Chapter 58: The Last Lie
The morning Raghav woke up in the ACA Hostel was thick with the weight of the coming day.
He had less than an hour before the bus left for the Junior Ranji Trophy regional qualifier. The tournament—the ultimate proving ground—was no longer a distant goal.
It was a terrifying reality.
He was the Controlled Asset.
He had the Pace 60 and Power 65, but his body was a fragile container for that force.
He had spent his last two days in a brutal, deliberate charade of rest, knowing that his right arm was a functional lie.
He rose silently in the pre-dawn gloom of Room 212. Rajat, the hostile fast bowler, was already stirring, his taped ankle rigid. Rohan Sharma, the captain, was meticulously packing his kit. The silence was heavy with anticipation.
Raghav walked to his desk. He pulled out the blue, crisp schedule. He was listed as the First Change Bowler and the Number Three Batsman.
