ENCHANTED, shubman gill

FOUR

The sun, indifferent to their audacious adventure, rose over Ahmedabad as well, casting its golden rays upon the slumbering city. Rohit, a man of routine, emerged from his room at precisely 7:30 am, ready to fuel up for the day ahead at the breakfast buffet.

As he opened his door, The door directly opposite his room, supposedly occupied by Shubman, hung ajar, an anomaly in the otherwise pristine hallway. A flicker of curiosity sparked within him. "Shubman's up early today," he mused, attributing the open door to his young teammate's usual post-game laziness.

But then, a sight made him stop dead in his tracks. The housekeeper was bustling out of the room, a master key clutched in her hand as she purposefully locked the door with a decisive click.

"Aap key kyun nikal rahe ho?" Rohit inquired, his voice laced with a hint of suspicion. "Andar koi nahi hai kya?"

The housekeeper, startled by the unexpected question, turned around. "Nahi sir," she stammered, her voice betraying a hint of nervousness. "Reception ne bola yeh bahar gaye hai toh clean kardo."

Rohit's brow furrowed. An unsettling feeling gnawed at him. "Yeh bhi?" he asked, gesturing towards the room next door, which the housekeeper was now approaching, master key poised.

"Ji sir," came the meek reply.

The silence that followed stretched, thick with unspoken questions.

Rohit settled down at the breakfast buffet, a plate piled high with eggs and toast, but his appetite was overshadowed by a disquieting puzzle. "Shubman and Dev are both out, rooms empty," he announced to Virat, who was just joining him.

Virat raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. "Spying on them, are we, Rohit?"

Rohit shot him a mock glare. "Hardly. It seems fate enjoys placing me on the same floor as all those walking disasters."

"Probably out for a run or hitting the gym early," Virat offered, taking a seat and digging into his own breakfast.

Rohit snorted. "Look me in the eye and tell me that again, Virat. This early in the morning?"

Virat chuckled. "Alright, alright, you got me. Not a chance. Though, knowing those two..." he trailed off, a playful glint in his eyes.

"Maybe they crashed in one of the other boys' rooms," Virat offered a plausible explanation.

Rohit frowned. "That wouldn't explain why reception told the housekeeper the rooms were empty."

A sudden realization dawned on Virat. "Wait a minute, Ishaan and Abhi seem to be missing too, aren't they?"

Rohit's head snapped up, surprise etching across his features. "What? I didn't even notice."

Virat gestured towards a corner table. "See, just Rutu and Yash there. Looks like the usual gang is a couple of members short this morning."

The weight of uneaten toast sat heavy in Rohit's stomach. "So, interrogation it is then?" he asked, his voice laced with a hint of resignation.

Virat, ever the pragmatist, countered, "Breakfast first, interrogation later."

They sat in tense silence, the clinking of cutlery and the murmur of other guests the only sounds that dared break it.

Finally, pushing back from the table, Rohit strode towards the corner booth where Yashasvi and Rutu sat,

"Yash, Rutu," Rohit began, his voice firm. "Do you boys have any idea where the other four members - Shubman, Dev, Ishaan, and Abhi - might be?"

Yashasvi, a nervous chuckle erupting from his lips, fumbled for a response. "Haha, Rohit bhai, how would we know?"

Virat's gaze narrowed. "You know something, don't you?" he pressed, his tone leaving no room for denial.

Rohit leaned forward, his eyes boring into Yashasvi's. "Yash...?" he began, the unspoken question hanging heavy in the air.

Yashasvi and Rutu exchanged a panicked glance, the unspoken message passing between them clear. Virat, sensing their hesitation, upped the ante. "Rutu," he warned, his voice low, "don't make me call Mahi bhai."

Rutu, his bravado crumbling under Virat's scrutiny, finally spoke. "Aree, Virat bhai," he stammered, "we honestly don't know where they are right now."

But the tremor in his voice betrayed his words. A flicker of suspicion danced in Rohit's eyes. "But...?" he prompted, unwilling to let the matter rest.

Yashasvi, under pressure, blurted out, "Ishaan called last night and said 'ek round ghum ke chai peeke aate hai', but we were sleepy."

"Chai? Chai peene gaye the? Yeh kya naya chul macha hai raat ko chai peene ka?" Rohit spluttered, disbelief lacing his voice.

Virat, sensing Rohit's rising temper, interjected. "Rohit, shaant, deep breaths."

"Deep breaths, Virat? These boys are going to give me BP before forty!"" Rohit retorted, frustration coloring his words.

Maybe they came back after their chai," Virat offered, trying to inject a note of optimism.

Rohit scanned the dining room, his eyes searching for any sign of the missing boys. "Can you see them anywhere?" he countered, frustration lacing his voice.

Virat, seeing the growing tension, proposed a solution. "Here's what we do. Let's check Ishaan's room. Maybe all four of them crashed there after their supposed chai break."

Rohit, not entirely convinced, countered with his own plan. "No, let's go to the reception and see if they arrived back in last night."

"Main bhi?" Virat raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes.

"Haan," Rohit confirmed, a glint of determination hardening his features. "You're my partner in crime, chalo abhi."

Rohit strode off with a purposeful gait, leaving Virat muttering under his breath, "Captaincy chodne ke baad bhi yeh karo, baby sitter banake rakh hai bc."