Form fades.
Technique adjusts.
Noise?
Noise only grows.
---
## MORNING – HOTEL CORRIDOR, KOLKATA
Aarav stepped out of his room and almost walked into a cameraman.
"Just one question, Aarav!"
He froze.
This was new.
Not the interview zone.
Not post-match.
This was personal space being mistaken for public property.
The team manager intervened quickly, but the damage was done.
The bubble had cracked.
---
## BREAKFAST – FAME HAS A SOUND
The dining hall buzzed differently today.
Not team chatter.
Typing.
Camera shutters.
Whispers.
Someone had pulled up a chair too close.
Aarav moved his plate slightly.
Across the room, Kohli noticed.
"Welcome," he said quietly, without smiling.
That single word carried years of meaning.
---
## HEADLINES – BY ACCIDENT
Aarav didn't search for news.
The news found him.
> *"Malhotra Reinvents Himself After Dhoni Shutdown"*
> *"Fearless or Reckless? The New Aarav Question"*
> *"Selectors Watching Closely"*
Watching.
Always that word.
---
## THE CALL THAT CHANGES TEMPERATURE
Late morning.
Unknown number.
He ignored it once.
It rang again.
Then again.
Finally, he answered.
"This is Krishnamachari from the selection committee."
A pause.
No greeting.
No praise.
"We're tracking your performances."
Tracking.
Not appreciating.
"There's a possibility," the voice continued,
"that you'll be required for the national T20 setup."
Required.
Like equipment.
"We'll let you know."
Call ended.
No congratulations.
No clarity.
Aarav stared at the phone.
That was worse than rejection.
---
## PRACTICE SESSION – DISTRACTED HANDS
At nets, Aarav felt it immediately.
Not fear.
Static.
His bat came down a fraction late.
His feet hesitated.
Zaheer, bowling gently, stopped mid-run-up.
"You're thinking too much."
Aarav didn't deny it.
Zaheer added,
"The noise gets louder right before it matters."
He leaned closer.
"Don't let it borrow your breath."
---
## SYSTEM ALERT – UNWELCOME THIS TIME
That evening, the interface flickered to life.
> **EXTERNAL PRESSURE SPIKE DETECTED**
> Focus deviation risk: HIGH
> Recommendation: Mental Isolation Protocol
Aarav stared at the suggestion.
Isolation.
Again.
He closed the panel.
Harder than before.
---
## MATCHDAY – RCB VS MI
Venue: DY Patil Stadium
Crowd: Blue-heavy, hostile
Pitch: Flat, true, dangerous for bowlers
Mumbai crowds didn't wait for introductions.
They booed him the moment he warmed up.
Not personal.
Territorial.
That somehow made it worse.
---
## WALKING OUT – WITH BAGGAGE
RCB: **41/1 (4.2 overs)**
Not a collapse.
Not a rescue mission.
Just responsibility.
Aarav adjusted his gloves.
For the first time this season, his hands felt heavy.
---
## FIRST OVER – MISREAD
Ball 1: Slot.
Aarav drove.
Too early.
Inside edge.
Past leg stump.
Dot.
Ball 2: Same length.
This time he waited.
Late.
Controlled.
**FOUR.**
He exhaled.
The crowd didn't care.
---
## INTERNAL DIALOGUE
*Play the ball.*
*Ignore the noise.*
*Ignore the future.*
Easy thoughts.
Hard execution.
---
## SCORE UPDATE
RCB: **72/1 (7 overs)**
Aarav: **18 (13 balls)**
Decent.
But he felt behind.
Not on the scoreboard.
In his head.
---
## THE MOMENT OF FRUSTRATION
Over 8.
Short ball.
He went for the pull.
Top edge.
Dropped at deep square.
The crowd erupted.
Not relief.
Disappointment.
They wanted him gone.
Aarav felt anger spike.
That was dangerous.
---
## RESET – HUMAN, NOT HERO
He walked down the pitch.
Tapped the bat twice.
Spoke to himself.
"Stay."
Just that.
One word.
---
## MID-OVERS – FINDING GROUND AGAIN
He stopped forcing boundaries.
Worked the gaps.
Trusted his partner.
Singles came.
Pressure eased.
Slowly.
---
## SCORE UPDATE
RCB: **118/2 (13 overs)**
Aarav: **37 (29 balls)**
Not explosive.
But stable.
And stability, tonight, felt like victory.
---
## DISMISSAL – NO DRAMA
Over 14.
Slower ball.
He mistimed the loft.
Caught at long-off.
Score: **41 (32 balls)**
He walked back without expression.
Not angry.
Not satisfied.
Just honest.
---
## FINAL TOTAL
RCB: **181/6**
Strong.
But not safe.
---
## RESULT
MI chased it down in the final over.
Loss by **3 wickets**.
The crowd roared.
The noise won tonight.
---
## DRESSING ROOM – THE COST OF ATTENTION
No one blamed Aarav.
That almost hurt more.
Kumble simply said,
"You played with weight today."
Aarav nodded.
He knew.
---
## NIGHT – ALONE WITH THOUGHTS
Back in his room, Aarav sat on the floor.
Phone face down.
TV off.
For the first time since his rise began, he felt tired.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
He missed being anonymous.
He missed mistakes not being headlines.
---
## FINAL REALIZATION
He wrote slowly.
> *Talent brings you up.*
> *Noise tries to pull you apart.*
He closed the notebook.
Tomorrow, there would be more cameras.
More calls.
More opinions.
But beneath all of it—
There was still a boy who loved the sound of bat on ball.
And tomorrow,
he would choose to listen to that instead.
---
**END OF CHAPTER 94**