Rahul couldn't breath as he saw them loose their final wicket. He could hear almost everyone's hearts break. But for him it wasn't just that. He had caused all those hearts to break. And that was something he wasn't going to forgive himself. Somebody patted his shoulder lightly, in consolation, making him finally draw a breath.
Just as he came back to the real world, a horrible fear captured all of his limbs, he could feel the heat of a dark gaze on him coming from the corner of the dressing room. Please, he pleaded mentally, please don't do it today. He was in enough pain already, he cannot handle more of it today. Everybody was comforting each other as they silently walked back inside the dressing room. Even he recieved a few pats on the back, which was surprising because he was generally ignored when he wasn't performing captain duties. At the most a few starry eyed youngsters or Dhoni and Raina would come up to him to talk.
He couldn't pay attention to any of that though. He could feel the gaze following him, retribution promised in the hooded eyes. Truth be told, he deserved what was coming to him. He had hurt everyone who loved him, who he loved, irreversably. He had broken this team, made a country of one billion people cry. But he was also a scared, spineless bastard. He was begging to every religion out there to help him, to save him. He could not bear more pain today. Not today.
It didn't take long for them to board the bus after the dull post match wrap up. He answered and faced the heat of the media with ease. It was nothing compared to what he faced daily. To how much it hurt to see everyone he loved look at him with disgust. It was nothing compared to the taunts that made their way to him daily.
He sat in his corner in the bus, the last seat, at the very corner, hiding in the shadows as much as he could. He kept his eyes fixed on his lap the entire ride. Aware of the murmurs around him. On other days he would have atleast tried to say something to motivate his team. They may hate him but they were still his team. But everything would probably end today. His career, any fight he had left and probably his life too. If HE didn't kill him, Rahul just might.
They arrived at their hotel far too soon. He waited till everyone was gone to escape to his own room. It was coming, he was coming, he knew he was. And yet he hid uselessly in his room, hoping it won't. He won't.
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BROKEN THINGS
FanfictionRahul Dravid is not in a good place before the world cup. A snake has a hold on him. His team is indifferent to him. His friends don't like him. And his adoptive brother Sourav hates him. And he too despises himself. But he is the captain, so he has...
