The Unknown

Chapter Two

The morning sun illuminated the cricket academy. It was 9:30 AM, and the first practice session had just concluded. Arjun, carrying a tray of tea cups, received his next task from Chotu, one of the academy's dedicated workers."Arjun, give them some tea," Chotu instructed, to which Arjun obediently nodded. Arjun walked over to where the players were gathered, tea cups in hand. Among them was Rashid, a talented but short-tempered cricketer who never shied away from expressing his displeasure. Rashid raised an eyebrow when he saw Arjun and commented, "Another kid? Is this cricket academy or an orphanage? And what's that in your hand?" Arjun, slightly taken aback, replied, "It's tea, brother." Rashid, asserting his authority, promptly corrected Arjun, "Brother? Am I your brother? Call me 'sir.' What do you call me!?" Arjun quickly corrected himself, saying, "Sir!"

Rashid, with a hint of condescension, took a sip of the tea and made a face, "You call this tea? It's worse." Without warning, Rashid slammed the tea cup into Arjun's face, leaving him in pain and shock. Arjun winced, exclaiming, "Ouch! Sir, it burns." Rashid demanded, "Get me a cup of good tea." Arjun, still reeling from the tea thrown on his face, turned to Chotu, who had witnessed the entire incident. "Chotu, Rashid sir asked for a cup of good tea," Arjun explained, his voice shivering. Chotu, observed Rashid's behavior, suggested taking the matter to their coach."Has he gone out of his mind? Let's go and complain to the coach," Chotu recommended, his frustration evident. Together, Arjun and Chotu approached their coach, Amir, to discuss the troubling incident.

Amir, noticing Arjun's disheveled appearance, inquired, "What happened, Arjun? Why is your face red?" Arjun recounted the distressing encounter, saying, "Rashid sir slammed tea on my face." Chotu chimed in, "Sir, day by day he is becoming worse. You need to do something."Amir, addressing Chotu, instructed, "Chotu, go and get some tea." With Chotu dispatched to fetch tea, Amir turned his attention to Arjun. "Arjun, come here," Amir beckoned, and Arjun promptly approached, his face still flushed from the tea incident. Amir imparted a valuable life lesson, his voice filled with wisdom and understanding. "This is life, Arjun. You need to face each and every obstacle in order to gain success. Be positive," Amir said, acknowledging Arjun's pain. "I know that pains a lot. Rashid is the son of my friend. He really plays well, and I'm unable to suggest to him about his attitude because of his father. I hope you understand. Now go, wash your face, and take some rest." Chotu returned with a cup of tea, but Amir had to leave due to prior commitments, leaving the tea untouched.

As they made their way back to their room, Chotu expressed his frustration and resentment towards Rashid. "You know what, I really wanna kick him hard. I really hate him," Chotu confided, his anger palpable. Arjun, still stinging from the earlier incident, shared his sentiments. "It's really very painful, Chotu. He doesn't have any feelings and humanity towards anyone." "Humanity," Chotu mused, prompting Arjun to inquire, "What's there to laugh?" Chotu, lost in thought, explained, "Arjun, "In this world, 'wonderful' describes the environment, but it often falls short when applied to people. Our values seem to have diminished, and we now find ourselves defending them vigorously." Ridiculous, right?" Deep in thought, the two friends proceeded to their room, their minds filled with the complexities of their environment.

________

The cricket academy buzzed with excitement as the players prepared for the upcoming club matches. Imran, a dedicated and passionate member of the academy, approached their coach, Amir, to discuss a pressing matter.Imran began, "Sir, by this weekend, we have club matches," to which Amir nodded, fully aware of the significance of the matches. Imran continued, explaining the high stakes involved. "Yes, the best five among the two teams will get selected for the district camp. Officials from the Ranji Trophy will be present to observe the players. If they perform well, they may secure a spot in the state Ranji team."

Amir acknowledged the importance of the opportunity and encouraged Imran to share his concerns. Imran elaborated on the challenge they faced. "Sir, but there's a problem. The match is between my team and Rashid's team." Amir understood the issue but prompted Imran to consider potential solutions. "So...?" Amir inquired, urging Imran to explore options and make a decision. Imran explained the challenge they faced: "Sir, our team only has ten players, and Rashid's team has twelve players. How can we play without an 11th member, sir?"Amir encouraged Imran to seek a solution, emphasizing the importance of making a choice."So, you quit!?" Imran was determined and explained his perspective. "No, sir, but we only have ten players." Amir challenged Imran to find a solution. "Don't search for reasons, Imran. Go and ask whether the 12th player on Rashid's team will play for you or not." Imran knew that Rashid's influence over his team made this an unlikely outcome. "He will not play, sir. Rashid has complete control over his team," Imran reported. Amir recognized the difficulty of the situation and presented a challenging choice. "What will you do, then?" Amir inquired. Imran considered their options and the potential consequences of their decision. "Sir, with your permission, I will ask one of the players who will be appearing for Ranji Trophy selections to play on our side."

Amir was concerned about the distraction this might create for the player in question."Have you gone mad, Imran? Shame on your part. They will be appearing for Ranji Trophy selections within two days. They shouldn't have any kind of distraction now," Amir cautioned. "See, if you want to play, then play with ten members. Remember, there are good players in your team who are eagerly waiting for a chance to prove themselves. If you don't play tomorrow, they might miss their chance. I don't want that to happen." Amir presented Imran with an unconventional suggestion."If you really want to play with 11 members, then take Arjun to your side as the eleventh player," Amir proposed. Imran, taken aback by this proposal, considered his options. "Arjun?" Imran wondered aloud. Amir emphasized the lack of alternatives. "You don't have another alternative, Imran," Amir reminded him.

Imran approached Arjun with a request that would change the course of events. "Arjun, come here," Imran beckoned. Arjun, curious and uncertain, responded, "Yes, brother." Imran initiated the conversation, laying out the situation. "What's your age?" Imran asked.Arjun responded with his age, "Fifteen." Imran continued to explain the situation and his request. "Do you play cricket?" Imran asked. Arjun confirmed his skills, saying, "Yes, brother."Imran recognized Arjun's potential and made a bold request. "Will you play on my side for tomorrow's match?" Imran asked, his voice filled with anticipation. Arjun was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected opportunity. "What!?" Arjun exclaimed, not fully comprehending the offer. Imran assured Arjun that there would be no pressure on him."We have only ten players on our side, Arjun. I want you to play as our 11th player. Don't worry; there won't be any kind of pressure on you," Imran explained, extending a lifeline to Arjun.
Imran: "Will you play on my side, Arjun?"Arjun: "Yes, brother."Imran: "Good. See you tomorrow on the field."