the boundary

Moments of Vulnerability

The night at the bar was neither forgiven nor forgotten but as the series with Pakistan ended, the boys in blue got busy with a barrage of trainings. After a couple of weeks of reprieve, they regrouped for an NCA-organized training camp. The remote training camp was surrounded by the serene stillness of the woods, a world away from the city's chaos. The stillness, however, was deceiving. Beneath the calm surface lay the unspoken tension of a team grappling with their internal conflicts, their camaraderie tested by pressure and circumstance.

It was a chilly morning, the kind that made every breath visible, and the air carried the faint smell of pine and wet earth. The practice field was an expanse of lush grass, bordered by dense trees that seemed to close in on the players as they pushed themselves through their drills. The ground was still damp from the previous night's rain, making every sprint a challenge and every sudden movement a potential hazard.

Shubhman was in the middle of a particularly grueling set of drills, his focus unwavering as he executed each maneuver with precision. His determination was evident in the set of his jaw and the intensity in his eyes. He had been working tirelessly to prove himself, both to his teammates and himself, but today, his body was starting to betray him. As Shubhman pivoted sharply, there was a sickening crack. His ankle twisted at an unnatural angle, and he collapsed onto the ground, his face contorted in pain. The suddenness of the injury caught everyone off guard. The nearby players stopped their drills, their faces etched with concern as they rushed over to him. Ishan, who had been practicing a few yards away, was the first to reach Shubhman. The other players looked at him expectantly, their faces showing a mixture of worry and helplessness. Ishan knelt beside Shubhman, who was clutching his ankle, his breathing rapid and shallow.

"Can you move it?" Ishan asked, his voice strained with a mixture of worry and frustration. The one thing he hated about his profession was the sudden onset of injuries, something that could snatch their dream away in a second. He felt a nervous shake in his hand as he thought of his brother Raj - how a particularly agonizing ACL tear snatched his family's dream of Raj being a cricketer and thrust it upon the young Ishan. He grew to love the sport and was a natural at it but the bittersweet smile on the now Dr. Raj Kishan's face when Ishan called him to complain about grueling practice sessions filled with scrapes and bumps still left a deep ache in his heart. 

He was brought back to the present when he heard a sharp hiss followed by a sniffle. Shubhman shook his head, tears of pain mingling with the dirt on his face. "No... it hurts too much."

The lack of immediate medical assistance was glaring. The camp was isolated, and the nearest medical facility was miles away. The responsibility fell on Ishan, who was suddenly thrust into the role of caretaker, a position he had never expected to find himself in. Ishan looked around, his mind racing. He had to do something—anything—to help Shubhman. The other players were trying to stay out of his way, their murmurs of concern creating a low hum in the background. Ishan gently examined Shubhman's ankle, his hands moving with a careful precision that belied his usual brusque manner.

"We need to get some ice on it," Ishan said, his voice taking on a more authoritative tone. He helped Shubhman into a sitting position and quickly improvised with some ice packs and a makeshift splint from one of the training kits. It was far from ideal, but it was the best they could manage given the circumstances.

As Ishan worked, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. His earlier actions at the pub had been fueled by a mix of frustration and misplaced anger, but seeing Shubhman in this vulnerable state made him realize how shallow and petty his behavior had been. He had been so caught up in the issues that he had failed to see the humanity in his teammates. When Shubhman's ankle was securely wrapped and elevated, Ishan sat beside him, his expression softening. The usually aloof and detached Ishan was now grappling with a wave of emotions he wasn't used to confronting.