Chapter 52: Into the Fog of the Unknown
The rain hadn't stopped since morning. Thick, grey clouds blanketed the skies over Lower Saxony as Arjun Dev stepped out of the black SUV and into the gravel parking lot of Hannover 96's training facility. He adjusted the hood of his windbreaker, glanced up at the cold drizzle, and exhaled slowly.
This was it. His new world.
He had arrived in Germany two weeks earlier. Paperwork had cleared, the deal was official — Arjun Dev, former Kerala Blasters talisman, had joined Hannover 96 on a three-year deal. It was a transfer that made quiet ripples in India but curious headlines in Germany.
"Who is the Elephant of India?" read one local sports article.
The answer would unfold here, on rain-soaked pitches far from Kochi's thunderous roars.
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First Day on the Training Ground
Inside the locker room, everything felt louder — the German accents, the laughter, the unfamiliar banter. Arjun nodded at a few teammates. Some returned a polite smile; others didn't look up.
Devika Rao leaned against the doorframe, her blazer somehow pristine despite the weather. "Remember what I told you," she said softly. "You don't have to speak perfect German on Day One. Just listen. Learn. Play your game."
Arjun nodded. "Danke," he said, testing the word.
A chuckle came from the corner. A tall defender with dyed-blond hair — Lukas Heidemann — raised his eyebrows. "Good start," he said in English. "But better score goals than grammar."
Arjun smiled. "I'll try both."
Coach Leitl gave him a nod during the drills. "Press high. Don't be too safe. This is Germany — we play fast."
Arjun's lungs burned by the fifteenth minute. The tempo was unrelenting. Pass-and-move was second nature in India, but here, the spaces were narrower, the tackles sharper, the decisions ruthless.
Still, he persisted. The rhythm would come.
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Evening in the City
Devika drove him back to his temporary apartment in List. On the way, they passed an Indian grocery store. She slowed. "Want to stop?"
He shook his head. "Not yet. If I smell cardamom, I'll want to fly home."
She laughed. "Understood."
Inside the apartment, the walls were bare. A lone photo of his parents sat on the nightstand. The Airavata tattoo on his back — freshly inked before the flight — still itched slightly beneath his hoodie.
He looked at it in the mirror. Not just a tattoo. A vow.
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Matchday — Hannover 96 vs. FC St. Pauli
HDI-Arena buzzed. Not sold out, but busy. Banners waved. Drums echoed. The German second division didn't feel second-rate in atmosphere.
Arjun sat on the bench. Devika sat in the agent box, arms folded. It was his first matchday squad appearance.
By the 70th minute, the score was 1–1. Hannover looked blunt in midfield.
Coach Leitl turned. "Dev! Warm up."
His boots hit the turf. Fast feet. Stretch. Focus.
In the 78th minute, he replaced the right winger.
The ball felt different. Wetter. Heavier. But when it landed at his feet in the 83rd minute, instinct took over.
He shifted left. Cut inside. Slipped a through ball past the defender.
Lukas Heidemann latched on. Shot. Goal.
2–1.
The stadium rose.
The cameras panned. "Ein neuer Stern?" asked the German commentator.
---
Post-Match Buzz
That night, clips of his assist circulated on Indian social media.
But what mattered most was the quiet tap on his shoulder in the tunnel.
It was the captain, Marius Müller. "Gut gemacht. You have something."
Arjun smiled. "Danke."
Outside, the rain had stopped.
---
Late-Night Message
His phone buzzed.
It was from Kalyani.
> "Saw your debut. No nonsense. Clean play. Proud of you."
He typed.
> "I felt alone. But not empty."
> "Good. That means you're growing."
He locked the screen, placed it beside the photo of his father, and stared at the ceiling.
So this was Europe. Not the dream.
The beginning of the work.