The morning sun slowly climbed above the tall neem trees surrounding the cricket ground. The sky carried a soft golden glow, and the cool breeze of dawn still lingered in the air.
Most of the town was still asleep.
But on the quiet cricket field, the sound of leather striking willow echoed repeatedly.
Thud.
Arjun defended the ball.
Thud.
Another ball slammed into his bat.
Sweat dripped down his forehead and rolled along his jawline. His shirt was already soaked from hours of training.
Karn stood at the far end of the pitch, holding another cricket ball in his hand. His sharp eyes never left Arjun's stance.
"Focus," Karn said calmly.
Arjun tightened his grip on the bat.
Karn began his run-up again.
His strides were long and controlled. Even after the injury he had once suffered, there was still power in his movement.
The ball left his hand like a bullet.
Arjun reacted late.
The ball smashed into his pad.
"Ah!" Arjun groaned and stepped back.
Karn walked toward him slowly.
"Again," he said.
Arjun picked up the bat once more.
They continued like this for nearly two hours.
Batting drills.
Footwork drills.
Running drills.
Fielding practice.
By the time the sun had risen high enough to warm the ground, Arjun's entire body felt like it had been beaten by iron rods.
Finally, he walked toward the boundary rope and collapsed onto the grass.
His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath.
The grass beneath him felt cool and soft.
For a few moments, he simply stared at the sky.
Karn approached slowly, spinning the cricket ball between his fingers.
"You're resting already?" Karn asked.
Arjun laughed weakly.
"I've been training for three hours."
Karn shrugged.
"That's just the warm-up."
Arjun shook his head and wiped sweat from his face.
"It's not the training that's tiring me," he said quietly.
Karn raised an eyebrow.
"Then what is?"
Arjun hesitated for a moment.
Then he spoke.
"The pressure."
Karn sat beside him on the grass.
"What pressure?"
Arjun stared toward the empty pitch.
"My father gave me six months," he said.
"If I don't show progress… my cricket dream ends."
The words felt heavy even when he said them aloud.
The breeze moved gently across the ground.
For a moment, Karn said nothing.
Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"You left your job for cricket," Karn said.
"And now you're already worried."
Arjun looked at him.
"You don't understand."
Karn's smile slowly faded.
"Oh?"
He leaned back slightly and looked toward the horizon.
"Do you know what I lost?" Karn asked softly.
Arjun frowned.
Karn's eyes darkened with distant memories.
"You lost a job," he said quietly.
"I lost something much bigger."
Arjun remained silent.
Karn continued.
"When I was twenty-one years old… I was one of the fastest bowlers in the district."
Arjun turned toward him with interest.
"Every match I played… I took wickets."
"Selectors started noticing me."
"Coaches began calling me the future."
He picked up a small piece of grass and rolled it between his fingers.
"And then one day… I got the call."
Arjun leaned forward slightly.
"The call?"
Karn nodded slowly.
"I was selected for the Indian Premier League."
Arjun's eyes widened instantly.
"The IPL?" he whispered.
Karn nodded again.
"That day was the happiest day of my life."
His voice softened slightly.
"My parents cried with joy."
"My friends celebrated like we had already won the World Cup."
He smiled faintly.
"I thought my journey to the Indian team had begun."
The wind rustled through the trees surrounding the ground.
Arjun imagined the scene.
A young fast bowler.
A massive opportunity.
A dream within reach.
"But dreams," Karn said quietly, "are fragile."
He picked up the cricket ball again.
"It happened during my first IPL season."
Arjun's heart beat faster.
"It was a practice session before an important match."
"The stadium was empty, but the atmosphere still felt electric."
He stood up slowly.
"The coaches were watching."
"Senior players were watching."
"I wanted to prove myself."
Karn walked toward the pitch as if reliving that moment.
"I ran in to bowl."
His steps slowed.
"My rhythm felt perfect."
"My speed was the fastest it had ever been."
He stopped near the bowling crease.
"And then…"
His voice dropped slightly.
"My front foot landed."
He tapped his right leg lightly.
"And something inside my knee… snapped."
Arjun felt a chill run down his spine.
"I fell immediately," Karn continued.
"At first I thought it was just a small twist."
"But when I tried to stand…"
He shook his head slowly.
"I couldn't."
Silence filled the ground.
"The scans later confirmed it," Karn said.
"Torn ligament."
Arjun swallowed.
"Doctors said I needed surgery."
"And even after surgery…"
He looked down at his leg.
"It would take a long time to recover."
The breeze grew slightly stronger.
"For the next two years," Karn continued, "my life changed completely."
"No matches."
"No stadium lights."
"No crowds."
"Only hospitals."
"Rehabilitation."
"Pain."
Arjun watched him with deep respect.
"Every morning," Karn said, "I forced myself to train."
"Every night I slept with pain in my knee."
"Sometimes I wondered if my career had already ended."
He clenched his fist slightly.
"But I refused to quit."
Arjun stood up slowly.
"Two years," Karn said.
"That's how long it took for my body to become strong again."
He looked directly at Arjun.
"Now I'm twenty-three."
"My knee is finally stable."
"I'm rebuilding my strength."
He tossed the ball into the air and caught it again.
"I train myself."
"And while doing that… I train young players."
Arjun suddenly understood something.
Karn wasn't just teaching him.
Karn was rebuilding his own dream at the same time.
The two of them stood silently on the pitch.
Finally, Karn spoke again.
"So when you talk about pressure…"
He looked directly into Arjun's eyes.
"Remember this."
"You still have your body."
"You still have your chance."
He pointed toward the crease.
"Not everyone is that lucky."
Arjun slowly picked up the bat again.
The weight of the bat suddenly felt different.
Not heavier.
More meaningful.
Karn walked back toward the bowling mark.
"Enough resting," he said calmly.
Arjun took his stance.
Karn began his run-up again.
This time his steps were faster.
Stronger.
The ball left his hand like lightning.
"Your six months have already started," Karn said.
The ball raced toward Arjun.
"So stop thinking about pressure…"
Arjun swung the bat.
The ball connected perfectly.
It flew high across the ground.
Karn watched the shot carefully.
Then a small smile appeared on his face.
"…and start thinking about victory."
The ball rolled all the way to the boundary rope.
For the first time that morning…
Arjun smiled.
And the training continued.