BROKEN THINGS

2

Sourav pushed around the food in his plate, trying to swallow some of it. But it just wasn't possible after the day they had had. But he was not the only one facing this predicament. Everyone usually ate together after defeats, it was an un-negotiatable rule in the team since his time as captain. Clearly Rahul had continued the tradition because the table was full of people struggling to eat. But they had to, because if they didn't, others wouldn't either.

He swallowed a bite with difficulty and sighed and put his spoon down. Today it just didn't seem possible to follow the rule he himself had made.

"I know," Sachin's dull voice said from his left, he too had put his spoon down. Sachin usually sat to his left. The right, years ago was Rahul's.

At the thought of his legal brother, he looked around the table, searching for the familiar face. He wasn't there.

"He hasn't been seen since we came back. Probably in his room," Sachin answered his unasked question.

The thought made him angry. Here they were trying to keep going for the team. And what had Rahul done? Abandoned them. Sourav snorted angrily, "Typical,".

 Sachin hmmed.

Sourav stared hatefully at his plate. If Rahul wasn't bothering to eat and set an example as the captain, why should they? Why should he? He pushed the plate away and walked angrily to the elevators. He was done. With this team. And perhaps with cricket as well.

He had still been fuming angrily as he walked towards his room when he heard faint strange noises, way down the corridor. Since his comeback, he had made sure his room was placed as far away from Rahul's as possible. So the noises had to be really loud to make it to him. He walked closer slowly. There were periodic crashes, and thuds and the faint noise of some frustrated voice. As much as he hated to say it, he did know Rahul better than everyone else, or atleast he had. Still it was impossible for Rahul to be trashin his room, he was a non-violent person. Was that also false now about this man?

As he neared, a cold dread began to set. That voice was not Rahul's, those curses weren't words Rahul could ever use. Rahul was not the one yelling. Yet the noises were undoubtedly coming from Rahul's room. As if on auto pilot he walked towards the room and threw the door open.

A horrible sight greeted his eyes.

Chappel was holding his brother up by the collar, yelling in his face. Rahul's eyes were half closed, in a daze, he was murmuring something but it couldn't be heard over Chappel's screaming. There was a swelling near his jawline, a cut on his forehead, his shirt was half torn. The entire room was trashed.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!" Sourav screamed moving rapidly across the room.

Chappel turned with a snarl throwing Rahul harshly away, like he weighed nothing. Rahul's head hit the dresser and he crumpled, holding his head, groaning weakly, before slumpin. Not moving anymore.

Sourav saw red.