POV: Ishaan Malhotra / Arth Rathore / Swara Malhotra / Kabir Bhalla
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PART 1: THE MATCH THAT WASN'T MINE
POV: Ishaan Malhotra
The crowd was loud.
Too loud.
Like they were trying to drown something out.
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I stood at the center of the court, ball in my hands, sweat dripping down my neck.
Final quarter.
Score tied.
National selectors watching.
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This was my moment.
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Or at least—
That's what I was supposed to believe.
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"Malhotra!"
Coach's voice.
Sharp.
Urgent.
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"Remember the play."
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I nodded.
But something felt… off.
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Not in the game.
In the air.
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I scanned the stands.
Rows of faces.
Strangers.
Scouts.
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And then—
One face that didn't belong.
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A familiar stillness.
A smile that didn't reach the eyes.
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My grip tightened on the ball.
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No.
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That's not possible.
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Rishi Varma.
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He was sitting in the VIP section.
Calm.
Composed.
Like Delhi never happened.
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Like we never broke him.
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The whistle blew.
Game resumed.
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I moved.
Fast.
Sharp.
Real.
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But my mind wasn't on the court anymore.
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It was on him.
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Why is he here?
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I drove forward—
Passed—
Cut—
Jumped—
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And then—
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I hesitated.
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Just for a second.
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The ball slipped.
Opponent stole it.
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Two points.
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Crowd erupted.
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Coach slammed his clipboard.
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But I didn't hear any of it.
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Because Rishi…
Was clapping.
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Slowly.
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Deliberately.
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Like this was exactly what he wanted.
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Timeout.
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I walked to the bench.
Heart racing.
Jaw tight.
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"WHAT WAS THAT?" Coach snapped.
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I didn't answer.
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Because across the court—
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Rishi raised his phone.
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And my phone vibrated.
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Unknown message.
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I opened it.
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A photo.
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Ananya.
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Standing on campus.
Unaware.
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My blood ran cold.
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Message below:
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"Play the game, Ishaan."
"Or she loses hers."
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Everything went silent.
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This wasn't basketball anymore.
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This was war.
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And he had just made the first move.
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PART 2: THE DEAL WITH THE DEVIL
POV: Arth Rathore
You don't recognize evil when you're born into it.
You normalize it.
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Until it recognizes you back.
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I walked into the café.
London rain tapping softly against the glass.
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He was already there.
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Rishi Varma.
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Of course he was.
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"You took your time," he said, sipping coffee like this was a casual meeting.
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I didn't sit.
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"You're supposed to be gone."
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He smiled.
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"People like me don't leave, Arth."
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My fists clenched.
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"What do you want?"
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He leaned back.
Relaxed.
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"You."
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I laughed.
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"You lost everything."
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"No," he corrected calmly.
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"I relocated."
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Silence.
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Then—
He slid a file across the table.
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I didn't touch it.
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"You already saw part of your father's truth," he said.
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My chest tightened.
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"Want to see the rest?"
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I stayed still.
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Because I knew—
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If I opened that file—
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There was no going back.
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"What's the catch?" I asked.
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Rishi smiled.
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"Help me rebuild."
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A pause.
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"And in return?"
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His eyes locked onto mine.
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"I give you control over your own redemption story."
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I exhaled slowly.
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"You think I'll work for you?"
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He leaned forward.
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"I think…"
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A whisper.
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"You'll do anything to protect the people you love."
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My silence answered him.
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Because he wasn't wrong.
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PART 3: THE CALL THAT BROKE EVERYTHING
POV: Swara Malhotra
I didn't cry.
Not this time.
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Because this time—
It wasn't heartbreak.
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It was fear.
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"I work for them now."
Kabir's words kept echoing.
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No.
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Not possible.
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Not him.
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I sped through traffic.
Mind racing.
Heart louder than the city.
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Something was wrong.
Bigger than before.
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Then my phone rang again.
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This time—
I recognized the number.
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"Bhai?"
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"Ishaan" didn't waste time.
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"Where are you?"
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"Road pe hoon, kyun—"
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"Listen carefully," his voice was tight.
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"Rishi is back."
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Everything stopped.
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"What?"
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"And he's not alone."
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My grip slipped on the handle.
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"Swara…"
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A pause.
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"If Kabir contacted you—"
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I froze.
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"You knew?"
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Silence.
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Then—
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"I had a feeling."
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My voice broke.
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"He said he's working for them…"
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A long pause.
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And then—
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"Then we bring him back."
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I blinked.
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"What?"
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Ishaan's voice turned cold.
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"Like we always do."
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A pause.
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"We fight."
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PART 4: THE TRUTH HE COULDN'T ESCAPE
POV: Kabir Bhalla
Monsters aren't born.
They're assigned.
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I stared at the screen.
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Orders.
Names.
Targets.
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And one name highlighted—
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SWARA MALHOTRA
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My chest tightened.
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No.
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Not her.
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Not again.
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Footsteps behind me.
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I didn't turn.
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"Problem?"
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Rishi's voice.
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Of course.
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I clenched my jaw.
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"You said no one gets hurt."
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He laughed softly.
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"I said nothing irreversible."
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My fists tightened.
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"She's not part of this."
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He stepped closer.
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"Everyone is part of this, Kabir."
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A pause.
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"Especially the ones you love."
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I turned.
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Eyes burning.
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"I won't let you touch her."
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Silence.
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Then—
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Rishi smiled.
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"Then you'll do exactly what I say."
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A pause.
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"And maybe…"
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A whisper.
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"She stays safe."
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My world narrowed.
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To one choice.
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Again.
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And I hated the fact—
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That I already knew my answer.
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FINAL LINE:
The difference between a hero and a villain—
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Isn't what they do.
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It's who they're doing it for.