The morning after the final didn't feel real.
The trophy sat in the hotel lobby, surrounded by ropes and cameras, but Aarav barely looked at it as he walked past. His body felt heavy. Not tired—fulfilled in a way he hadn't experienced before.
His phone hadn't stopped buzzing since midnight.
He hadn't answered most of it.
---
## IPL 2008 – AARAV MALHOTRA (FINAL TALLY)
Matches: 16
Runs: **487**
Average: **40.58**
Strike Rate: **145.11**
50s: **4**
Match-winning knocks: **3**
Not the tournament's top scorer.
But one of its most trusted.
That mattered more.
---
## MEDIA SHIFT
Headlines followed him now.
**RCB'S NO. 3 — INDIA'S NEXT BET?**
**CALM IN CHAOS: THE MALHOTRA METHOD**
Aarav read none of it.
He knew how fast praise turned.
---
## HOME VISIT – TWO DAYS LATER
Back home, things felt strangely unchanged.
Same sofa.
Same wall clock.
Same silence in the afternoon.
His mother made tea.
His father folded the newspaper.
Cricket was never mentioned.
Until it was.
---
The phone rang while Aarav was helping clear the table.
Unknown number.
He answered anyway.
---
"Hello, this is from the BCCI."
The room went still.
---
"We're discussing the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in England," the voice continued.
"Your name has come up."
A pause.
Not dramatic.
Professional.
---
"We want you at the preparatory camp."
---
Aarav closed his eyes.
Not because he was overwhelmed—
But because he needed to hold the moment still.
---
"Yes," he said.
"I'll be there."
---
## AFTER THE CALL
His mother didn't ask questions.
She hugged him.
That said enough.
His father nodded once.
"Pack light," he said.
"Pressure weighs more."
---
That night, alone in his room, Aarav laid his jerseys out on the bed.
Academy.
Ranji.
India A.
RCB.
Each one heavier than the last.
Soon, another would join them.
---
He didn't feel like a star.
He felt like a student.
Called to a higher class.
---
The IPL had opened the door.
But England would decide—
Whether he belonged beyond it.