Aryan Malhotra bolted upright, his breath stilled. The world in front of him was spinning around with different colours and voices. He recalled the hi-tech stadium and equipment, his command over tomorrow's cricket. It all felt different now, raw and naked so to speak…. but familiar.
He woke up to find himself lying on hard sunbeaten soil. When his eyes steadied, he found himself on a retired cricket ground in front of a small crowd. The sleek, futuristic stadiums of modern times were nowhere to be found; instead just plain wooden bleaches filled with people wearing more traditional attire. Winding its way past, the noise left Aryan confused and disoriented as distracted he tried to sit up.
"Are you alright?" a concerned voice asked. Aryan looked up to see a cricket-whites clad young man extending his hand towards him.
"N- I t-think so," Aryan replied shakily. He looked around, examining the area. It was stepping into the past, even more so than he expected in some ways-it could have been well before any luxuries of technology. "Where am I?"
The young man chuckled. "The Delhi Cricket Club, obviously. That bouncer decked you, hostile style Are you sure you're okay?"
"Delhi Cricket Club?" The name sounded familiar, it reminded Aryan of something. A place he had come to know from reading history books, a significant piece of India's cricketing past. But that was impossible. Hed been in the future, training for a title fight - with cutting-edge help.
Aryan glanced at his wrist and, small consolation though it was-o-cross to bear, he saw the shining silver curve of a skill band firmly entrenched on one side. The fact it looked totally out of place in this old-world market. In a split second, he covered it with his sleeve, knowing how depraved this would be here.
Aryan winced, but smiled a bit sheepishly. "I'll be fine."
The other players saw this as they approached him. Aryan inhaled and tried to grasp what Awaara was trying to imply. Somehow he had travelled back in time to a cricket nursery.
"Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming! "a stern voice called out. An average looking man, no doubt the bloke in charge of them came over. "Malhotra if you can play, get back out there. We've got a match to win."
Aryan nodded, his mind wandering. He had been in the past, with all his future knowledge and power of that SSS system. Still It's unbelievable experience coming to the past from year 2340 with this mysterious system
.....
In the coming weeks, Aryan got used to his life. He had to exercise the Skill Enhancement System stealthily, as he knew its technological advancement could prompt too many questions in such a primitive time.
This allowed him to receive immediate feedback on his shots and techniques as well instructions for how he can refine them. It clearly marked this individual as a special player, his skills more advanced than anyone else of the same age.
Aryan flexed his wristband under his pale sleeve the night he practiced alone on that old, now hidden cricket pitch. The AI coach's voice that we were all used to spoke in a concerned tone, almost as if it was whispering.
"Welcome back, Aryan. Skill Enhancement System Initializing.
Aryan answered in a muffled whisper with no intention of being hurt. What shall I do for today
"Work on your footwork and timing" responded the AI coach. You grounded in your foundation, but you have to adapt to the off-speed pitches of this time.
As Aryan delivered his swing of the bat, took each assured step forward he felt that future knowledge merging perfectly with what was sheer prospect in history.
The Skill Enhancement System wasn't enhancing his skills, it was making him a Legend.
Aryan trained under the setting sun, he knew this was his second chance this is a world where rebirth gave him an opportunity to redefine cricket.
He had the tech that allowed him to travel into this new paradigm and he was primed for its challenges.
No longer was this just an elusive dream, it had now become a calling.
was with this newfound courage, and an unshakeable resolve that Aryan Malhotra readied himself to stroll back in the realm of cricket; righteously armed making history.