As time passed, the gap between Arjun and the others began to manifest in subtle ways, not through dominance, but through consistency, through the absence of careless mistakes, through the ability to adapt within the flow of the game.
The others began to notice.
Not clearly.
Not directly.
But enough to react.
Some bowled to him more carefully.
Others tried to challenge him more aggressively.
And though no one spoke about it openly, there was a quiet shift in how he was treated within the group.
He was no longer just another player.
He was becoming… reliable.