The camp ground was big.
Students from different schools had come — all in line, all curious, all checking each other out. Some were confident, some nervous, some both.
Viraj was also standing there. Ram was with him.
Just then —
From one corner of the ground, a guy came.
Viraj looked at him.
He was strange.
Messy hair. Crooked nose. Clothes — like he just woke up and came straight, without looking in the mirror. No uniform. No introduction.
He came straight ahead. Stopped. Looked at the entire line with one glance.
And said —
"Alright. Tell me — who all will come with me?"
The players looked at each other.
"What is he saying?"
"Who is he?"
"Is he a coach?"
Whispers started in the line.
But that guy — Tane — didn't stop. He continued, completely straight, completely carefree —
"I am going to build a team. A team — that will go to world level."
Some players frowned.
Tane continued —
"India created kabaddi. India is the founder of this game. But for the past 15 years, it has been losing at the world level. If this continues — India's respect in other countries will keep falling."
A second of pause.
"Yeah — anyway I don't really care much about respect."
Some players smiled. Some got confused.
"Where was I... yeah I remember." Tane corrected himself casually — "I will create a player. A raider. Who will destroy even world-level players on the field."
Now the line was silent.
Tane's voice was still just as straight —
"But there is a price for this."
"If you lose in this game of mine — under my coaching — nothing much will happen. Just — you will be out of kabaddi forever. And along with that — you won't be able to make a future in any other sport either."
---
The line exploded.
"He's crazy!"
"He's talking nonsense!"
"If by mistake we get eliminated — our entire future is over?!"
Voices mixed into each other. No one person was speaking — everyone was speaking together, to each other, in their own way —
Just then —
One hand went up.
Silence.
Everyone looked.
Viraj.
In the entire line — only one hand. Only one person.
---
Tane's eyes went to Viraj.
One second. Two seconds.
Then — Tane's lips moved. And a small —
Smile.
"Oh. Interesting."
He stepped forward — a little closer to Viraj —
"So in this entire school — only one student has said yes."
Viraj said nothing. Just looked.
Tane glanced at the ground — then back at Viraj —
"Alright." He said simply — "Pack your bag tomorrow. We leave tomorrow itself. I'll come to pick you up."
And Tane walked away from there.
No drama. No more talk.
Just — left.
---
Viraj stood there.
Tane's words were spinning in his mind — world level. Destroy. Out forever.
But there was something else spinning too.
That one moment — when Tane was speaking — for one second, Viraj felt like —
Like he was already there. On the world stage. Number one. Everything in his control.
That feeling was just for a second.
But it was real.
And along with that — something inside him was coming out. No one could see it. But it was there. That aura — that presence — which only special people have — slowly, silently, was coming out.
"VIRAJ."
He snapped.
Ram was standing in front of him — hand on his shoulder, face tight —
"Are you crazy? Did you hear what he was saying? If you fail then FOREVER — no sport. No future. You're pushing yourself into darkness!"
Viraj looked at Ram.
One second.
Then slowly — almost to himself — said —
"I don't know why... but — if I want to become number one..."
A small pause.
"...then I have to go there."
Ram had no answer.
---
— End of Chapter 3 —