Two days after the Hyderabad session, Coach Reddy's phone rang. He answered, listened silently, and then turned to Aarav, who sat across from him in the modest guesthouse room, sipping chai.
"Both teams want you," he said without any buildup. "Hyderabad and Pune. They were impressed."
Aarav looked up, stunned. "Both?" he asked, just to be sure.
Reddy nodded. "As a net bowler. You'll travel with the squad, bowl through the season, and train with the first team. It's not a full contract. But it's a foot inside the dressing room."
Aarav leaned back, heart thudding. The boy who once watched IPL games from hostel common rooms, who had trained alone under streetlights and bowled through migraines during exams, was now invited to bowl to the very players he grew up idolizing.
"So, I have to choose?" he asked softly.
"Yes," Reddy replied. "Pune and Hyderabad both liked what they saw. Hyderabad's more settled. But Pune…" He trailed off, letting Aarav fill in the rest.
Pune was a temporary franchise. A stand-in team created after Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended for two years due to the 2013 betting scandal. Everyone in cricket circles knew it—Pune Supergiants might not exist beyond next season. It wasn't the obvious long-term path.
Aarav stared at the message forwarded to him. "We'd like to have Aarav Reddy in our net bowler group for the upcoming IPL season. Please confirm availability."
The logo wasn't historic or iconic. It didn't have the legacy of CSK or the firepower of Hyderabad. But when Aarav finally looked up, his voice was clear.
"I want to go to Pune."
Coach Reddy tilted his head, clearly surprised. "You sure? Might not lead to anything long-term. The team may disappear in a year or two."
Aarav nodded. "Yes. But Dhoni's there. And I want to learn from him. He's seen it all. Wins, losses, pressure, silence. If I want to build a career—not just a moment—I need to build character. And he's the one who can teach me that. Even if it's just by being around him."
For a moment, Reddy didn't speak. Then he smiled—proud, knowing. "Good choice. The right kind of reason."
Day One in Pune
The Pune training ground didn't have the grandeur of Chepauk or the noise of Eden Gardens. But it was charged with purpose. Everything felt new and temporary—but the intensity was real.
Big names walked casually across the outfield: Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Ashwin. And in the middle of it all, MS Dhoni—calm as ever, gloves tucked in, quietly observing practice like a monk amid chaos.
Aarav stood in the corner of the nets, gripping a shiny white ball, trying to calm his breath. He wasn't here to be noticed. He was here to learn.
No one fussed over net bowlers. You came, you bowled, you got hit, and you went back again. But Dhoni noticed everything.
As Aarav prepared to begin his first spell, he felt a pair of eyes on him. Dhoni was watching—not saying a word, but absorbing everything. When their eyes met, Dhoni gave him a brief nod.
Not approval. Not pressure. Just a silent: "Do your job."
That night, Aarav messaged his father.
Appa, I'm in the Pune nets. Bowling starts tomorrow. You were right to tell me to finish my exams first. I'm ready now. For everything.
His father called within minutes. His voice was quiet, choked slightly.
"You did the hard part, beta. You stayed the course. Now soak up everything you can. Learn from the best."
Aarav smiled. This wasn't a dream anymore.
It was the beginning of something real. A path forward—temporary on paper, maybe. But built on something more permanent: Character.