How it all began (A Rohit-Virat Friendship Fanfiction)

That prediction

In end 2013, Virat did a shampoo ad with Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma. No one read into it much, then, but it was the beginning of the huge change in Virat that Rohit had predicted two years back.

On the eve of MI vs RCB in Mumbai during IPL 2014, Virat stumbled into Rohit's house late at night.

Rohit woke up with a start on hearing the doorbell.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, as he saw Virat standing outside.

"I just--" began Virat in a dazed voice.

"What happened? Virat--what happened?" asked Rohit, alarmed.

"Nothing bad," says Virat hastily. "At least let me come inside!"

"Oh... sorry." Rohit stepped aside to let him enter. Virat went and collapsed on the sofa.

Rohit sat down opposite to him and said anxiously, "Are you drunk?"

"Of course not!" said Virat indignantly.

"Just checking, " muttered Rohit. "Ok...are you lost? Did you forget the way to your hotel?"

"No, Rohit," said Virat distinctly.

"Will you please tell me already? I'm not going to keep guessing!"

"I was with Anushka nearly all day," said Virat.

"You're with her nearly all day almost everyday," pointed out Rohit.

"I love her."

"Yes, sure, this might be--what...the fifth girl you've loved?" said Rohit sarcastically.

"It's different this time!" protested Virat.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"For heaven's sake, Virat, don't fall for an actress!" cried Rohit, genuinely horror struck.

"Why the hell not?"

"Don't you know how their lifestyles are...they just date for the sake of it, all of them have been in multiple pointless relationships..." Rohit stopped when he saw Virat's smirk. "I forgot, so have you," he finished flatly.

"I know what you mean. What if I take her seriously and she doesn't, right?" asked Virat.

Rohit nodded and made a mental note that if this Anushka Sharma or anyone else ever dared to break Virat's heart, he would personally go and teach her a lesson.

"She doesn't seem pretentious, though," said Virat.

"Her profession is acting," retorted Rohit.

Virat looked so demoralised that Rohit said, "Tell you what, you go and tell her you like her, just like you've done with the rest, then I guess it'll soon be over."

"I don't want it to get over soon!" cried Virat.

"Maybe a year?" suggested Rohit with a straight face.

"No," muttered Virat.

"Five years?"

"No!"

By now Rohit's smirk had become unbearable, so Virat did the sensible thing and admitted, "You were right."

"Aren't I always?" gloated Rohit.

Virat ignored him and stretched on the sofa. "I'm tired!"

"You can't sleep here," said Rohit. "Come on upstairs."

Virat fell asleep nearly the moment his head touched the pillow, and Rohit prodded him awake after a while to say, "What d'you think they'll say if they saw the MI and RCB captains together now?"

Virat grunted and rolled over and mumbled something like,"Let me sleep."

"You'd better let us win tomorrow!" warned Rohit, and then he gave up irritating his poor tired friend.

MI did win the next day, with Rohit not out on 59.

"Thank you," Rohit told an annoyed Virat sweetly as they shook hands after the match.