Chapter 4

The Fall

Rahul couldn't stop grinning after their quarterfinals victory. His phone buzzed continuously with notifications—messages from his squad, fellow gamers, and even a few friends from school who had tuned in to watch the live stream of the tournament. They had done what many thought impossible—reached the semi-finals of a regional PUBG Mobile tournament. It felt surreal.

But as the excitement settled, a creeping anxiety took its place. The semi-finals would be against teams with even more experience, some backed by minor esports organizations. They had better setups, better devices, and far more tournament experience. Rahul knew this was the big leagues. The stakes were higher, and the pressure mounted. This wasn't just about winning anymore; it was about proving they could compete on this level.

The week leading up to the semi-finals was a blur of practice and strategy sessions. Akash was relentless, pushing the team to review every match, every rotation, and every mistake. Sunil and Arjun doubled down on perfecting their roles, while Rahul found himself struggling to keep up. His phone—the same old device he had been using for years—was starting to falter under the pressure of high-stakes gameplay.

During a crucial scrimmage, his phone lagged at a critical moment, causing him to miss a pivotal shot. The team lost the match, and while no one blamed him, the weight of the mistake crushed Rahul's confidence.

"I need a better phone," he muttered to himself after the scrim, staring at the cracked screen. His old phone simply couldn't keep up with the intensity of competitive play anymore. Every match felt like a gamble, with the device overheating and lagging just when he needed it most.

### Desperation

That night, Rahul lay awake, staring at the ceiling. The cost of a high-end gaming phone played in his mind. He had been saving for months, but he was nowhere near the amount needed. His parents had refused when he asked for a new phone, calling it an unnecessary expense, especially with his exams approaching. They didn't understand that this wasn't just a phone for him—it was his ticket to the next level.

The semi-finals were in three days. He couldn't risk losing because of technical issues. The thought gnawed at him, making it hard to focus on anything else. He needed that phone. No matter what.

The next day, Rahul tried one last time to convince his parents. After dinner, he approached his father, who was busy with paperwork in the living room.

"Baba," Rahul started cautiously, "I was wondering... could you help me buy a new phone? I've saved up a little, but I'm still short."

His father didn't look up. "Rahul, we've had this conversation already. You don't need a new phone. Your exams are coming up. Focus on that. This gaming thing—it's not going to last forever."

Rahul's chest tightened with frustration. "But Baba, I'm competing in an actual tournament now. We've made it to the semi-finals. A better phone would—"

"You've made it this far with the phone you have," his father interrupted, his tone firm. "There's no need to spend money on something unnecessary."

Rahul stood there for a moment, feeling helpless. He couldn't explain it to them, and they would never understand. His dreams were too far removed from their world.

That night, as he stared at his half-full savings jar, a dangerous thought crept into his mind. His parents kept some emergency cash in the house. It wasn't much, but if he took a little—just enough to cover the rest of the cost—he could buy the phone before the semi-finals.

"They'll never notice," he whispered to himself, heart pounding at the very thought. He would pay it back as soon as he won the tournament, he reasoned. His team would get prize money, sponsorship offers—everything would work out. They had to win.

### Crossing the Line

The next morning, with his parents at work, Rahul stood in front of the cupboard where they kept their emergency cash hidden. His hands trembled as he opened the drawer, revealing the small stack of bills. His heart raced, the weight of what he was about to do crushing down on him.

For a moment, he hesitated. This wasn't him. He wasn't someone who stole from his family. But the pressure of the tournament, the fear of losing because of something as simple as a phone—it was too much.

In a moment of desperation, he grabbed a few bills, just enough to cover the cost of the phone. His stomach churned as he stuffed the money into his pocket, quickly closing the drawer as if nothing had happened.

Later that day, Rahul walked into the electronics store, his heart pounding as he handed over the cash for the new phone. The guilt gnawed at him, but the excitement of finally holding the sleek, powerful device in his hands overshadowed it for the moment.

"This is it," he whispered to himself. "Now we're ready."

### The Semi-Finals

The semi-final day arrived, and Rahul's squad gathered online, their spirits high. With his new phone, Rahul felt more confident than he had in weeks. No more lag, no more crashes—he was ready to give his best.

The match began, and right from the start, the competition was fierce. The remaining teams were all well-practiced, their movements calculated, their shots precise. Rahul's squad fought hard, sticking to their strategies, but as the match wore on, the pressure mounted.

Midway through the game, disaster struck. They had rotated into a prime position, but an enemy squad had anticipated their move. A brutal ambush caught them off guard. Sunil was knocked down first, followed by Arjun. Rahul and Akash tried to recover, but the enemy was relentless, pushing them aggressively.

Rahul's heart raced as he tried to focus, but the pressure was too much. His fingers slipped, missing a crucial shot. Before he could react, the enemy team wiped them out.

The defeat screen flashed, and silence filled their Discord chat.

"We're... out," Akash said quietly, disbelief heavy in his voice. The realization hit like a punch to the gut. They had lost. There would be no finals. No championship.

Rahul sat there, staring at his screen, his new phone suddenly feeling like dead weight in his hands. They had come so far, worked so hard—and it had all crumbled in an instant. The dream he had clung to, the one he had sacrificed so much for, slipped through his fingers.

### The Aftermath

The next few days were a blur of disappointment and regret. Rahul couldn't stop replaying the match in his head, thinking about what they could have done differently. The sting of failure was sharp, but something else ate away at him even more.