Precap: The sports festival started. Both Suman and Shravan reached the finals in the badminton competition.
Tiwari house at night
Kanchan is working on laptop and talking on phone at the same time. Suman enters the room.
Suman: What are you doing?
Kanchan: Updating all the points of today. The calculations are real complex. This Shefan and Mayank are talking in puzzles, I can’t get in their conversation at all.
Suman: So who is ahead in the race?
Kanchan: Can’t say, sometimes one team is in the top, within a few seconds the other team takes the lead. We can tell tomorrow.
Suman: OK.
Suman sits down on her bed and checks her racket. Kanchan keeps working on her laptop. Finally she completes and looks at Suman. She sighs looking at her.
Kanchan: Ok, will you tell me what’s wrong? I’m seeing you since the last match, you are checking your racket continuously.
Suman looks at her listening to her question, she slowly puts down the racket.
Suman: Kancha, there is a problem.
Kanchan: That’s what I am asking behna. What happened?
Suman: My racket broke.
Kanchan: What?
She jumps out of chair and takes the racket. After checking it she looks at Suman.
Kanchan: Why are you telling now? You have finals tomorrow.
Suman: I forgot.
Kanchan: You forgot! Suman Tiwari forgot!
Suman: I planned to fix it but after match I started talking with Shravan, we kept talking for long and it got out of my mind. What am I going to do now?
Kanchan goes and takes out her racket. She gives it to Suman.
Kanchan: Play with this one tomorrow.
Suman: This is…
Kanchan: I know I have lost by playing with this racket today. But I know you can win with this one tomorrow.
Suman smiles and hugs her.
Suman: Kancha you are a life saver.
Kanchan breaks out of the hug and prepares to go to sleep.
Kanchan: It’s fine, if you don’t manage to win tomorrow because of a broken racket then that buddy of yours will create a ruckus.
Suman: Kancha, wasn’t Shravan behaving a bit weird today?
Kanchan: When does he behave normally?
Suman: I mean the way he was cheering for me, wasn’t he a bit too much?
Kanchan: Your buddy is supporting you, what’s weird about that?
Suman: Yes but we are in different team. My win means his loss. He was getting happy over his loss. He took so much stake in this challenge but he doesn’t seem to care about it much.
Kanchan: You are right actually. Since the start of the sports competition he kinda got laid back on this whole challenge thing. He was fine even before the first race, was saying stuff like we have to win the challenge, we will show those army gang. But after that I wonder what happened. Did you heard about the party?
Suman: Yeah he invited me.
Kanchan: I think he already invited half of the school. If we win it’s all fine. But by any chance if we lose then how can we party? It will be so awkward.
Suman’s phones rings, Shravan is calling.
Suman: See, we are talking about him and he called.
She receives the call.
Suman: Hello.
Shravan: Yes Sumo, what will you eat?
Suman: What?
Shravan: What will you have? We are deciding the menu for tomorrow’s party. Will pasta be ok?
Suman: Sure but…
Shravan: Great. Listen Sumo I have to hang up now. Bye.
Before Suman could say anything Shravan cuts the call. She gets surprised.
Suman: Such a weird guy. Can you believe it Kancha, he called to discuss the menu for tomorrow’s party.
Kanchan: Really, what is it?
Suman: Shut up, go to sleep.
Kanchan: Why are you getting angry at me? Forget about him and you go to sleep too. I think you got tired and thinking a bit too much.
Suman thinks for some time then goes to sleep.
Next day
Suman is playing the final match in the badminton competition. With the last hit she wins it. Everyone congratulates her. Among the normal cheers a really high cheer could be heard. Suman notices towards that direction and sees Shravan clapping and screaming. Everyone around him is looking at him weirdly but he isn’t a giving a care. Kanchan comes and hugs Suman.
Kanchan: See behna, this was my racket’s magic.
Suman: That’s all right, but isn’t Shravan doing a bit too much.
Both of them look at Shravan, he is now trying to get to them by crossing over other students.
Kanchan: You are right. He is doing it a bit too much. He is coming here.
Shravan finally reaches where the sisters were standing, being all excited.
Shravan: Sumo, I knew you will do it. We have yet another thing to celebrate at tonight’s party.
Both Suman and Kanchan looks at each other.
Suman: Shravan don’t you think you are doing it a bit much, I mean I know you want to cheer for me but…
Kanchan: True, she just scored a lot of points against us. Did you checked the scoreboard, I’m live updating it today and opposite team is in the lead now.
Shravan: Don’t worry about the points. If it’s like that then I am gonna have a straight win with that dhumketu and not let him take a single point.
Kanchan: So much overconfidence isn’t good.
Shravan: And you stop being so negative.
Shravan pushes Kanchan a bit and comes closer to Suman.
Shravan: Sumo, if you are thinking I’m still the same Shravan with whom you practiced then prepare to be amazed. I have improved a lot more from that time. You see I have been practicing in secret.
Suman gives a smile that says she is not believing it.
Shravan: You don’t believe me? Fine, remember that day we met in the sports club, weren’t we almost had a challenge about a match between me and Anish, let’s have that challenge today.
Suman: You really like to have challenges, don’t you. Shall I remind you the one you lost.
Shravan: And shall I remind you the one I won.
Suman: Fine, cause it’s a waste to debate with you. What if I win?
Shravan: Then I will give you a gift at the party. But if I win then you will give me a gift.
Kanchan: Suman don’t agree, these conditions are very suspicious.
Shravan: Kancha don’t come between me and my Sumo. Otherwise I will have a challenge with you too.
Kanchan: Hey.
Suman: Fine. I accept your challenge. Kancha let’s go.
Suman pulls Kanchan away from there. She looks back at him once, he gives a smirk at her.
Suman: He have a screw loose.
The basketball match is going on, Shravan comes and stands in the audience. Sahib is playing the match. Shravan speaks to his friend standing beside him.
Shravan: So Sahib is playing in the end.
: Hmm, he is very excited from yesterday and wouldn’t listen to any cause. He was saying something like he would show Anish even he can play basketball.
Shravan: And think there was a time when he just wanted to become the referee so that he doesn’t have to play.
Between their talk from time to time they cheer loudly and and claps.
Shravan: GO SAHIB. Listen we have to keep a lookout, if he overdoes it we have to pull him out. Afterall he is our goalkeeper in the football match. If he tires himself out .. GOOD JOB GOOD JOB, KEEP IT UP… then we will be in trouble.
: We have exchange player ready to take over in this match but he is just way too enthusiastic.
Shravan: He is coming, he is coming, where’s the water bottle.
All the players come and gather at the corner, their friends starts giving them water and towel.
Sahib: Shravan, don’t worry. We have got them cornernered. We will win it. I feel like WE WILL WIN EVERYTHING TODAY.
Shravan: Yeah yeah calm down. Don’t waste your energy like that.
He looks at his friend standing beside him.
Shravan: I know what you mean.
Sahib: I’ll take revenge for all the insults today.
He and the other players get back to play again. Shravan and his friend looks at each other, then starts cheering. Anish was also watching the match. Soon they win the match. Shravan and his friends friends screams and runs towards them. They all hugs. The other team gathers where Anish was standing.
:Sorry Anish, we were doing fine at the first half but…
Anish: Our team is still a lot ahead in the points. And now I will make sure it stays that way myself and show that Shravan where his place is.
After a while Shravan is talking with the football team before the match starts.
Shravan: Okay guys, so that’s will be our strategy. Sahib you okay?
Sahib: Fine? I’m super fine. We will win it all.
Shravan: Uh, okay. Bring it in boys.
Everyone puts their hands together and cheers.
Shravan: So all the best. I have to go now, my badminton match will start.
They all wishes him luck. The football team one by one gets in the field while Shravan goes towards his court. After reaching their he sees Suman in her NCC cadet uniform sitting with other girls in the audience seat. A photographer is taking their photo. Shravan comes from behind and poses victory sign, he gets in one of their photos. The photographer yells at him.
Photographer: Hey Shravan, get out of the frame.
Everyone turns and finds him doing the pose. Shravan smiles at them. The photographer chases him, he starts running and giving pose while running, the photographer clicks the photo too. Suman smiles seeing his weird antics. While running Shravan gets infront of Anish. They both moves in circle while looking at each other and goes different ways. The badminton match starts. Anish serves first. Shravan hits the shuttle and it directly falls at the opposite side. Anish stands in his place getting surprised. Everyone claps. Shravan looks at Suman, she smiles. The match begins again and Shravan keeps winning all the points leaving Anish with zero points. In the three set match Shravan wins the first two and is declared the winner. Everyone stands up clapping. Anish throws down his racket angrily but stops and fixes his composure. He passes the net and forwards his hand towards Shravan to handshake. Shravan was looking around from the time he scored the last point. He looked at Anish and his hand. Then suddenly he drops his racket and starts running. Everyone’s claps gets slower and stopped while they turn to look where he is going. Anish became even more surprised at this. He keeps standing there looking at the direction Shravan ran while his hand was still hanging forward. Everyone around him start going after Shravan to see where did he went, so does Suman. They all stops seeing Shravan has stopped before the football match, the match is still going on. Shravan takes off his t-shirt and throws it at the ground. A lot of girls around Suman screamed, at the same time the ball missed the goalpost for an inch and got out of the field, so the reason of their scream wasn’t clear. A student ran towards Shravan and gives him the jersey that the other players are wearing. He wears it fast. He starts doing warm up while talking.
Shravan: What’s the situation?
: We were at 3-3 in the first half. The second half just started. Oh, the points just came updated from the last match. You won!
Shravan: Yeah.
: OK, so keeping everything in mind we need to win this match with two goal difference to win the challenge.
Shravan: Two goal?
: Yeah, even if this match is a draw then the army gang will win by a little difference in the points.
Shravan: Two goals, got it.
He high fives with him. A player from the match comes and exchanges with him. He gets in the game. As soon as he enters one of his teammates scores a goal. They all celebrates. Shravan finds Sahib. They cheers togethers.
Sahib: I heard you won the match. I told you we will be winning it all.
Shravan: Yeah, you are right. You OK?
Sahib: I’m fine, I just seeing two of you that’s all.
Shravan: WHAT!?
Sahib starts going back to his position. He meets one of his teammates and both of them cheers hard. Shravan couldn’t decide whether to worry for him or not. They gets back in position and starts playing again. A few minutes later the opposite team scores a goal. Shravan notices nobody turned sad at all and keeps playing with more determination. Shravan gives a long pass and their team scores another goal. The time left now is very less. All of a sudden the opposite team gets a new substitute player in. It’s Anish.
Shravan murmurs.
Shravan: What? How did he get in the match all of a sudden?
But there was no time left to wonder about that. Anish was heading towards the goal with the ball.
Shravan: Oh no you are not.
Shravan comes in front of him and tries to take back the ball. Anish passes it towards another player. He moves towards the goal, Sahib comes closer to that side. Both Anish and Shravan is moving towards the goal too. Suddenly Shravan slips. The whole field seems to have stop making any sound. Shravan felt like he is seeing everything in slow-motion. At the last moment the player passed the ball towards Anish, his feet touched the ball, he kicked, Sahib jumped…..
Shravan got up and sat on his knees. The whistle blows and marks the game ended. A little ahead of him Anish is standing looking at the goalpost. In front of it Sahib is lying down holding the ball tightly close to his heart. Everyone inside the field was standing still, while everyone in the audience is looking at their phones and at each other. Nobody is making a sound. Shravan breathed heavily, he looked around the field. He sees Suman, she seems happy and about to clap but stops seeing the weird atmosphere around everyone. He saw Kanchan trying to say him something, she is signing at him something. Shravan looks in front of him again at Sahib. Breaking the silence he screams in joy while getting up and runs towards Sahib. He jumps over him. The other players also comes running and jumps over them. After a while they stands up and forms a circle holding each other and keeps jumping together in joy and screaming. The audience starts clapping and starts talking among them. Someone brings Anish a phone while telling him something. He sees the phone, then looks at Shravan’s team celebrating.
Anish: Before celebrating like idiots at least you should check the points.
Shravan and others breaks their celebration and looks at him.
Anish: You just won the match, not the challenge.
Next: The party at Shravan’s house.