"From Election Loss to Near Glory: The Rise of Team History"

 POST-ELECTION: PART 2....

Elections Are Over… Now What?

1. Inter-Departmental Sports Meet
2. Inter-College Tennis Championship – Top 5 to be selected for Inter South Zone Championship

So, elections were over. I went back to the hostel. My roommate, with his usual joyfulness, asked, "Shri, what happened?"

I replied in a low, heavy tone, "What happened? It's all in fate. We lost. That’s it."

Without another word, I went straight to sleep. From the room next door, I could hear the sounds of a party—probably a celebration. Maybe they had won. I didn’t bother. I just wanted silence. Sleep.

The next day, everything returned to normal. We were back to class, back to routines. Of course, there were some jealous stares, a few awkward smiles. But it's okay. That’s common, right?

---

The Announcement

Weeks passed. Then, one day, Kavin entered the class with our Sports Department heads, Mr. Hareesh Sir and Mathuraman Sir.

He boomed, “BOYS, THE TIME HAS COME FOR WHAT WE ARE HERE!”
It was the announcement we’d all been waiting for—the Inter-Departmental Sports Meet.

Hareesh Sir gave a fiery speech:

“Boys, the time for fighting amongst ourselves is over. Now it’s time to show unity. As students of the History Department, let’s show the others who we are and what we’re made of. Let’s maintain our department’s prestige. Let’s rise again. This is our moment to give back!”

Honestly, it felt like a scene straight out of Baahubali. Goosebumps.

Then something unexpected happened. Kavin, my old friend-turned-rival, came up to me and said,

“Hey Deputy Sports Secretary, are you ready?”

With full confidence, I replied,

“Bro, let’s announce it—MISSION VIJAY. It’s our time now.”

---

Time for Selections

As players, we were tasked with selecting athletes for each category. I swear, that week felt like a war in itself. Finding players wasn’t easy—it was chaos.

As the Tennis Captain, I realized no one else in my department played tennis. Still, I managed to gather four more boys—not pros, but they’d do.

Kamal, a pro athlete, was given charge of track and field. He picked his top eight.
Navneeth took charge of table tennis and selected his best players.

One by one, we picked athletes for nearly 19 different games. It was hard—but we did it.
The team was ready.
The motto was ready.
It was time to show the world our capabilities.

---

Opening Ceremony

We all lined up. Across from me stood my friends—now opponents—from other departments.

Then came the speech. Our Father Principal, a man of calm dignity and profound wisdom, stepped onto the podium.

The stadium fell silent.

“My dear students,” he began, “welcome to the Annual Inter-Departmental Sports Meet! Today is not just about winning—it's about pushing your limits, discovering your spirit, and standing for your team.”

He spoke about perseverance, unity, and discipline. A subtle reminder of the rivalries we carried, masked as team spirit.

“May the best department win,” he concluded, a twinkle in his eye. “And with that, I declare the Inter-Departmental Sports Meet officially open!”

Cheers erupted. Whistles, drums, chants—our war cry filled the air:

“GO HISTORY!”

Kavin slung an arm around my shoulder. Despite the election loss, we had formed a new bond—this time, for something bigger.
He was the energy.
Ashwin was the planner.
Me was the steady hand.
Together, we were the engine.

---

The First Match: Tennis Begins

The LED screen lit up. “Tennis - Court 3 - 11:00 AM.”

Kavin nudged me. “You’re up first. That lanky guy from Economics—you know, the one with the killer serve? State-level.”

I grinned. “Let him serve. We’ll return it—with history.”

---

PART 2: The Matches Begin

Court 3 – Tennis Match: Shri vs Economics

I grabbed my racket. The familiar weight comforted me. I walked toward Court 3, focused. The sun was already climbing, casting long shadows on the ground. My opponent—the lanky Economics guy—was there, bouncing the ball casually, arrogance in his rhythm.

We exchanged nods.

The umpire called for the toss. I won and chose to serve.

My first serve was solid, but his return was deep and fast—I barely reached it. He was good. His forehand was powerful, and he had long reach. He took the first two points. My confidence wavered for a moment.

Then—

"Come on, Shri, you got this!"

Ashwin’s booming voice from the sidelines cut through the tension. Kavin and a few others from our department were there too, cheering.

I took a deep breath. Focused.

I began to mix up my serves—some slice, some flat. I drew him to the net with drop shots and passed him with lobs. He relied on power, but I relied on variation. I found my rhythm. My shots flowed. The court, the noise, the nerves—all faded into one laser focus.

The first set went into a tie-breaker. I clinched it with a cross-court forehand winner. Cheers erupted from our side.

The second set? I dominated. He started making errors. I anticipated his shots. I dictated the pace. The final point—a backhand down the line—sealed the match.

“Game, set, match – Shri for History!” the umpire called.

The crowd exploded. Kavin ran in and smacked my back hard enough to knock the wind out of me.

“THAT’S how you do it, Deputy! One down, many more to go!”

Ashwin gave me a thumbs-up.

“Clean sweep, man. Looked easy at the end.”

I laughed, still panting.

“Easy? He almost took my head off with that serve.”

But deep down, it felt incredible. A win. A solid, undeniable win. The pain of the election loss was vanishing with every match.

---

Around the Ground

We walked toward the scoreboard. Tennis: History 1 – Economics 0. A small but powerful victory.

We watched other events. Kamal was blazing down the track in the relay qualifiers—BLACK jerseys flashing like lightning. Navneeth was killing it in table tennis, his calm focus dismantling his opponents point by point.

Hareesh Sir and Mathuraman Sir moved between events like proud fathers—high-fiving us, encouraging us, their “Bahubali” speech echoing in our minds.

“Kamal's looking strong in the 100m heats too!” Kavin reported. “And Navneeth’s won both his TT matches!”

“Perfect,” I said. “Let’s keep this momentum. Early wins are gold for morale.”

---

Later That Day: Highs & Lows

By afternoon, the sun was casting golden rays over the ground. History Department was flying high—our name was neck and neck with Commerce and Economics on the leaderboard.

“This is just the beginning,” I told Kavin as we reviewed the next day’s schedule. “Tomorrow—tennis semis, TT semis, main athletic events. We push harder now.”

Kavin clapped my back.

“We will, Shri. We're not just playing for the department now. We’re proving we’re more than just books and debates.”

---

NEXT DAY: SEMIS

Tennis Semi-Final – Court 2: History vs MATHEMATICS

Everyone was there. First match of the day. Semi-final. The crowd was nervous. The tension was thick.

But I wasn’t. I knew the result. I had already seen it in my mind.

We had already crushed Physics in the quarters. Now, within an hour, we broke Mathematics's defense and roared into the finals.

---

TT Semi-Final – History vs Commerce

Commerce was tough. We stood beside Navneeth, supporting him. Ashwin was particularly tense—very involved in TT.

Meanwhile, I was called to the athletics ground. My body was there, but my soul stayed with the TT match.

A few hours later, Ashwin quietly came and stood beside us.

With a calm, almost royal tone, he said,

“Boys... we lost. Semis to Commerce. And... also lost the third-place match to English.”

We were gutted. But then Hareesh Sir lined us up and simply said,

“Boys, we lost the battle, not the war. Cheer up—we still have many matches to conquer.”

Just then, Kamal came running from the track.

“BROTHERS! We reached the finals in several athletics events!”

That one piece of news lifted our spirits again.

---

Evening Update

That evening, we received our next day's schedule. Mine? Brutal.

• 6 AM – 5 km Walk Finals
• 8 AM – Tennis Finals
• 10 AM – 800 m Race
• …and more events throughout the day.

---

NEXT DAY: FINAL PUSH

5 KM Walk – Shri vs Ashwin

Ashwin whispered in my ear:

“Bro, we fought together. Now, let’s fight each other.”

It was clear: we had to take 1st and 2nd place for History, no matter what.

The race began. From the very first lap, we led. We kept pace, away from the rest.

In the final lap, we were neck and neck. The gold was between us.

Suddenly, Ashwin slowed.

“It’s your medal, bro. You deserve it.”

I was stunned. In the heat of the race, that moment of unselfishness hit me hard. I just hugged him—no words could do justice. We took gold and silver. History Department, 1-2 finish.

No time to celebrate. Up next…

---

Tennis Finals – History vs Commerce

My opponent? Sidhesh—my tennis buddy for the last three years. Six-foot tall, strong, and skilled. We knew each other's game inside out.

I took the first set with an early break. He bounced back, taking the second.

The third set? Tension at its peak. The crowd grew. Heat rose—35+ degrees. The score was 4–4. His serve.

Unforced errors gave me the break. Now, 5–4, my serve. One game to gold.

With his errors and my consistency, I clinched it.

“Game, set, match – Shri. History wins!”

Roars. Victory. Revenge for the TT loss. I dropped to my knees in relief.

---

 

PART 3: Final Events & The Twist

800 Meter Race – Triple Trouble

After the tennis final, I barely had time to breathe. It was time for the 800m race—my third match of the day.

Participants from History:

• Me
• Ashwin
• Mathung
• Kavin
• Ajith

The race started. My legs were already burning. I gave it everything, but I finished 5th.
Ajith, our very own cheetah, won gold, running like the wind.
Mathung? He crossed the line dead last—but celebrated like he’d won the Olympics. That alone made us all smile.

---

Evening Summary: Victories & Setbacks

As the day unfolded, we played several more events. We won a few, lost a few—but the fire never faded.

By the evening, the History Department was right on the edge of something historic.
Commerce and Economics were still close, but we had belief.

---

NEXT DAY: TEAM EVENTS BEGIN

These were big:

• 10 km Marathon
• Football
• Basketball
• Volleyball
• Cricket
• Kho-Kho
• Kabaddi

(None of them were my cup of tea, but now it was Ashwin’s turn to shine.)

---

10 KM Marathon – Ashwin’s Fight

The marathon was the first event of the day. Ashwin, our champion, ran his heart out.
He came back with second place.

He looked disappointed.
But we? We were proud.

"You gave everything," I said. "That’s all that matters."

---

Team Games – Buzzer Beaters & Battles

History performed strongly across all team games.

We won:

• Basketball
• Volleyball

Basketball Finals – Nail-biter
I asked Navneeth,

“Ready for the finals?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he smiled. “We’ve got this, Shri.”

The match was tense. Tied at the buzzer—overtime.

Navneeth stepped up, faked a pass, and sank a three-pointer. The crowd erupted.
Point after point, we dominated overtime. We won.
He slapped my back:

“We did it, Shri!”

---

Cricket – Final Showdown

Commerce’s cricket captain was a local legend. Six after six, the guy was on fire.

But our team stayed composed. In the final over, scores tied, our quiet bowler Jefrin stepped up.

He ran. Bowled.

Wicket.

The stadium exploded.

“We’re still in this,” Kavin said, a fire in his eyes. “Don’t lose focus now.”

---

The Grand Finale – Track Events

Only two events left:

• 100m Sprint
• 4x400m Relay

“Kamal, it’s on you now,” I told him, gripping his shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Shri. I’ve got this.”

100m Sprint – Kamal flew like lightning. Another gold for History.
4x400m Relay – The entire crowd was on its feet.

Final runners neck and neck—History vs Commerce.
Our guy gave everything, sprinting with heart and fire.

He crossed the line milliseconds ahead.

We had done it. Or so we thought.

“We’ve done it!” Kavin screamed. “WE’VE DONE IT!”

---

THE TWIST: Result Day

“What’s the score?” I asked, panting, wiping sweat from my forehead.

Kavin stared at his phone.

“History is still leading Division 1… but Commerce is closing in fast.”

The day had come. Results Day.
The moment to define everything.

---

Final Ceremony – Division 1 Glory & The Truth

We reached the ground for the closing ceremony. All departments had gathered—some loud, some tired, some just hoping for a miracle.

Our professors, including our beloved HOD, came down to stand proudly beside us. The sun was setting, casting a golden hue over the field—like it was waiting to bless someone.

The announcer stepped up to the mic. A hush fell.

“Ladies and gentlemen… here are the final results of the Annual Inter-Departmental Sports Meet!”

He began with the Division 2 Non-Sports players category.

“Third place: Commerce Department!”

“Second place: History Department!”

And the winner is ECONOMICS department………..

We clapped politely. That alone was enough to boost our points.

Then came the moment we were actually waiting for.

“Division 1 – Sports players category :”

“Third place: Economics Department!”

“Second place: Commerce Department!”

Our hands clenched.

“And the First Place in Division 1, for outstanding performance in athletics and team games, goes to…”

A long pause. Our hearts thudded.

“HISTORY DEPARTMENT!”

We shout. Cheers. Hugs. Etc etc.

 “WE DID IT!”

And then -----

Then came the moment we were waiting for.

“Sports Events Overall:”

As we gathered for the overall results, still buzzing with adrenaline, a strange silence swept over us again.

The announcer returned for one last announcement.

“And now… the Overall Champions of the Inter-Departmental Sports Meet…”

“HISTORY DEPARTMENT!”

We jumped up. Shouts. Cheers. Hugs. Tears. All at once.

Our HOD smiled—more than he ever had in class. Kamal lifted Ashwin in the air. Navneeth screamed, “WE DID IT!”

Kavin picked up a water bottle and sprayed it like champagne.

I closed my eyes for a second. The feeling of hearing History Department called first—it was electric. Not just a title. It was redemption.

We weren’t just bookworms anymore.

We were fighters.

We were winners.

We held our Division 1 shield high, cheering and chanting our war cry one final time:

“GO HISTORY! ALWAYS!”

 

---

Reality Hits……………

BUT THEN...

Ashwin whispered:

“Shri… Shri… Shri…machaa”

“Yeah?” I replied, still dazed with joy.

“Where are you lost, man? Be ready to lift the trophy.”

I was lost in my imagination, and we were still lined up to receive the award,

……………

Then the announcer’s real voice snapped us out of our dream:

“The overall champions of the Inter-Departmental Sports Meet are…

Commerce Department!”

Silence… complete silence…….

Our cheers turned into a hush.
History had come second overall.

We were crushed.

Commerce had won fair and square. Their points in non-sports events had tipped the scale.

---

Aftermath: Silence -Dreams, Not Trophies

As we lined up, smiles still lingering, hearts racing, Ashwin suddenly leaned toward me.

“Shri… wake up.”

“Huh?” I blinked.

“Wake up, bro,” he said again, this time gently shaking my arm. “We’re still in the mess. You're dreaming.”

I looked around.

No podium.

No trophy.

No Principal announcing our name.

Just the dim lights of the hostel mess. Just plates clinking. Just the same chairs. Same tired faces. Same silence.

I had dozed off, head on the table. The entire victory scene — the chants, the medals, the final relay win — it was all just in my imagination.

I sat up, breath caught in my throat.

We hadn’t won.

There was no last-minute miracle.

Commerce was the real champion.

History… finished second. Again.

Ashwin gave a small, tired smile. Navneeth handed me water. Kavin leaned back, exhaling deeply.

“This was our last shot,” I whispered. “We won’t be here next year to try again.”

Nobody replied. Because they knew. This wasn’t just a loss of points — it was the quiet end to our final chapter.

No juniors to train.

No comeback to prepare for.

No future tournament to wait for.

This was it.

But in that moment of finality, something still lingered.

Not bitterness.

Not regret.

But peace.

Because we knew—deep down—we had given it everything. Every sprint, every drop of sweat, every plan, every late-night strategy session. From the tennis court to the relay track, from Kamal’s lightning finish to Ashwin’s marathon heart—we fought like brothers. And in that bond, we found something that trophies can’t measure.

The silence in the mess wasn’t defeat.

It was full.

Full of memories. Of laughter. Of lessons. Of a legacy only we would ever understand.

We may not have written history in the record books…

But we wrote it in our hearts.

Forever.

 

NEW MISSION NEW TARGET ANOTHER HOPE

A few days later, the physical director of our college and HOD came to the class and the first thing they asked .. " WHERE is    SHRIKANT……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..