Invisible Strings

Chapter 2

Venky's pov:-

It was 8 o'clock on a Monday morning and it had been a struggle for me to get up from my bed to come to workout in the gym. The past two years have been stressful, obviously due to certain reasons, and this was not the best time for GG to give me the captaincy. He believes and I quote, "It'll boost your confidence. It'll make you work harder to get back in form. It'll help you to realise how important playing well is for you and your team."

I have always believed that GG is the most realistic person I've met. He takes accurate decisions, speaks when needed, does what he has to in silence and to be honest that was why I looked up to him. I mean I still do, but this decision of his made me think it was really very idealistic. Not really accurate.

Seeing my current form, I'm far, and when I say far I mean very very far away, from being a good captain. I can't manage a whole damn team right now. Let alone a team, I can't manage myself.

These thoughts had been spiralling in my mind for quite sometime while I was working out, but then my phone rang disturbing my now 'ever so permanent' thoughts. Taking out my phone from my trousers my eyes met with Nitish's name.

Now that's something. He, at 8:25 a.m. is calling me? That also when he's relaxing on a vacation? That's... Odd.

"Hello ji, aur bataiye kya halchal? Main toh badhiya bhai, mast vacation pe I'm enjoying. Tu bata," He started blabbering all by himself as I picked up the call.

"I didn't ask how are you, Nitish," I said with a straight voice.

"Arey yaar Venky, why are you such a mood spoiler buddy. Call kiya kitne dino baad, thoda toh hasle?" He was the only one who understood what I was going through, and now this dude says this. Wow.

"Bohot hass liya. Say. What do you want? And how is it that you have called me, when you're on a vacation, that also at 8:30 in the damn morning? What has happened to you?" I asked. I was curious obviously, cause he's had this habit of being the laziest person when he doesn't have anything to do.

"Haan toh? I can't call you? Uff yaar chod bhai. I just called to check in on you. How are you sir? What are you doing? How has everything been?" Wow Venky, you've got the best person as your friend. You couldn't have got better.

"Oye hoye hoye, itni izzat sehen nahi ki jayegi mujhse. Par chalo yaar. Haan, everything is alright, just as it's supposed to be," I said.

"How's you preparation going? Iss saal todne ke ana bhai, bas kuch bhi karna hai par jeetna hume hi hai. And you have to be give your best. Pichle saal jo hua so hua. Iss saal, it's a fresh start. And hopefully we're together and you're the captain," He does this thing a lot. Gives the motivation I need, but to be honest I was exhausted of putting up my brave self in front of everyone till now. I couldn't anymore. But this year I had. I had to give my best for my team.

"Hmm.. I will give my best," I said blandly.

"Bhai itna dry toh tu text bhi nahi karta tha Venky," He said getting annoyed by my monotonous tone, which certainly, he had been hearing for the past one and a half years. "Sunn, I had also called to tell you ki humara physiotherapist unit is changing. I don't know why." He said informing me of the most unwanted information.

His call went on hold for a while. I waited just to hear Skipper's voice from the other end. "Hello Nitish. Aur batao, kis liye call kiya?"

"Hi skipper," I said to inform him about my presence in the call.

"Hello Venky, and could you please stop calling me that. I'm no more the skipper. We should call you that now," He replied, emphasizing the most on 'you'.

"Yeah sure, fine," I replied back.

"Achcha leave that, Shreyas, the thing is that there's a change in the physiotherapist unit of our team. I don't know why they're changing the usuals. We'd been more comfortable with the previous unit to be honest," Nitish again started with this discussion of the most irrelevant topic he got.

"Yes I saw that too this morning. I wonder what might've happened, that thy had to change the unit. Wait, Venky you can contact the management na? Just ask them na what happened and who are being replaced," Shreyas requested.

"Guys why are you alk so concerned about this? What does it have to do with us anyway? Nitish it was not a permanent unit, and Shreyas it's the most irrelevant thing to ask about to the team management. We don't need to bother about it guys. Aur waise bhi jisse aana hai aane do, hume marwa na de bass," I was annoyed as hell. These people called me at 8:30 in the morning to tell me that they's a change the physiotherapist unit. When I was working out giving my best not to back away from doing so, they wanted me to inquire about the most irrelevant change in the unit.

"You might've changed a bit Venky, you might've stopped joking around with us, but your sarcasm is still there," Nitish must've felt hurt by the sudden raise in my voice. I believe that is why said so.

"Guys I didn't mean to shout. I'm sorry. But trust me, you don't need to care," I said, trying my best to apologize.

"No Venky it's totally fine. And you're right. We shouldn't care. The management will choose the best for us. Nitish don't worry. And Venky sorry to disturb you while you were working out. You continue, we'll meet in the hotel in a few days," Shreyas tried his best to stop a fight that was about to erupt between me and Nitish.

"Yes Venky. No problem. Ja tu karke workout. It's needed for you anyways." Nitish said hanging up on me.

I felt guilty to be honest I felt guilty to ruin their mood. But I couldn't help myself. I was not in a position to talk with them about these things. I wasn't even in a position to have a conversation with anyone for that matter. I just hoped and prayed that this season went well. That's all I needed, and that was all it would take for my mood to get better.

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A/n : here's chapter 2.hopes you guys like it!! Please vote and comment.