."
Murmurs broke out. Sameer turned back.
"I'm not talking about fans. Or scouts. I mean them. Every team we face now is adjusting for you. Doubling. Shadowing. Trying to provoke."
He paused.
"Can you handle that?"
Arjun didn't flinch. "I have to."
Faizan smirked. "He'll turn shadows into space."
---
✦ Training Ground – The Tuning Fork
Faizan and Arjun stayed behind after drills, working on blind-side movements and one-touch combos.
Coach Sameer watched from the sideline with assistant Rahul.
"He's reading the pitch before it happens now," Rahul said.
Sameer nodded. "And Faizan? The rivalry's gone."
"No," the coach corrected, "it's evolved."
Rahul smiled. "Into what?"
"A weapon."
---
✦ Mumbai — Away Match
The stadium wasn't massive, but it was loud. Mumbai fans brought flares, chants, pressure. The pitch was slick. The atmosphere tense.
In the tunnel, Faizan whispered, "They're going to try to rattle you early."
Arjun didn't respond.
Because someone else did.
A Mumbai player — seasoned, known for his aggression — bumped into him and said under his breath: "Europe's watching? Let's see if you even belong here first."
Arjun smiled calmly.
Then replied, "I'm not here to prove anything."
Pause.
"I'm here to remember who I am."
---
✦ First Half
Mumbai came flying. In the 6th minute, a close-range shot rattled the Blasters' crossbar. In the 15th, their winger skinned the full-back and crossed low — saved by Dheeraj, just in time.
Coach Sameer barked instructions from the sideline.
"Hold your shape! Arjun, drop in deeper!"
But Arjun didn't panic. He played with economy. Short passes. Circulation. He wasn't the storm — he was the eye of it.
In the 38th minute, Faizan pressed and won possession near halfway. He turned and saw Arjun already in motion.
One look. One lofted pass.
Arjun took it down mid-stride and nutmegged the incoming defender.
And then — unselfishly — squared it across the six-yard box for Rahul KP.
Tap-in.
1–0.
The silence from the home crowd was deafening.
---
✦ Second Half
Mumbai came harder. A scrappy equalizer in the 60th minute made it 1–1.
But the game's tone changed in the 74th.
Faizan was tackled hard. No foul given.
Arjun sprinted across the field to protest — not wildly, but with authority. The ref warned him.
As he walked back, Faizan limped beside him.
"You good?" Arjun asked.
"Hurts," Faizan said. "But you're going to have to finish this."
He winked.
---
✦ 88th Minute — The Moment
Arjun received a pass under pressure, turned one way — two defenders came. He stepped out of it, body-feinted, drew a third, and backheeled the ball into space.
Sahal burst through.
Arjun didn't chase the return.
He knew Sahal would cross.
He was already there — at the edge of the box.
Sahal whipped it in.
One touch.
One strike.
Net.
2–1.
Arjun didn't celebrate.
He just closed his eyes for a second.
That silence before the noise — there it was again.
Then the roar followed.
---
✦ Post-Match — In the Tunnel
A Mumbai player — the same one from before — walked up.
"You proved it."
Arjun looked at him. "No."
"I remembered it."
---
✦ Later That Night — A Phone Call
Kalyani answered groggily.
"You're calling late," she whispered.
"I needed to hear your voice."
She was quiet. Then: "Was it the goal?"
"No," Arjun said softly. "It was what came after."
"The silence?"
He smiled.
"Exactly."
---