“Hi ma!”

“Hi, Arjun.”

A nicely built and tall for his age, a young teen entered the house. He had blazing eyes, vibrant hairs and an establishing aura.

“Hello boy.”

“Um, hello?”

“I got it. I am Raghav Prabhu, your father’s~”

“YOU ARE RAGHAV PRABHU!!!”

“Yes, I am?”

“Sir, please take me into the U19 team!!!”

“Um, not now. I am here for another work.”

“Oh, ok sir.”

“Now, Arjun go back to your room and don’t disturb Anna.”

“Ok ma.”

The young boy walked into a room. Meanwhile, confused, nervous and tensed Raghav came out of the house into the backyard. He walked towards the volleyball court. He took a ball from the nearby bag and started performing some serves. After 10 to 15 serves, Durga, their daughter, walked towards the court and told him that his father came back from his work.

Swallowing all the tension and nervousness, he walked towards the backdoor. The moment he had built up huge amount of confidence, he got a call.

“*click*. What is it Ramya?”

“Did he accept?”

“He arrived now. PLEASE LET ME SPEAK WITH HIM!!!”

“You can tell that without shouting.”

“This is the 57th time that you called me. HOW CAN I BE CALM?!!”

“Ok, I’ll not call you till the time you call me.”

“Great, cut the call *click*.”

Raghav lost all his confidence. He closed his eyes for regaining his composure when suddenly the door got opened.

“Hey Raghav! How are you?”

“G-Garuda, I’m great. What ‘bout you?”

“I’m great and healthy. You are sweating. Were you practicing in the court?”

“Kind off.”

“Come let’s go inside and speak.”

“Wait! I have to tell you something.”

“What?”

“Firstly, I am here to apologise for the incident happened 19 years back.”

“And?”

“And, we want you to join us as the Mentor for this generation of players.”

“My answer is a no.”

“What the… leave the past, please Garuda. We need you like a hell.”

“I don’t need volleyball right now.”

“You might hate the people but not your interest.”

“That’s not it. If people are polluted, the environment will be polluted.”

“But I promise that the environment is not polluted. It is as clean as Japanese sewers.”

“Don’t insult the Japanese sewer systems. They are way better than those of Indias’.”

“Then Garuda are you joining us or not?”

“FOR HELL’S SAKE NO!”

“But many things have changed on the span of 19 years.”

“That’s something you think not me.”

“Please Garuda, just once forgive IVF.”

“I WILL GIVE MY NEXT GENERATION FOR IVF FOR SOME RANDOM WOMEN BUT I’LL NOT JOIN BACK TO YOUR IVF!!!”

“OK, THEN! LET’S HAVE A CHALLENGE! A 15P: 10-SET MATCH BETWEEN BOTH OF US! IF I WIN, YOU ARE JOINING ME BUT IF I LOSE, YOU NEVER NEED TO JOIN IVF! Is it a deal?”

“FOR HELL’S SAKE YES! I GIVE YOU AN OFFER, WIN ONLY ONE, ONLY AND ONLY ONE SET!!! I’ll come will you.”

This heated conversation turned into a 10-set match of set winning point of 15. Both of them stepped into the ground.

Raghu was first to serve. He looked quite nervous. He swallowed his fears and tossed the ball high into the air. He ran behind the ball and jumped high and smashed the ball such that it went into the other side. Garuda swiftly sprang towards the ball and performed an upper-arm defence and sent it back. Raghu swiftly defended if by his under-arm defence and sent it back. Garuda rushed forward and spike the ball when it has at its highest point in his side of the court. The ball caught a high momentum and hit the opposite court, resulting his 1st point. Raghu lifted the ball and threw it back to him.

Garuda went few steps back. He threw the ball very high in the air. He swiftly followed the ball and smashed it to the left corner of the opposite court. Raghu lost another point. From that moment, Garuda continuously smashed fearsome jump server to Raghu and won the set.

This didn’t settle their, the rest of the game, this continued. Sweating badly, Raghu thought of dropping of the challenge. He wiped his sweaty face. His body was in no situation to listen to him. The neighbours started glaring at the game. 

“Say, resign?”

“Never in my life, Garuda! Never in my life! *puff**puff*. I’ll take you for sure. My boys need YOU.”

“I DON’T CARE!”

Garuda served the ball with the highest velocity in the whole match. A blue jersey suddenly spurted out and defended the ball. Raghu didn’t think for another second and spiked the ball. Garuda was off guarded. Still, he manage to defend the ball back.

“What the! I never expected this!”

“Don’t worry, Appa. Today you are going to lose.”

“That word does not exist in my dictionary.”

“Then take my final year dictionary. It has that word.”

Garuda started laughing. Though Arjun joined Raghu, still they were in the verge of losing. The final set had concluded with a 13-14 in favour of Garuda.

“Say, can you win?”

“WE WILL WIN!!!” (x2)

“RAGHU! ARJUN! RAGHU! ARJUN! RAGHU…”

All the audience at the neighbourhood started cheering Raghu and Arjun. Garuda turned around and noticed everything. He got a serious look on his face. He observed Raghu and Arjun. He took deep breath and started laughing. 

“Oi, Raghu.”

“What?”

“If two get this point, I’ll join the team.”

“For sure?!”

“Garuda has never lied.”

“As if.”

“Shut up and play, you two.”

It was the gamble of the final point. Arjun threw the ball high. He followed the ball and jumped and served it. It was a floater. With its odd movement, Garuda missed the ball but managed to send it back. Arjun was about to return it back when he heard a scream from Raghav:

“SEND IT HERE ARJUN! I WILL SPIKE IT!”

Confused and feeling lost, Arjun followed his heart. He tossed the ball to Raghav. Raghav jumped high and matched the pace of the ball. He spiked it will all the stamina he has. Raghav forgot one thing. That thee person blocking is a GOAT. He blocked the shot. The duo lost the game.

Filled with frustration and hopelessness, Raghav smacked his head at the ground.

“WHY?! HELL WHY?!”

“C, calm down, sir.”

“No need. No need to calm him down Arjun.”

“Appa?”

“Oi idiot. You won.”

Raghav was shocked. He wiped his face and got up.

“What do you mean?”

“My defence was an out.”

“What?!”

Raghav could not control his tears. He shouted out loud into the sky: “I GOT THE G-O-A-T BACK!!!!”

Everyone their laughed with joy.

“You three, water is ready. Take bath. Let us have biryani for the night!”

That call from Anjali, reignited the flame into three of them.

“Oi Raghav, thanks.”

“For?”

“For you to be the matchstick, igniting the lamp of spirit into me.”

“Don’t thank me. Show me some results.”

“Ok, i-d-i-o-t.”

“YOU…”