The Right Wrong Number✨

♡ Chapter - 16 ♡

He smiled and raised his wrist to show, he still wore the bracelet.

For a moment, there was a quiet, tender pause between them. Mira's heart beat a little faster.

She had been meaning to say something more, something deeper, something she had felt for so long now, but before she could say it, his phone buzzed.

Arjun's mother's name flashed on the screen of his second phone.

He quickly glanced at it and then said, "Mamma ka call aa raha hai, ek second..."

(Mom's call is coming, wait a second...)

Mira nodded. "haan, haan, karle baat..."

(Yeah, yeah, go ahead talk to her...)

Arjun didn't cut the video call. 

He answered his mother, his face momentarily shifting from playful to serious, his features hardening.

Mira noticed the sudden change in his demeanor. 

Her teasing smile faded as she watched his expression grow tense. She could see something wasn't right.

Then, the voice of Arjun's mother came through, soft yet filled with distress. His eyes widened as he listened to the news. His phone slipped from his hand, the screen tumbling down onto the bed.

Mira's heart skipped a beat. "Arjun?" she asked softly, sensing the shift in him. 

There was no response.

"ARJUN???" she repeated, her voice rising in concern. 

Still, there was no answer.

"Arjunnn?? Tu sun raha haii? Kya hua hai? Kya keh rahi thi aunty?!!" she called out, her voice a mix of worry and confusion.

(Arjun?? Are you listening? What happened? What was aunty saying?!!)

Finally, Arjun glanced at her phone screen, his eyes glassy and full of pain. His voice was hoarse as he spoke, struggling to get the words out. 

"Mira... My father... he... he's gone. My father's dead."

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. She swallowed hard, her chest tightening as she saw the raw vulnerability in his eyes. Arjun looked like he was still processing it, the weight of the news sinking in slowly.

Mira, ever calm in the face of chaos, didn't ask questions. 

There was no need to. She could see it in his eyes. 

"Arjun," she said softly, her voice full of warmth and understanding, "I think you should go to aunty. She needs you more than anything right now."

Arjun's gaze lingered on the screen for a moment longer, his lips parted as though he wanted to say something, but the words didn't come.

Mira's heart ached for him. "Go," she urged, her voice firm but full of care. "Don't wait. She needs you."

Arjun nodded slowly, the reality of what had just happened weighing heavily on his shoulders. The playful banter, the teasing, the joy from his success—all seemed to fade in an instant. 

Now, there was only the sudden emptiness and the urgency of family.

As he stared at the screen, Mira gave him one last comforting smile before the call ended but it didn't quite reach her eyes and how could it?

 She didn't need to say more. He knew what she meant.

Arjun's journey, his moment of triumph, was now tainted with loss. 

But amidst the grief, Mira's words would echo in his heart: "She needs you." And that was all he could focus on now.

No cricket, no applause, no roar of the crowd — nothing mattered more than that har-to-believe, profound truth.

The game, the century, the victory... all seemed distant now, irrelevant in the face of what truly mattered. The accolades and recognition felt hollow, the weight of the bat in his hand nothing compared to the weight of his heart.

⋆⭒˚.⋆

The world felt muted.

The moment his flight landed in Kanpur, the dull ache in Arjun's chest sharpened into something unbearable. 

The crowd, the announcements, the noise—it all blurred around him. He walked like a machine, dragging his duffel bag behind him, every step heavier than the last.

Papa's voice echoed in his ears.

"Sar dard ho raha hai subah se."

(I have been having headache since morning.)

"Main dawa le loonga, tu match par dhyaan de."

(I will take the medicine, you concentrate on the match.)

Papa had laughed. He had believed it even when he didn't want to.

Arjun's fingers clenched around his phone as he replayed their last conversation. The guilt crawled up his spine like poison.

"Agar main insist karta... agar main bola hota ki turant doctor ke paas jao... toh shayad..."

He couldn't finish the thought.

The house came into view. 

His home. 

His father's home. 

The gate still creaked the same way it always had, but the laughter that once lived inside these walls was gone. 

His mother stood in the doorway—her face pale, her eyes swollen. Arjun's feet froze for a moment.

He had spent years chasing stadiums, medals, and cheers.

And now? He had lost the one man who cheered the loudest.

As he hugged his mother, his shoulders finally gave in to the weight he'd been carrying since the call. No words passed between them—only the soft sound of her sobs and his shaking breath.

Earlier that night, still on the way, he had called Dhruv, his childhood friend from Kanpur.

"Tu please... jaa ke dekh le mummy ke paas. Main flight le raha hoon," he had said, voice trembling.

(Please go and see mummy. I am coming, I'm taking a flight.)

Dhruv had told him what happened.

"Bhai, he was fine. Khush the. Match bhi dekha tha, hum saath the. Hamesha ki tarah tujh par proud feel kar rahe the. Dopeher mein khushi se laddoo distribute kar rahe the. Fir achanak sir pakadne lage... bola dard ho raha hai. Aur phir... gir gaye. Doctor ne bola kuch brain ka issue tha... artery rupture ya kuch. Par tu game pe dhyaan de, hum yaha sambhaal lenge."

Game? Sambhaal lenge?

Arjun had almost smashed his phone.

"Main nahi sambhaal paaya. Papa ne bola tha... aur main chup raha. Chillane ki jagah maine baat ko hi khatam kar diya."

(I couldn't handle it. Papa had told me... and I kept quiet. Instead of shouting, I ended the conversation.)

The guilt grew louder.

༄˖°.🍂.ೃ࿔*:･

Author's Note:

Sometimes, the loudest victories are followed by the deepest silences. 

As Arjun faces the harsh reality of losing the one person who was his constant, this chapter marks the beginning of a journey beyond the cricket field. 

The game may have given him fame, but life—life demands strength in ways he never imagined. Stay with him, for the path ahead will not be easy, but it will be one of growth, loss, and, perhaps, the healing power of love. Keep your hearts open, because the next twist is coming soon!

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