The final whistle blew.
The scoreboard confirmed what we already knew. We had lost. Again.
Silence fell over our team. Even Prapti and Shree were quiet this time, their usual energy gone.
No one dared speak first. The court smelled of sweat, dust, and disappointment.
Madhav Sir walked onto our side, slow and deliberate. His eyes scanned each one of us, finally resting on me.
"You all know what this means," he said calmly, voice low but sharp. "Practice tomorrow will not be easy."
I swallowed hard.
He stepped closer, and I felt the weight of his gaze—intense, measuring.
"Especially you," he added, almost under his breath, but loud enough for me to hear.
I froze.
It wasn't anger. Not exactly. It was… expectation. Judgment. A challenge.
I looked down at my shoes, unwilling to meet his eyes.
A small smirk crossed his face, just for a moment, then he turned back to the court and addressed the other girls.
"By the way," he said, voice calm but chilling, "I will love training such girls under me… who compared my skills with my age."
We shivered.
Because that statement… Akriti had spoken those words in the room when we were preparing. How could he have heard us?
My heart raced like it would burst. He noticed. And instead of easing off, he made it worse.
He came closer, gently pushing my chin so I had no choice but to meet his eyes.
"So, Miss Captain," he said, smirking slightly, "what did you think I meant when I said strict discipline?"
He released my chin, his smirk lingering.
"Girls, your room has an audio recording tape.
Your every activity, every step, will first be seen and learned by me.
So don't try to act smart. May God save you from me in these six months."
With that, he turned and left.
We froze.
Trying to digest what had just happened