The cricket bat felt different today.
He couldn't explain why at first—but the moment Parbas Ji stepped onto the school ground, Rudra understood.
The P.T.E teacher from Rajasthan carried himself with a calm authority that didn't need volume. The whistle around his neck looked old, its metal dulled by years of use. Dust clung permanently to his white shoes, as if the ground itself refused to let him forget it.
"Line up," Parbas Ji said.
The boys hurried into place.
Rudra stood still, shoulders relaxed, eyes forward.
Parbas Ji walked along the line, observing quietly—not searching for talent, but discipline.
"Cricket is not just a game," he said. "It is control."
He gestured toward the center of the ground.
"Basic batting stance. One at a time."
When Rudra stepped forward, the bat rested naturally against his leg. His grip was correct. His feet were aligned. Too aligned.
Parbas Ji stopped in front of him.
"Relax," he said. "You are not a statue."
Rudra loosened his shoulders instantly.
A tennis ball rolled toward him—slow, intentional.
Rudra swung.
Late.
On purpose.
The ball nudged forward weakly.
Parbas Ji nodded once. "Good. Learn to see the ball first. Power comes later."
The words settled deep.
Batting Timing
Lv 01 (2 / 100 EXP) → (6 / 100 EXP)
They rotated through drills—no nets, no pads. Just repetition.
Grip.
Stance.
Swing.
Reset.
Rudra resisted the urge to correct everything at once. This wasn't about performance. It was about imprinting motion into a young body that didn't yet remember.
Another ball came.
This time, contact was cleaner. The vibration traveled through the bat, into his wrists, stopping there.
Hand–Eye Coordination
Lv 02 (21 / 100 EXP) → (24 / 100 EXP)
A sharp whistle cut the air.
"Stop."
Parbas Ji stepped closer and nudged Rudra's front foot slightly with the tip of his shoe. "Here. Not more. Just this."
Rudra nodded.
Correction received. No argument. No ego.
Focus
Lv 06 (31 / 100 EXP) → (33 / 100 EXP)
The period ended with running drills. Dust rose with every step. Shirts darkened with sweat. Complaints followed exhaustion.
Rudra barely noticed.
His attention stayed with the bat.
Still Lv 01.
And yet—
Batting Timing
Lv 01 (6 / 100 EXP) → (12 / 100 EXP)
Progress didn't announce itself.
It accumulated.
As the bell rang, Parbas Ji added one final instruction. "Hold the bat at home too. Let your hands remember."
Rudra tightened his grip once more before handing it back.
They will, he thought.
Because this time,
every correct swing stayed recorded.