Sandcastles | A Virat Kohli Fanfiction

22 • the lights

Kavya's POV

The coming of December laid before me a huge milestone I never had believed to step on at such an early point in my career.

In mid-November, I was suggested to submit my nightscapes to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. And so I did - but with a twist. I also mentioned the story of those pictures in the portfolio. I didn't care if that disqualified me because the story behind pictures matters to me as much as the timing of it.

It wasn't merely because of the trust I had in my art. It was much more than stars aligning and the rainbow emerging in the night - it was Virat's face and the lifelong commitment of two women in love. I named that picture "Rainbow In The Dark".

I assumed that they liked it because the next time I heard from them was not a disqualification email but an invitation to an award ceremony hosted by BBC at the National Maritime Museum. The halls were decked with shiny things and mirrorballs whose light amplified through the thinness of my necklace and the redness of my pantsuit.

Sitting amongst the greatest of photographing personalities who had charmed and inspired me to never give up whenever I recklessly tried to improve in my college years felt overwhelming. To be the youngest soul surrounded by vintage talent meant that I was the harbinger of youth. It was heavy at that moment - my heart.

Goddamn, how does Virat handle the pressure that comes hiding under the suffocating mask of reputation and the blinding veil of responsibility?

The air-conditioned room condensed the heat of my temples into a sweat but I didn't let go of the smile I was nervously faking.

I had very easily preached to Virat about keeping his cup empty and what not. But now I could feel how even a single drop of coffee was enough to load it down to its fall. It was not really about the overflowing of the cup but the weight of it.

I was here just to attend a prestigious ceremony I was invited to. Nobody really knew me; nor did they expect much. Yet the lights around me consumed my sanity and made me anxious.

But for Virat, it was a hundred times worse and regular. He would always be one drop away from falling and breaking. I was here sitting and waiting for the result of my already accomplished task. But for him, the pressure knocked even before he is on the field. His love for his sport kept its eyes open despite the lights thrown at him, and he alone managed to shine brighter than the millions of them.

I felt immensely proud of him and thinking about him lessened my anxiety.

I can survive this, it's actually beautiful, I just need to be calm to appreciate its magnificence. I should feel lucky and blessed to be here right now.

Suddenly the hall was still and quiet. And then I heard just one sound that broke the silence.

"The Astronomy Photographer Award of the Year goes to - Kavya Vohra."

The spotlight was on me, the rest of the hall was dark. After a second of continued silence, the echoes of applause gushed into the room.

In the speeches and interviews that followed, I was told that Rainbow In The Dark would be on the cover of BBC's Sky At Night magazine for the month.

The first thing I did after being left alone by the interrogators was call Virat to share the hurricane of emotions blowing through me and then I texted Sorina to grab the issue of the magazine and keep it safe. Because for them, that night was a lifetime treasure. And for me and Virat, it was a start of a treasure hunt.