Decathlon finals close the.
Pressure visible tha.
Apurva aur Rithvik last week se almost daily mil rahe the practice ke liye. Arguments kam hue the.
Coordination better.
Dangerous level ka understanding develop ho raha tha.
Aur shayad isi wajah se problem start hui.
One afternoon, Mrs. Mehra rushed into class.
"Your research topic has been circulated."
Silence.
Apurva froze.
"What?" she asked.
"Another team is presenting almost identical structure."
Whispers started.
Rithvik slowly turned toward Apurva.
He didn't accuse.
He didn't shout.
He just asked — calmly.
"Tumne kisi ko draft dikhaya tha?"
That question.
Bas woh question hi kaafi tha.
Apurva ki aankhon mein hurt flash hua.
"You think I would do that?"
"I asked," Rithvik said. Tone neutral.
Neutral hurt more than anger.
"Answer do," he added.
Apurva khadi ho gayi.
"I don't need to prove loyalty."
"And I don't need to lose because of overconfidence."
That line hit.
Hard.
Un dono ke beech ka trust — jo slowly build ho raha tha — crack ho gaya.
Aur sabse dangerous cheez yeh thi:
Kisi ne clear explanation demand nahi ki.
Ego won.
Conversation end.
But misunderstanding begin.