Sameer was only 15. He would get lonely. Every two months he would want to run back home to Dhar in Madhya Pradesh to be with his parents.
Hyderabad was not home. But it was where he had come to make something of his life as a badminton player. His brother Sourabh, older by a couple of years, was there, too. And the Verma boys knew that in Pullela Gopichand, they were under the tutelage of the best coach in the country.
Sameer learnt to live with the loneliness because he figured badminton was his calling. Seven years since he first arrived at the Gopichand academy, trailing his elder brother, Sameer has made the biggest splash of his young career by becoming only the third Indian male player to reach the final of a Superseries tournament.
"I have understood that if I want to accomplish something, I will have to forego a lot," Sameer tells ESPN over a crackling phone line from Hong Kong hours after going down in the final. "If not, I will feel in the future that I didn't achieve what I could have. We live in a joint family and we go back home once or twice a year. It is tough for our parents but they are happy that we are performing well."
The "we" rolls off Sameer's tongue quite naturally. Sourabh and he have chosen the same professional path and at least for now, the younger sibling is making the greater impression. Earlier in the year, Sameer quelled his brother to win the national championships in Chandigarh and has now made a significant run at one of the sport's elite tournaments before Sourabh. There is a matter-of-factness about their sibling rivalry, one that Sameer embraces without much fuss.
"I think our head-to-head is at 4-4, or maybe I am trailing 3-4, I am not sure," he chuckles. "We keep talking to each other and sharing information. I am the more attacking and aggressive player while he relies more on rallying."
This aggressive and attacking instinct Sameer refers to was visible throughout his 50-minute, three-game final against NG Ka Long Angus on Sunday. He overturned the loss of the first game with a spectacular torrent of shot-making in the second against the World No.14. Ahead of the final, Gopichand had described his playing style as "unorthodox" and pointed to his knack of "smartly seeing angles" on the court.
Given to playing a high-risk, high-reward game, Sameer believes the experiences of the last week that included the biggest win of his career so far over World No.3 Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark in the semifinals, will be invaluable as he aspires to build on this success.
"I wasn't intimidated at the thought of playing the world number three," he says. "I just thought he is a player like I am, I will give my best and may the best man win. Even when I was down 17-20 I didn't think much about the game situation.
"In the final I did try very hard today but my opponent was really retrieving well and he was the better player on the day. I must have made some mistakes but I haven't really thought about it much yet. My confidence is definitely up from before, so let's see what happens from here on in."
Ranked 43 in the world at the moment, Sameer has identified a spot among the top 10 and a strong showing at next year's world championships as his short-term targets. With Gopichand in his corner and support from the GoSports Foundation that has been assisting him with aspects such as tournament and medical expenses, nutrition, and facilities such as cameras to record and analyse his match play, Sameer is confident that the run in Hong Kong won't be a flash in the pan.
"This tournament has helped my confidence and also given me some knowledge on how I can improve as a player at the highest level," he says. "Patience and calmness are two important attributes I feel. I have to improve my smashes and attacking game. I don't want to think too much, just enjoy my game and play then I am not very far from that level."
While he does not have too many role models or heroes in sport, Sameer says watching the recent film about MS Dhoni's life was "inspirational" and left a strong impression on his mind as he could "relate to many of the situations." For counsel, besides Gopichand and Sourabh, Sameer turns to Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, cajoling them for tips on how to handle the "pressure of situations such as big finals."
He knows this week has catapulted him from a virtual unknown to an athlete whose fortunes will be eagerly followed. But ever since he first picked up a badminton racquet at the age of six and went along with his dad to the local club, Sameer has understood the sport will determine his destiny. It has already been long journey but it has only just begun.