Beyond the Screen
1949 Words
The victory in the quarterfinals had changed everything.
Team Seven was now one of the strongest contenders for the IN Tech University Esports Championship. Everywhere on campus, students discussed their incredible comeback against Team Four.
But for Ananya...
Life had only become more complicated.
The soft rays of the Sunday morning sun streamed through the curtains of the girls' hostel.
For once, there were no classes.
No assignments.
No tournaments.
Only silence.
Until...
"Ananyaaaa!"
Riya barged into the room holding two shopping bags.
"You forgot, didn't you?"
Ananya looked up from her novel.
"Forgot what?"
"The café meeting!"
"Oh..."
She had completely forgotten.
Meera looked up from her laptop.
"You've been thinking about yesterday's match all night."
Ananya smiled sheepishly.
"Maybe."
Riya sat beside her.
"You know this isn't an official practice, right?"
"I know."
"It's basically friends hanging out."
Ananya laughed.
"I've known Arjun for less than a month."
"So?"
"So... we're teammates."
Riya raised an eyebrow.
"And teammates can't become friends?"
Ananya had no answer.
An hour later...
Ananya stood outside the hostel wearing a simple light-blue kurti and jeans.
No gaming jersey.
No university hoodie.
Her hair, usually tied in a ponytail, fell loosely over her shoulders.
Riya smiled proudly.
"There!"
"Now you actually look like you're going to a café."
"I'm just going to discuss strategies."
"Sure..." Riya teased.
"Keep telling yourself that."
Outside the university gate...
A small café overlooked a quiet lake surrounded by flowering trees.
It was far enough from campus to escape the crowds.
Arjun was already there.
He wore a simple black shirt and blue jeans, making him look less like the famous Student Council President and more like an ordinary college student.
He checked his watch.
Just then...
Ananya walked toward the café.
For a brief second...
He didn't recognize her.
She looked completely different outside the university.
She stopped in front of him.
"Sorry."
"Did I make you wait?"
Arjun smiled.
"Only five minutes."
"I'll forgive you."
She laughed softly.
"So generous."
They entered the café together.
A waiter guided them to a table near the window overlooking the lake.
"So..."
Ananya looked around.
"I thought Vikram was coming."
Arjun looked slightly embarrassed.
"He was."
"What happened?"
"He called ten minutes ago."
"He said his mother suddenly asked him to help at home."
Ananya nodded.
"So..."
"It's just us."
For a moment...
Neither knew what to say.
Finally, Arjun broke the silence.
"Do you like coffee?"
"I prefer hot chocolate."
"Really?"
"You sound surprised."
"I expected you to order black coffee."
She laughed.
"Why?"
"You always look so serious."
"I do?"
"A little."
She smiled.
"That's because you only see me during tournaments."
The waiter arrived.
"I'll have a cappuccino," Arjun said.
Ananya smiled.
"Hot chocolate... and a chocolate brownie."
Arjun looked at her in surprise.
"I thought strategists only survived on coffee."
"They also like desserts."
"I'll remember that."
As they waited for their order, the conversation slowly became more natural.
"What made you join Computer Science?" Arjun asked.
Ananya looked out the window.
"My father wanted me to become an engineer."
"And you?"
"I wanted to design games."
Arjun smiled.
"Seriously?"
She nodded.
"I've always wondered..."
"Why players enjoy some games for years while others disappear after a month."
"I want to create worlds people never want to leave."
Arjun listened carefully.
It wasn't often someone spoke about gaming with such passion.
"What about you?" she asked.
He leaned back in his chair.
"I like solving problems."
"That's why I started coding."
"And the startup?"
He smiled.
"I wanted to build something useful before graduation."
"You must be very busy."
"I am."
"So why do you still play games?"
Arjun looked out at the lake.
"Because..."
"For a few hours..."
"Nobody cares about grades."
"Or expectations."
"It's just you..."
"And the game."
Ananya quietly nodded.
She understood exactly what he meant.
For her...
Gaming had always been an escape too.
At a table across the café...
A man wearing a grey cap lowered his newspaper.
It was Kabir.
He had followed them from the university.
He wasn't interested in their conversation.
He was watching Ananya.
Every smile.
Every expression.
Every habit.
He quietly took out his phone and snapped a photo.
Click.
Another one.
Click.
He zoomed in on Ananya's hands as she unconsciously traced imaginary patterns on the table while thinking.
Kabir frowned.
"She does the same thing before making an important decision during matches."
He quickly saved the pictures.
"Interesting..."
Back at their table...
The waiter placed their order on the table.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air.
Ananya picked up her mug carefully.
"This place is beautiful."
Arjun nodded.
"I come here whenever I need to think."
"You've been here before?"
"Many times."
She smiled.
"So I'm the first teammate you've brought here?"
He paused for a second.
Then nodded.
"Yes."
Ananya looked down at her cup, hiding a small smile.
Just then...
A little girl, around six years old, accidentally bumped into their table.
Her ice cream slipped from her hands and fell onto the floor.
The little girl's eyes filled with tears.
"I'm sorry..."
Before anyone else could react...
Ananya knelt beside her.
"It's okay."
She smiled warmly.
"I think accidents happen to everyone."
She took a tissue from her bag and gently wiped the child's hands.
Then she bought another ice cream for her.
The little girl smiled brightly.
"Thank you, Akka!"
As the child ran back to her parents, Arjun watched the entire scene quietly.
He wasn't impressed by Ananya's gaming skills at that moment.
He was impressed by something far more important.
Her kindness.
"She's exactly the same outside the game..." he thought.
Outside the café...
Kabir slipped his phone back into his pocket.
He hadn't found the proof he was looking for.
But he had learned something.
Ananya Rao wasn't just a brilliant player.
She was patient.
Careful.
And incredibly difficult to read.
Kabir smiled to himself.
"Let's see how long you can keep your secrets."
He turned and disappeared into the crowd.
As Ananya and Arjun continued talking, neither of them noticed that someone had been watching from the shadows.
And for the first time...
The game outside the screen had truly begun
The afternoon sun cast golden reflections across the lake as Ananya and Arjun stepped out of the café.
A cool breeze rustled the trees lining the road.
For the first time in weeks, neither of them was thinking about tournaments.
They simply walked.
Side by side.
"So..." Arjun broke the silence.
"What do you usually do on Sundays?"
Ananya smiled.
"Sleep."
He laughed.
"That's it?"
"I sleep, read novels, watch movies... and sometimes play games."
"Only sometimes?"
She quickly corrected herself.
"I mean... mobile games."
Arjun nodded, hiding a smile.
"If only you knew I spend my Sundays in Legends of Astra..."
They continued walking along the lakeside path.
Students from nearby colleges were taking pictures, children were playing near the fountain, and the atmosphere felt peaceful.
Suddenly...
A basketball rolled toward Ananya.
She stopped it with her foot before it reached the road.
A young boy came running.
"Sorry, Akka!"
Ananya picked up the ball and handed it to him.
"Be careful."
The boy smiled.
"Thank you!"
Arjun watched quietly.
"You seem good with children."
"I have a little cousin."
"I used to play with him every summer."
"You miss him?"
She nodded.
"A little."
"What about you?"
"My younger sister lives with my parents."
"I don't get to see her often."
Ananya smiled.
"She must miss you."
Arjun looked at the lake.
"I think she misses the chocolates I bring home more."
Both of them laughed.
Meanwhile...
Across the street...
Kabir sat inside a parked car.
His camera rested on the dashboard.
He wasn't taking pictures anymore.
Instead, he was observing.
"They're just talking..."
He frowned.
"Nothing unusual."
His phone vibrated.
The same unknown number.
"Any progress?"
Kabir answered calmly.
"No proof."
"But she's extremely disciplined."
"So?"
"She never talks about games."
The caller remained silent.
Kabir continued.
"That's exactly what makes her suspicious."
Back at the university...
Evening had settled over the campus.
Students slowly returned to their hostels.
Ananya entered her room and dropped her bag onto the bed.
Riya immediately looked up.
"So?"
"How was your date?"
"It wasn't a date."
"It was a strategy meeting."
Meera laughed.
"Did you discuss strategies for three hours?"
Ananya blinked.
"It was three hours?"
Riya grinned.
"Exactly."
Ananya couldn't help smiling.
"It... was nice."
Riya dramatically placed her hand on her heart.
"She admitted it!"
Meera joined the teasing.
"Our quiet Ananya actually had fun."
Ananya threw a pillow at both of them.
"You two are impossible."
The room filled with laughter.
At the boys' hostel...
Vikram was waiting outside Arjun's room.
"So?"
Arjun unlocked the door.
"So... what?"
"The café."
"How was it?"
Arjun placed his backpack on the chair.
"It was peaceful."
"Peaceful?"
Vikram stared at him.
"That's your review?"
Arjun smiled.
"She's different."
"Different how?"
"She doesn't pretend."
"What you see..."
"...is who she is."
Vikram folded his arms.
"I've never heard you talk about anyone like this."
Arjun simply looked out of the window.
Neither had he.
Later that night...
Ananya sat at her study table.
Assignments were open.
But she couldn't concentrate.
Her thoughts kept drifting back to the café.
She remembered Arjun laughing.
She remembered how naturally they talked.
She shook her head.
"What am I doing?"
She switched on her gaming computer.
The familiar login screen of Legends of Astra appeared.
She logged into her account.
ShadowFlame – Online
At almost the same moment...
Miles away in another part of the city...
Arjun entered his apartment after finishing some startup work.
He loosened his tie, changed into a comfortable T-shirt, and sat before his gaming setup.
A familiar smile appeared on his face.
StormKnight – Online
Neither of them knew...
They had both logged in at exactly the same time.
A notification appeared on Ananya's screen.
Friend Online: StormKnight
She smiled unconsciously.
"Looks like he's here."
Without thinking much, she sent a message.
ShadowFlame: Free for a match?
A few seconds later, Arjun's screen lit up.
He smiled.
StormKnight: Always.
Within moments...
The two entered the game.
Far away from the real world...
They became the perfect teammates once again.
Inside the game lobby...
StormKnight's avatar looked at ShadowFlame.
StormKnight: You seem happier today.
Ananya blinked.
How did he notice?
She typed back.
ShadowFlame: Met a good friend.
Arjun smiled.
StormKnight: That's rare coming from someone who trusts very few people.
She stared at the message.
"How does he always understand me?"
She quickly replied.
ShadowFlame: Maybe I'm changing.
StormKnight paused for a moment before typing.
StormKnight: Sometimes change is a good thing.
Before another message could be sent...
A red system notification flashed across both their screens.
⚠ SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
The Legends of Astra "Duo Masters Championship" begins next week.
Top duos from across the country are invited to participate.
Ananya's eyes widened.
The Duo Masters Championship was one of the biggest online tournaments of the year.
StormKnight sent another message.
StormKnight: Want to enter together?
She hesitated.
It would mean spending weeks playing alongside him.
Training every night.
Trusting him completely.
A small smile appeared on her face.
She typed...
ShadowFlame: Let's win it.
Far away...
In a dark room lit only by a computer monitor...
Someone was watching the tournament announcement.
A folder labeled "ShadowFlame Investigation" lay open on the desk.
The mysterious caller from Kabir's phone smiled.
"So..."
"You've accepted the invitation."
He closed the folder.
"This tournament will finally reveal who you really are."
The monitor reflected his cold smile as the screen faded to black.
- Writer
