The morning sun felt soft in routine way, but Raj's heart felt heavy.He had finally made his decision. After days of thinking, he was ready to sign the RajCraft partnership with the academy.
His bag was packed. His file was in his hand.This was supposed to be a big day.But it didn't go the way he expected.
Raj got a weird notification in the phone.It started with a message.A small one.It was shared in the Trinetra Academy players group chat.
Breaking News:
"RajCraft not real? Claims say he didn't even make the gear himself. Family bought the designs. Fake brand?"
At first, Raj thought it was a joke.Then came more replies.
"This serious?"
"He lied?"
"I knew it. Too clean for a schoolboy."
"I wouldn't trust gear from him anymore."
Raj looked at his screen in shock.He read the message once.Then again.His hand didn't shake. But something inside him did.
He stood still outside the cafeteria.
Uday saw him from a distance and walked over.
"You okay?"
Raj showed him the phone.Uday read it. His face turned red. "What the hell is this? Who sent this?"
Raj didn't know.He just said, "It's spreading fast."By lunchtime, everyone had seen it.
Even Coach.Some students looked at Raj and nodded politely. Others didn't look at him at all.Some whispered when he passed.
For the first time since he arrived at Trinetra, Raj felt alone.Not because he was. But because no one knew what to believe.
He went back to his dorm room.Sat on the bed.Didn't touch his food.Didn't check his phone again.His eyes stayed still on the bag which was placed at the end of the bed.
Inside were his stitched glove, the elbow pad, and the wristguard the three things that had carried him this far and now people were saying he never made them.
He sat back, closed his eyes, and remembered something.A small, quiet memory.Back in his old storeroom at school. The first time he stitched a finger slot into the glove.The thread broke halfway.He cutted his finger. It bled a little.
Zayed had laughed. Uday had offered a torn handkerchief.
Raj had said, "It's not clean, but it's mine."That glove… was still in his bag.Still real.Still his own hand made
Suddenly a system notification pooped out.
[System Alert: Public Trust Level Dropped]
Some users doubt you.
System Challenge Unlocked: Show What You Built
Task:
•Create one product from scratch
• Record the full process
•Deliver proof to academy staff within 48 hours
Bonus Reward: Reinforced System Trust and Brand Recovery
Raj looked at the message.He didn't press anything.He just stood up and walked out of the room.He found Coach Arvind near the training center.The coach had already heard.
"You've seen the message?" he asked.
Raj nodded.Coach crossed his arms. "Do you know who sent it?"
Raj replied -"No."."I believe you," Coach said. "But the academy… they need proof."
Raj's voice was calm. "I'll give it."The coach nodded once. "You have two days."That evening, Raj laid out all his gear on the floor.
His old sewing thread. His needles. His patchwork foam. His torn kitbag.Uday and Zayed entered quietly.They didn't ask questions.Zayed dropped a cloth roll beside him. "Extra padding. I saved it."Uday sat down. "We're with you. Like before."Raj looked at both of them.And he smiled not because he was okay.But because he wasn't alone from the start.
For the next hour, Raj didn't say much.He measured cloth.Cut foam.Checked thread tightness.He recorded every step with Uday's phone.Slowly,Carefully,Legit.
Across the campus, someone was reading the same group messages.Sitting quietly behind the admin building.She was wearing a soft yellow dress. Braided hair. Calm eyes.
She read the messages.Then scrolled back to the photo Raj had once shared the glove sitting on a wooden bench, unfinished, with a pin still stuck inside.She smiled softly.She had seen that glove once before.Long ago.
Later that night, Raj found something outside his door. A folded paper.No name on it.Just written one line.
"You made it the first time.You can do it again.This time, I'll stay close."
Raj read the note twice.Then placed it in his notebook.No system alert came this time.No messages.Just a calmness.
Like someone, somewhere was finally waiting for the right time to step forward.
To be continued...