The next morning, Aarav sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the message thread like it might vanish if he blinked. Meet the team. Gaming house. Today. The words felt heavy, like a challenge carved in stone.
Kunal barged in, holding two steaming cups of coffee. "Rise and shine, future eSports star!" He handed Aarav a cup with a grin.
Aarav took it silently, his mind elsewhere. "What if I'm not good enough?"
Kunal raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You've been wrecking leaderboards since high school."
"That's different," Aarav said, rubbing his temples. "This is pro-level. These guys play for championships. I'm just… me."
Kunal sat beside him. "Listen, you didn't get here by luck. Rhea saw something in you. That means you've got what it takes."
Aarav sighed, staring at his reflection in the dark coffee. "What if I choke? What if they laugh at me?"
Kunal smirked. "Then you laugh back and beat them in-game. Simple."
Aarav managed a weak smile. "You make it sound easy."
"It's not easy," Kunal admitted. "But you've got brains, bro. You see patterns no one else does. That's your edge."
Aarav nodded slowly, but the knot in his stomach tightened. He imagined walking into that gaming house—sleek monitors, neon lights, players with confident smirks sizing him up. He felt like an imposter already.
His phone buzzed again. A new message from Rhea:
'We start practice at 4 PM. Don't be late.'
Aarav stared at it, heart pounding. "Four hours," he whispered.
Kunal clapped his shoulder. "Four hours to become a legend."
Aarav chuckled nervously. "Or a meme."
"Either way, you'll trend," Kunal said with a wink.
Later, as Aarav packed his laptop and headset into his worn backpack, his doubts screamed louder. What if I fail? What if I'm just a fluke? He remembered the viral comment—the spark that started all this—and wondered if it was just luck.
He zipped the bag shut and took a deep breath. "Okay," he murmured. "One step at a time."
Kunal gave him a thumbs-up from the doorway. "Go show them what you've got."
Aarav nodded, forcing a smile. But inside, the storm of insecurity raged on. He wasn't sure if he was walking toward his dream—or straight into disaster.