---
"What just happened? What's wrong with him?"
Akshat collapsed hard onto the court floor.
Riya, visibly panicked, rushed inside the court toward him.
She knelt beside him, tried to shake him awake, rubbed his arms and legs,
but Akshat was completely unconscious — his body cold,
his face flushed red like a tomato.
"Someone take him to the medical room right now!"
Riya cried out in panic, staying right by his side, refusing to leave until he regained consciousness.
---
Evening fell — Riya hadn't moved an inch.
The doctor came out and explained,
"His body reacted badly due to overuse of anxiety pills. He needs to rest flat for now."
As the day faded into dusk —
"My match?" — he asked, the moment he opened his eyes.
"You're still worried about your match? Seriously?!"
"What happened?"
"Oh, Your Highness — you fainted. On the court."
"That... damn it… I messed everything up, didn't I?"
"Will you please tell me why you need these anxiety pills?
What are you hiding from me?
Why are you always in such a rush to pop them?"
"It's nothing. Just helps me focus for the match." — he tries to brush it off.
"Focus doesn't come from anxiety pills that make you throw up!
I didn't sit beside you all night just to listen to lies."
Akshat looked out the window. It was night already.
After a pause, he finally opened up —
He had anxiety issues.
His red eyes weren't from allergies, they were from anxiety.
"Anxiety?" Riya repeated, startled.
"I get anxious…
about whether I'll be selected or not,
what people will think,
what if I mess up?"
"You really don't know yourself, do you?
You don't know how amazing you are, and what you're capable of.
You've been emotional support for others — and here you are breaking down.
And since when did you start worrying about other people?
You're not playing for them. Play for yourself!"
Akshat had never told anyone this before — only Riya knew now.
**"The truth is…
I don't care about the world.
I care about my people.
My dad never supported me —
Never even tried to understand what I like or don't like.
He just kept pushing me into the family business.
He'd drag me to meetings…
sometimes I felt suffocated.
Even my mom never stood up for me — maybe because she was scared of him.
They forced me to study abroad.
They hate that I play basketball.
I don't even remember the last time I had a proper conversation with them.
I feel so alone sometimes.
These pills… they became my only escape.
No one understands me."**
"I understand you.
And I will keep trying to understand you,"
Riya said gently, holding his trembling hand.
"Bhagavad Gita says —
'Do your duty, don't worry about the outcome.'
We don't control the result.
But action… that's in our hands.
So what are you so afraid of?"
Hearing this, a little light returned to Akshat's eyes —
but moments later, it dimmed again.
"I think it's too late now…
The selections must already be done."
"That's not true —
You played well the entire match.
You only fainted at the end.
I heard there's still another round of selections tomorrow.
It was a medical emergency — you can still try.
At least give it a shot."
---
The Next Day
"Today was the physical test.
I was nervous —
as good as I am in academics, I'm just as average in physical things.
Sure, I'm not completely unfit,
but not good enough to run 800 meters — a full lap around the stadium — in one go.
Still, I'll try my best.
After all, I've done a lot of running recently —
Being late for school helped me get in some practice!
And running between tasks at home also added to my endurance."
Ready
Steady
Go!
The second I heard that —
it felt like every nerve in my body woke up.
I could only see the track in front of me.
My heartbeat felt like it was in my throat,
but I had to run.
And I ran.
With eyes closed, just focusing on my breath.
I saw the others ahead of me — I was far behind.
But I wanted that scholarship.
So I gave it everything — every ounce of strength I had.
Isha came running up to congratulate me.
I should've celebrated too — maybe screamed with joy.
But why?
Because I was still running.
I kept running — even after crossing the finish line —
Because Akshat's match was about to start.
And I didn't want to miss it.
What if he fainted again?
I couldn't see him in the stadium.
After asking around, I found out —
he had come, but disappeared somewhere.
The match had been paused because of him.
After a quick search,
I found Akshat standing by the corridor near the upper floor washroom —
shivering violently.
Riya went straight to him and grabbed his hand.
"You promised me yesterday…
you said you would play.
Please — don't give up on that now.
Please don't say you can't do this…"
"How can I not be there for you?
You told me once —
'I don't want anything else… I just want to play…'"
"I… I can't do it…"
"You don't get it —
If you can't do it for yourself…
do it for me.
Please.
Just once.
Just try."
---
In the Match...
He went.
God knows what was running through his head…
But… he did it.
He really did it.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
Everyone gathered around him, cheering and lifting him up in celebration.
I stood behind the crowd, watching.
Then suddenly — he pushed through everyone and walked straight toward me.
He held my hand and said —
"I've finally learned the true meaning of 'support'.
Even I didn't believe in myself the way you did.
Thank you…
How can I ever repay you?"
"Just throw us a party!" — Isha shouted from behind.
"And make sure it's for both of us!"
"Both?"
"Yes, Riya won the race too!"
"Don't leave me out!" — Roni chimed in.
"Oh god, not again…"
"What? Got a problem with me?"
And everyone burst out laughing.
---
The selected students had to play a team match — basketball.
I wasn't ready for that at all.
But I was determined to give it my best.
My people were cheering for me from the audience.
And somehow — I scored two goals myself.
The other girls in my team got four more.
But the opposing team — from the other school section —
was still one point ahead.
Time was running out.
We needed one more goal badly.
Suddenly, the ball came to me.
I panicked.
My breath was heavy. Only 12 seconds left.
I tried to push forward, desperate to do something.
But just as I was about to make the basket —
one of my own teammates shoved me.
I lost my balance and fell forward.
And the match ended.
We lost.
The people cheering for us went silent.
I lay there on the court floor, thinking I'd ruined everything.
It was so quiet.
And then — loud clapping, cheering —
"IT'S OKAY! YOU DID AMAZING!"
Who was that...?
No one else but Akshat, yelling at the top of his lungs.
I was sitting there, defeated… but when I saw him,
I burst out laughing.
"Has he gone mad?
We just lost the game —
and he's praising me?"
Everyone turned to look at Akshat.
"The reason we lost —
and you're making noise?"
"So what if we lost?
You gave it your all!
And hey — you scored one point too, didn't you?"
"So what if you missed one?
You're the one who scored the other!
Because…"
"I mean, the best player in the team is called the winner, right?
But I messed it all up…"
Isha stepped forward,
"So what?
You've already won several rounds.
They won't eliminate you just like that.
Win the next one.
You did great!"
Roni brought me a juice —
though Akshat snatched it and drank it himself.
But with the three of them around me —
even in this lost match…
I felt like I'd won something bigger.
---