Chapter xxx – The FIFA World Cup Final
India 
BrazilMetLife Stadium, New Jersey
FIFA World Cup Final.
Aaj sirf ek match nahi tha...
Yeh woh pal tha jiska sapna har Indian football fan ne saalon tak dekha tha.
90 minutes...
Aur saamne thi...
FIFA World Cup Trophy.
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The Morning
Subah se hi New Jersey ki sadkein bhar chuki thi.
Ek taraf Tirange ki lehr.
Doosri taraf Brazil ke peele aur hare jhande.
Dono deshon ke fans gaane gaa rahe the.
Media vans har jagah khadi thi.
Helicopters aasman se live telecast kar rahe the.
Commentator ki awaaz goonj uthi—
"Welcome to the biggest football match in the history of Indian football!"
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Team Arrival
Jaise hi Team India ki bus stadium ke bahar ruki...
Hazaaron Indian fans zor-zor se cheekhne lage—
"INDIA! INDIA! INDIA!"
Aarav sabse pehle bus se utara.
Usne Tirange ki taraf dekha...
Aur halki si muskurahat di.
Kabir uske paas aaya.
"Captain..."
"Bas ek match."
Aarav ne jawab diya—
"Bas ek sapna."
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Dressing Room
Har player apni jersey pehen raha tha.
Boots ki laces bandh raha tha.
Poore room mein khamoshi thi.
Head Coach dheere se beech mein aaye.
Is baar unhone sirf ek line kahi—
"Go... and make a billion dreams come true."
Aarav khada hua.
Usne India ki jersey ko dekha.
Phir har teammate ki aankhon mein aankhen daal kar bola—
"Hum yahan tak kisi ki meherbani se nahi aaye."
"Humne har giant ko challenge diya..."
"...aur har challenge accept kiya."
"Aaj..."
"...sirf football nahi khelna."
"...aaj apni kahani complete karni hai."
Kabir ne haath aage badhaya.
Ek-ek karke poori team ne apna haath uske upar rakha.
Poora dressing room goonj utha—
"JAI HIND!"
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The Walk to Glory
Tunnel mein dono teams saamne khadi thi.
Brazil ke stars apni jagah focused the—
Alisson Becker, Marquinhos, Éder Militão, Bruno Guimarães, Raphinha, Rodrygo, aur Vinícius Júnior.
Doosri taraf...
India.
Ek team jisne duniya ka dil jeet liya tha.
Aarav ne apni jersey par India ka badge chuma.
Referee ne signal diya.
Dono teams floodlights ke neeche pitch par utar aayi.
90,000 se zyada fans ek saath khade ho gaye.
Fireworks ne aasman ko roshan kar diya.
National anthems baje.
Aarav ki nazar sirf Tirange par thi.
Usne gehri saans li.
Commentator ki awaaz duniya bhar mein goonj uthi—
"This is it..."
"The FIFA World Cup Final."
"India... Brazil..."
"History is waiting for its champion."
Referee ne centre spot ki taraf ishara kiya.
Whistle hothon tak gayi...
PHEEEEEEEEEET!
The FIFA World Cup Final had officially begun.
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