Frayed bonds

The Breakdown

Once Jassi and Rahul were out of the room Rahul turned towards the gym, but jassi held his hand and stopped him.

"Why do you want to go to Ro bhaiya?" He asked narrowing his eyes.

Rahul scratched his neck sheepishly and said, "That doesn't matter now does it?"

"Whatever you are playing at remember I am his first kid and I will always be." Jassi said, feeling jealous.

"I also have Virat, I am not trying to replace you." Rahul said, his voice defensive.

"Then why do YOU want to go to bhaiya?" Jassi asked at the end of his patience now.

"Because with Virat I know no one's gonna take my place but with Ro bhai I have a lot of competition." Rahul blurted out.

Jassi narrowed his eyes even further, "Kl beware, my eyes are always on you." He said.

"Quit acting like Harry, Jas! Let's focus on the actual concern right now?" Rahul said half exasperated half scared.

Jassi just said, "Hmmm" and walked off towards Virat and Rohit's room. Rahul also went towards the gym.

~~

Rahul entered the gym to see Rohit running on the trademill.

He was sweating profusely, and honestly looked completely worn out.

He had a far away look and was running and running without paying any heed to his surroundings.

"Vi..." Rahul could hear Rohit mumbling something in a daze, but it wasn't fully coherent other than Virat's name.

"Rohit." Rahul called moving towards the Trademill, but to get no response.

He called out to him again and got no response again. Rohit suddenly incresed the pace of the trademill and started running faster.

Rahul panicked, Rohit looked like he would collapse any second. So he rushed towards Rohit and stopped the Rohit.

Rohit was breathing heavily, Rahul held him by his shoulders and made him sit.

He grabbed a bottle of water and made him drink it, "What the hell Ro?" Rahul asked.

Rohit shook his head, "Nothing." He whispered. Rahul gave him a towel and Rohit wiped his sweat.

"I'll go and freshen up." Rohit said and went towards the gym's washroom in the hope that Rahul will go away.

But to Rohit's dismay, Rahul was sitting at the same spot Rohit had left him.

Rohit sighed at the stubborn kid. "They have learnt from us only." He grumbled.

"So why are you here right now? You gym only in the mornings." Rohit asked.

Rahul sighed, "Bhaiya we know something is wrong between you and Virat." He said. Rohit remained silent, closing his eyes as the images of the last time him and Virat had talked flooded his mind.

"What even happened Ro bhai?" Rahul asked, emphasising on the word bhai. Rohit opened his eyes when Rahul shook him, the memories were better if not remembered.

"Bhai?" Rahul asked again, softly.

Rohit looked up to hear Rahul calling him bhai, he sighed and said, "I don't want to dwell in the past Rah, it's ok now."

"Look at me and say it's ok, I know it is not. I can't even imagine you both like this, how much it must be hurting you." Rahul said, helpless.

Rohit again looked at him, tears in his eyes, "You are right kiddo, it's not ok. It's not ok right now, but it will be, it has to be." Rohit whispered, his voice hoarse with unshed tears.

Rahul could not see Rohit like this, the only two times he had seen Rohit so devastated was during the two world cup campaigns of 2019 and 2023.

And he was looking way more miserable now. Rahul sat beside Rohit, slinging a hand over his shoulder.

"Bhaiya you know that I am with you right? We all are with you guys. We are not going to let our worshipped bond go to waste." Rahul said and Rohit could not stop his tears.

"It's not going to happen baccha, I don't want it to. I know it hurts a lot but it's better this way." Rohit said, his voice cracking, as he let his tears flow while Rahul embraced him.

~~

Jassi entered the room with the master cardcard to see Virat sleeping.

He closed the door and could hear Virat mumbling something incoherent, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Vi bhai?" Jassi said shaking Virat, but he got no response.

"Ro...." Jassi could hear Virat mumble something but only Rohit's name was coherent enough. Jassi tried shaking him again.

But Virat wasn't waking up, so as a last resort, Jassi took the glass of water from the table and emptied it on Virat.

Virat woke up with a jolt, he for a second thought Rohit was here. And he was taking revenge for waking him like this.

Virat's smile dimmed as soon as he saw Jassi, but he plastered a fake smile as soon as he saw Jassi scrutinizing him.

"You are here?" He asked and Jassi shook his head, confusing Virat.

"What happened between you and Ro bhaiya?" Jassi asked coming straight to the point.

Virat thought to deny it but he knew, it couldn't be kept hidden for long so he instead said, "No use discussing it."

"Vi bhai at least tell me what happened?" Jassi asked again.

Virat shook his head and took the photo he had kept near his pillow, after he woke up and noticed Rohit was gone.

"It's over jassi, I have lost him. I don't know how I am going to go without him being the way he was in my life." Virat said his eyes fixed on a photo of him and Rohit.

"But at least tell me what happened? We could at least help you." Jassi said, just like Rahul, helplessly.

"It's of no use Jassi, I guess this is it. This is how it was supposed to end." Virat said, now caressing the photo.

"Bhaiya we can't see you guys like this, please tell me what happened." Jassi said sitting in front of Virat and taking the photo from his hand.

"Give my Ro back to me." Virat said at once, taking the photo back in his hand.

"You can't even bear to keep his photo aside, how are you going to go on without him in your life?" Jassi asked.

Virat looked up from the photo and towards Jassi, "I don't even know, but I'll learn." He said, a tear escaping his eye.

"We can help bhaiya, we can solve this together." Jassi said trying to convince him.

Virat shook his head, as tears flowed freely now, "It's not going to happen baccha, I don't want it to. I know it hurts alot but it's better this way." Virat said as Jassi hugged him tight.

A/N:  Y'all did not complete the comments target in the last one too :/
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