Rain hammered against the hospital windows like furious applause—mocking, taunting, reminding Aarav Sharma of the stadium he never stepped into.
He lay on the bed, breathing shallow, staring at the ceiling fan that creaked with each rotation. Thirty-two years old. A stable IT job in Bengaluru. A respectable life. A life everyone praised.
Everyone… except him.
His fingers trembled as he reached toward the bedside table where his old pair of cricket gloves rested. The leather had faded, but the memories were sharp.
School tournaments. District selections. Coaches shouting his name.And that one accident that shattered everything.
Aarav swallowed. "I should have never quit," he whispered.
His chest tightened. The heart monitor beeped faster. A dull ache spread across his ribs—heavy, unavoidable.
So this is how it ends?Not as a cricketer.Not as a champion.Just… regret.
His vision blurred. The room dimmed. The fan slowed… until everything stopped.
For a moment, there was silence.Then, a sound.
Ding!
A crisp digital chime echoed through the darkness.
[Initializing…][Regression Complete.][Welcome, User: Aarav Sharma.][Activating: Cricket Mastery System.]
Aarav's heart jolted.
What?
Light exploded around him like a stadium floodlight switching on. His ears rang. His body felt lighter—smaller even. The world spun and reshaped.
He gasped.
The hospital ceiling was gone.The smell of antiseptic replaced by… incense?The sound of a train horn blaring in the distance?And—
"Aarav! Get up! You'll be late for school!" his mother shouted from outside the room.
His eyes flew open.
He was lying on a familiar cotton mattress. His childhood room. Posters of Dravid and Sachin on the wall. A textbook open beside him—Class 10 Maths. His old Nokia phone on the desk.
He jolted upright.
"This… this isn't possible."
His hands—smaller, slimmer.His voice—higher.His uniform—hanging on the chair.
He scrambled to the mirror.
A fifteen-year-old boy stared back at him, wide-eyed and breathless.
"I'm… back?"
Another Ding!
A transparent blue screen appeared before his eyes.
[Cricket Mastery System Activated]
User: Aarav SharmaAge: 15Level: 1 (Amateur )
Main Mission:Correct the regret of your previous life. Become a legendary cricketer.Rewards: Skill Points, Technique Upgrades, Physical Boosts
Aarav stared, stunned.
A system?A second life?A chance to rewrite everything he lost?
His heartbeat thundered with a mix of fear and excitement.
From outside, his mother yelled again, "Aarav! The bus won't wait!"
He took a slow breath.
This time, no hesitation.No fear.No regret.
He clenched his fists.
"My second innings begins now."
And with that, Aarav stepped out of his room—not as the boy who quit cricket, but as the one destined to conquer it.