Some phone calls change your career.
This one changed your breathing.
---
## MORNING – BANGALORE, TEAM HOTEL
Aarav woke before the alarm.
Not because he was rested.
Because his phone was already in his hand.
No notifications.
That somehow made it worse.
He put it down.
Stared at the ceiling.
Counted breaths like Zaheer once taught him.
Four in.
Four out.
It didn't settle his chest.
---
## BREAKFAST – WAITING IN PUBLIC
The dining room was quieter today.
Losses did that.
Kohli sat with headphones on.
AB read a newspaper like it was 2002.
Kumble drank his coffee slowly.
Aarav picked at his food.
Every vibration—cutlery, chair, footsteps—felt like it *could* be the call.
---
## 10:17 AM
The phone rang.
Unknown number.
No ringtone.
Just vibration.
Aarav stood up mid-step.
Kumble noticed immediately.
"Take it," he said.
Not a suggestion.
---
## THE CORRIDOR CALL
Aarav stepped into the empty hallway.
"This is the BCCI office," the voice said.
Formal.
Measured.
"You've been selected for the Indian T20 squad."
A pause.
Not dramatic.
Administrative.
"You'll report to the national camp in Mumbai in three days."
That was it.
No praise.
No welcome.
Just instruction.
---
## AFTER THE CALL – NOTHING FEELS REAL
Aarav didn't move.
Didn't smile.
Didn't breathe properly.
His hands shook—not with excitement.
With gravity.
He walked back into the dining room.
Kumble looked up once.
Aarav nodded.
That nod carried years.
---
## REACTIONS – QUIET, RESPECTFUL
Yuvraj stood first.
Pulled him into a brief hug.
"No speeches," Yuvraj said.
"You'll get enough of those."
AB smiled.
"Don't forget how you got here."
Kohli finally removed his headphones.
"Now it starts," he said.
No jealousy.
No edge.
Just truth.
---
## PHONE CALL HOME – THIS TIME DIFFERENT
Aarav called home immediately.
His mother answered.
He didn't say anything for a second.
Then,
"I've been picked."
Silence.
Then a breath he'd never heard before.
His father took the phone.
"You earned it," he said.
Not *we're proud*.
Earned.
That mattered.
---
## IPL MATCH THAT NIGHT – A DIFFERENT HEADSPACE
RCB vs Punjab.
Aarav was playing.
But not fully *there*.
He knew it the moment he padded up.
His mind kept jumping forward.
Blue jersey.
National anthem.
New dressing room.
Dangerous thoughts.
---
## WALKING OUT – BLUE IN HIS MIND
RCB: **36/2 (4 overs)**
Same situation.
Different weight.
He told himself,
*This is still IPL.*
The bat didn't listen immediately.
---
## INNINGS – RESTRAINT OVER SPARK
He played carefully.
Almost too carefully.
No risks.
No statements.
Singles.
Deflections.
Soft hands.
Score: **29 (26 balls)**
Not bad.
Not him.
---
## DISMISSAL – REALITY CHECK
Over 11.
Half-tracker.
He hesitated.
Pulled late.
Top edge.
Caught.
He closed his eyes briefly.
That wasn't pressure.
That was distraction.
---
## FINAL SCORE
RCB: **167/7**
Defendable.
Barely.
---
## RESULT
RCB won by **6 runs**.
Nobody talked about Aarav's innings.
That stung.
And grounded him.
---
## LATE NIGHT – PACKING BEGINS
Back in the room, Aarav opened his suitcase.
This time, it wasn't RCB red.
He folded carefully.
Took out his notebook.
Wrote one line.
> *Selection doesn't mean readiness.*
He underlined it.
Twice.
---
## SYSTEM MESSAGE – FINAL WARNING
The interface appeared without permission.
> **PHASE TRANSITION DETECTED**
> IPL Success → International Exposure
> Error margin reduced by 72%
Aarav didn't dismiss it.
Didn't engage.
He just stared.
Then closed his eyes.
---
## FINAL MOMENT OF THE CHAPTER
Aarav sat on the bed, suitcase half-packed.
Outside, the city moved on.
Inside, something shifted.
This wasn't a dream anymore.
Dreams were light.
This—
This was heavy.
And for the first time since his rise began,
Aarav wondered quietly:
*Am I ready to be watched by a nation?*
---
**END OF CHAPTER 95**