On the next day he went to railway station and checked out his timings.The train came 10mins late.He checked out his seat and placed how belongings nearby.The train ride to Delhi felt longer than it actually was.Not because of the hours, but because of the feelings Raj carried with him. Inside his bag were just three gloves, one stitched by hand, one worn out, and one untouched , the one that meant the most.
During the journey Raj looked out the window, watching towns fly by, his thoughts quieter than usual. He had officially entered the National Youth Cricket Development Camp, and this time, he was not there just to prove himself.He was there to hold on to what he built.
And after a long journey,his destination arrived Delhi Railway Station.The moment he stepped out of the station, everything felt bigger.The roads were louder.The air was heavier than the villages back he lived.The people didn't look and they don't care about others. They rushed because they were so busy.
A black SUV with the camp logo stopped in front of him."You Raj?" the driver asked.
"Yes."Raj replied.Driver said:"Get in. You're late."The camp facility wasn't a school. It wasn't an academy.It looked like a sports village.Nets on one side.Flat pitches on the other side. Indoor gym halls, dorm buildins, coaches walking with files and papers, and players in branded jerseys moving like they were already stars.
Raj stepped out from the SUV with his bag and felt it immediately that he didn't belong here.Not yet I have to work a lot to shine.At registration, he signed next to his name on a printed sheet. One column caught his eye:
"Specialty: System-assisted builder. RajCraft."
He didn't ask who wrote it.But he knew what it meant.They weren't just watching his runs.
They were watching his idea and plans.His room was shared with two others both from big cities, both already talking about selection rankings and camp points and how to earn them.Raj greeted them with a smile.
They nodded back but didn't ask his name.They didn't show much interest in him.He didn't mind that.
On the first day of camp orientation, all 60 players stood in a large circle on the practice ground.A tall man with dark glasses stepped forward and greeted all.
"Welcome to the National Youth Camp," he said. "This is not school. This is not your academy. This is where excuses end."
Raj listened quietly and thinking,"No second chances. No easy games. You will be watched, ranked, and reported."
"By the way," the man continued the speech with a smile, "gifts, brands, and backstories don't matter here. Only your game does."Some players laughed slowly.
Raj just nodded.
Later that evening, the groups were divided by batting order.Raj was placed in Group B, slot 3.As they warmed up for the net sessions, he stood near a few boys talking loudly.One of them turned to him.
"You the glove kid?" he asked.
Raj looked up. "Yes."
"Didn't know we were bringing in tailors now."The others laughed.Raj didn't respond.
Another player stepped forward who is tall, lean and got sharp eyes."You stitch your gear?"."I did," Raj replied.
"Let's see if you can swing it."When it was Raj's turn in the net, three coaches stood at the side.The bowler was quick arm pace bowler.
First ball — Raj left it.
Second — short ball. He pushed.
Third — good length. Raj defended.
The coaches nodded, but said nothing.
[System Alert: Observation in Progress]
No advantage granted.
Raj tightened his glove.This is not about proving anything, he thought. Just play.
Next ball — full.Raj stepped forward and drove it between covers.Clean shot.
Next ball -- It's a bouncer.He pulled it flat, no drama.
Then came the surprise ball — a slower, low swing.
Raj waited and times it well by cut shot.The sound echoed.Coaches finally started whispering.When he stepped out, the boy from before said, "Okay. Not bad tailor."
Raj smiled. "Not here to fix your shoes. Just my own game."A few laughed.The boy didn't.
That night, as Raj returned to his dorm, he found a folded note under his pillow.No name.Just one line written in it:
"Keep your hands steady. Not your heart."
And on the corner , a sunflower.He smiled softly.She hadn't left him.Even now.
Raj woke up before sunrise.Not because of the alarm.But because of something inside him that felt heavier than usual.He sat on the corner of the bed, slowly tying his shoelaces while the city outside remained quiet.
Today was match day, the first official trial match of the national youth camp.
No practice.No adjustments.Just one shot to be seen.By 6:30 a.m., the field was already being prepared.The ground staff did a great job by brushinh the pitch with soft rollers, marked fresh lines on the pitch, and set up boundary cones. Coaches stood near dugouts with clipboards and tablets.
Three selectors had flown in from different zones here to watch this.Two sports media pages were covering the match for under-19 talent tracking.
Raj stretched silently with the rest of Group B. His mind didn't feel nervous, but his hands kept shaking.His bat felt heavier than normal.His chest? Lighter and tighter at the same time.
"Opening pair, ready!" one coach called.Raj's name was at No. 3.He'd walk in second.One mistake, and the camp could be over.But he didn't think about that.He just looked down at his glove.The one he stitched with his own hands.It was faded now. The seams weren't new. But it still fit better than anything else.
The match finally started.The openers played with calm aggression.In the third over, the first wicket fell.
"Raj, pad up!",Coach said.He adjusted his pads, picked up his bat, and walked in.The ground was bigger than it looked from the side.The crowd wasn't loud and cheery.But they were watching.He walked into the crease and adjusted his guard.
First ball — length delivery.
Raj stepped out and defended.Clean and perfect.
Second ball — short. He leaved it.
Third ball — wide. He let it go.
No shots. No drama.But he stood strong.
Fifth ball — full and outside off.Raj leaned forward and drove it.Straight shot.The sound off the bat was sharp. It went on one bounce and a Boundary.
Near the far end of the field, outside the academy walls, a group of students passed by.Among them was a girl with a soft yellow scarf and a notepad clutched to her chest.She was walking toward her dance rehearsal venue.But then she stopped.Her eyes locked on the field.On a boy in a blue jersey with a plain white glove.Swinging his bat.Just like before.Her friend pulled her sleeve. "Spandana, come on"She didn't move.Her eyes stayed on Raj.
Back on the field, Raj was building his score.
He didn't try for sixes.He rotated strike.Played smart.The coaches were watching now.The scout made a note.By the 10th over, he was on 39.One player shouted from the other team, "Hey tailor boy, stitch that ball too!".A few laughed.Raj didn't react for that.
Next ball — short and rising.He stood tall.Pull shot.And it's gone for Four.
[System Notification: Performance Threshold Reached]
Raj has played 25+ balls with above-average strike rate.
Bonus Unlocked: Hidden Passive Skill – Calm Under Noise
You remain steady even when the world tries to shake you.
In the 13th over, he tried a risky single and got run out on 49.Just one short of a half-century.But the applause still came.Not loud.But honest.And from the far wall her hands clapped once.Just once.Then folded back to silence.
After the match, Raj walked to the shade near the stands.He drank water and closed his eyes.Then opened them slowly and saw her standing behind the gate.Not close. But not far.Her eyes met his.And this time, they stayed there.For a full five seconds.No one spoke.No one needed to.Then she turned back and walked away.
[System Thread Updated]
Emotional Signal Reached 100% Sync
She knows what you lost.
And she's still here to watch what you become.
To be continued....