Chapter 2 - The Hobby That Lead To Him

Ping.

"📢 Attention all students: Inter-Branch Sports Tournament begins next week! Teams to be finalized by this weekend."

I stared at the message in the mechanical department group, blinking at the words like they were written in another language. My plate of half-eaten poha sat forgotten on the hostel mess table.

Not even two minutes later, my phone rang. A number I vaguely recognized as one of my juniors.

"Hello?"

"Hi Didi! I'm Neha from second year. We were thinking maybe... would you be able to lead the girls' teams from Mechanical? Like, just help select players and coordinate with the faculty?"

I sighed. "Neha, I have enough on my plate. Final year's a mess. Sorry, but I can't take the lead. You guys will manage."

She hesitated, said "Okay, understood," and the call ended.

I felt bad. But honestly, the idea of being responsible for a team right now made my head spin.

Ten minutes later, a new call.

Dhara,

"Boss!" she beamed through the phone, like she'd been waiting to catch me.

"Now what?" I laughed.

"Badminton. You're playing. Inter-branch. Mech girls' team."

"Wait, what? I just said no to leading anything."

"I'm not asking you to lead," she said. "Just play. Come on. It's you, me, and two first-years—Priya and Meenal. We need a fourth for doubles."

"Only four of us?" I asked.

"For now. But even if it's just us, we're playing. Say yes, boss. You'll like it. And the games are just for fun!"

She always said that — "just for fun." It never was.

"Fine," I said. "But don't make me regret it."

"You won't, promise. Matches start in two days. Practice tomorrow?"

"Deal."

That evening, I brought it up while sitting with my friends outside the hostel.

"Guess what—I'm playing in the sports tournament. Badminton."

Rhea raised her brows. "Since when?"

"Since Dhara emotionally blackmailed me," I replied.

Sana laughed. "Good for you. Haven't seen you on the court in a while."

I turned to Meher. "You're also from mech. Wanna join? They're short on players."

She barely looked up from her phone. "I'll see. Depends."

"Cool," I said, hiding the flicker of disappointment. Typical Meher answer.

The Match Day

The sun was too sharp that morning, and Meher was already acting like I was annoying her just by breathing.

"Coming with me to the badminton court?" I asked, slinging my racket over my shoulder, trying to sound casual.

She didn't even look up from her phone. "I'm not in the mood, Liz. Just go."

Of course. Of course, she wasn't.

I didn't say anything. Just turned and left.

Halfway to the court, my phone buzzed.

Dhara: "Boss! Are you coming or not?! Warm-up started! I've already finished 20 skips waiting for you!"

I smiled. Dhara — my junior from mechanical — was a little too energetic for mornings, but she made everything feel lighter. She never missed a chance to call me "boss" just to annoy me.

Me: "I'm halfway there. Chill. Are we playing first?"

Dhara: "Yup. Girls' doubles. Court 3."

The campus was buzzing. Loudspeakers blared music over the excited noise of students crowding the sports complex. Multiple matches were happening side by side — boys' singles, girls' matches, and a series of table tennis games inside the indoor hall. You could feel the adrenaline in the air.

 Mechanical's boys were already playing their badminton match. Table tennis matches for boys were running simultaneously—no girls' team for TT had been formed this year, which didn't surprise me.

Dhara met me near the gate, bouncing on her toes, her face already glistening with sweat.

"Boss! Finally!" she grinned. "Warm-up?"

"Yeah," I said, tying my ponytail tighter. My stomach fluttered — not from nerves, but something else. That electric pre-game energy.

First Match: Girls' Doubles – Mechanical vs Civil

We stepped onto Court 3.

The crowd wasn't huge, but I could hear cheers from mech juniors — "Go Didi! Go Dhara!"

Civil girls looked serious. One of them was tall with sharp reflexes, the other kept adjusting her hair nervously.

First serve. Dhara.

She served deep. Return. I caught it mid-air, smashed to the left corner. Point one.

We took the first set quickly: 21–12.

But the second set — they came back stronger.

Long rallies. One shot, I dove full length, barely saving the shuttle from touching the floor.

Dhara grinned. "Boss mode activated."

She wasn't wrong.

Final score: 21–12, 23–21.

We were in the next round.

Second Match: Girls' Doubles – Mechanical vs Electrical

This one wasn't easy.

Electrical's team had chemistry. Smooth passes, deceptive drop shots, and insane defense.

We lost the first set: 15–21.

Dhara pulled me aside. "Boss, breathe. We're not losing. Not like this."

Second set started — and I was fire.

Cross-court smashes, quick wrist returns, and fake lifts. Dhara kept the net tight.

We won the second set: 22–20.

Third set was brutal. Point for point. Each side sweating, diving, yelling.

Match point — 20–19.

I served short.

They rushed the net — Dhara blocked. A rally followed — my backhand sliced just beyond their reach.

21–19.

We won.

"Finals," Dhara whispered, panting.

Final Day – Girls' Team Final vs Computer Science

The court was packed. Juniors yelling. Boys from the mech team lined up on the sidelines to watch.

Rhea surprised me by showing up, dropping next to me on the stands like she'd always been there.

"Didn't think you'd come," I whispered.

She shrugged. "You're playing the finals, aren't you? Now shut up and win."

First Match: Singles – Dhara vs CS

Dhara was fire.

Every move she made was fast and unpredictable. The CS player tried to keep up but Dhara's reflexes were too sharp.

Score: 11–11.

Then 15–15.

Then 20–20.

Match point.

Dhara flicked the shuttle high, ran forward, and dropped it just past the net.

22–20. Victory.

She screamed, "LET'S GO!"

Second Match: Doubles – Aliza & Dhara vs CS

We were up. But CS brought out their best team.

That same sharp girl who played singles... and a tall first-year with killer smashes.

They played deep shots, dropped right at our feet, and controlled every point.

We tried to catch up — some rallies were over 30 shots long. My legs were burning.

We lost: 18–21, 16–21.

"I'm sorry," Dhara muttered.

"Don't be. We've got one more shot."

Final Match: Singles – Aliza vs CS Star Player

I stepped onto the court alone.

This was the same girl who dominated us in doubles. Her serve was clean. Her footwork? Flawless.

First 5 points — I couldn't even touch the shuttle.

But then I started reading her. I got some returns. A smash. A drop.

Score: 7–11.

Second half, I gave it everything.

My lungs ached. I lunged, dove, scraped my knee — but still lost point after point.

Final score: 11–21.

I stood there, panting, staring at the shuttle as it bounced once.

My legs felt like iron rods as I stepped into position. Rhea was at the edge of the court, hands on her knees, watching every move.

I gave it my all. But she was better. Cleaner. Quicker.

I lost.

Badly.

I didn't cry. But the moment I walked off court, Rhea was already holding out a cold drink. "Here. Your reward for making it to the finals."

"I lost," I said, trying not to sound as hollow as I felt.

"And yet," she said, bumping my shoulder, "you still made us proud."

"You still looked badass," she added.

Later that evening, the mess was loud and warm, metal trays clinking against each other. I had barely touched my dinner when my phone rang again.

Dhara.

"Boss!"

"What now?"

"Pack your bags."

"Why?"

"Jaipur. Intercollege tournament. Two days from now. You're selected."

My mouth opened. "You're kidding."

"Nope. You, me, Kajal—she agreed this afternoon. That CS girl who beat you? She's on the team too."

"Wow. Who else?"

"6 boys for badminton, 4 for table tennis. Mechanical's full team. All final list. I begged HOD to close it today."

"Wait... when exactly are we leaving?"

"Two days. Matches start the day after. Early morning."

"Dhara—this is sudden."

"I told you. It's gonna be fun. You in?"

I glanced across the mess. Sana scrolling, Rhea eating, Meher whispering something to someone.

"Yeah," I said finally. "I'm in."

I glanced around the mess. Meher, Sana and Rhea were deep in conversation.

I cleared my throat. "Guys... Dhara wants me to play intercollege with her. In Jaipur."

Silence.

Then Sana laughed. "Seriously? You're not even a regular player."

Meher raised her eyebrows. "You'll embarrass us in front of other colleges."

I raised an eyebrow back. "Thanks for the faith."

"But hey," Rhea said, tossing a roti at me, "you did reach the finals. So maybe... go surprise us."

They smiled. Half-teasing, half-proud.

That night, I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling fan.

I should've felt proud.

But all I could think about was how easy it was for people to doubt you — even after you've proved yourself once.

And I had a feeling...

Jaipur wasn't going to be just a tournament.

It was going to change everything.