Chapter 57: A Crack in the Rhythm
October 2019 – Niedersachsenstadion, Hannover
The leaves outside were a fading riot of amber and gold, whispering that winter wasn't far. Inside the Hannover 96 training ground, the mood was more unsettled than the weather — not from the cold, but from the pressure.
Hannover had won three games in a row. Expectations surged. Media began whispering about promotion. And Arjun? He was beginning to feel the weight of the rhythm he'd built — match after match of precision, calm, and applause.
Today, though, that rhythm would snap.
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✦ Matchday: Hannover 96 vs Heidenheim
Lineups:
Hannover (4–2–3–1): Zieler (GK), Maina, Arrey-Mbi, Volker, Köhn — Arjun Dev, Leopold — Julian, Tresoldi, Beier — Teuchert
Heidenheim (4–4–2): Müller (GK), Busch, Siersleben, Mainka, Theuerkauf — Pick, Maloney, Thomalla, Leipertz — Kleindienst, Schimmer
🎙️ German TV (DAZN Sport):
> "The Indian youngster Arjun Dev is being watched closely by scouts — but today, the pressure is high. Can he maintain consistency?"
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First Half
The game began tight. Heidenheim pressed in waves, their midfield pushing Arjun off his comfort zone.
22nd minute — a misplaced pass from Arjun.
He tried to switch play to Köhn, but it was undercooked. Kleindienst intercepted, burst into space, and buried it past Zieler.
0–1.
Arjun stood frozen as his teammates groaned.
Slomka shouted from the sideline, "Recover! Regroup!"
But inside, Arjun's mind reeled.
> You've made mistakes before, he told himself. Fix it. Don't freeze.
But the rhythm was gone.
His passes turned cautious. His movement stuttered.
At halftime, he sat alone in the dugout while the others drank and regrouped.
Julian leaned in. "Hey. Let it go. You're allowed one bad half."
Arjun didn't answer.
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Second Half
Slomka subbed out Tresoldi and pushed Julian higher. The pressure increased. In the 70th minute, Arjun finally played a decent diagonal to Beier — but Beier's shot was saved.
85th minute — Heidenheim scored again. 0–2.
The final whistle felt like a hammer.
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✦ Locker Room: Aftermath
Silence.
Slomka didn't yell. He walked to the board, erased the tactics.
"You think you're invincible after a few wins?" he said quietly. "This league will eat you if you blink. Arjun — one mistake doesn't define you. But only you decide how long it haunts you."
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✦ Later That Night — Devika's Apartment
He had asked to meet her after the game.
"I let them down," he said simply.
Devika handed him a bowl of soup. "One game. One error. That's not a career, Arjun."
He stared into the bowl.
"Everyone back home expects brilliance. My teammates... they looked at me like I'd lost the game."
Devika leaned forward. "You didn't lose the game. You had a human moment. And that's how legends are born — not by being perfect, but by how they rise from the cracks."
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✦ Press Reaction
📺 Sky Sports Germany:
> "The Indian prodigy struggled today. Perhaps a reminder that form is fleeting, and even bright stars flicker."
📰 Bild: 'Fehlpass-Dev: Wunderkind wankt'
🗨️ Twitter:
> "Love Arjun Dev but that pass? Painful." "He'll bounce back. Still a gem. #H96"
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✦ Kalyani's Message
Her text came at midnight.
> "We all drop the ball sometimes. But only the brave pick it back up."
He replied simply:
> "Still holding it."
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✦ Final Scene — Early Morning
Arjun woke before sunrise.
He went to the park near Maschsee Lake, ball in hand.
No cameras. No drills. Just wind. Grass. And silence.
He dropped the ball. Let it bounce. Trapped it. Passed it off a bench. Collected. Again. Again.
He could still feel the sting of the mistake.
But in that cold morning air, the rhythm started returning.
Not perfect. But real.
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