Tough love

The ordeal

The next evening Rohit was in his room, there was a match next day. He didn't wanna admit it but he was kinda missing talking to Virat. Even shouting on him made them feel better. But now that there was this silence that he couldn't bear. Yesterday he had still been in anger but as the time was passing he was thinking if he had overreacted. Like yes Virat had shouted on him, but frankly it was a stupid run out. And he knew Virat's nature. He should have kept his cool. The dinners and team sessions were painful. They had to walk past each other like strangers and Rohit had never imagined this could be this painful. He sighed and got up for team dinner

After dinner that night, Virat returned to his room. It had been such an awkward affair. He couldn't tease Rohit. Nor take a jibe at him. But it pained his heart seeing Rohit laughing with Sikhar. Why had he been so rude to Rohit after a stupid run out? They happened once in a while, its natural. Yes, he had been mad because Rohit would have scored well that day. But he needn't have been a jerk about it or fought like that in front of Mahi Bhai. He so wanted to go to Rohit and make up but he couldn't now. The silence between them almost reminded him of 2014, things had been almost like this between him and Mahi Bhai then. Thankfully things had gotten much better after that and Bhai was with him now. He had never though the silence with Rohit would effect him the same but it was effecting him. He forced himself to go to sleep, they had a much tomorrow.

The strategic discussion before the match was the only time the team was serious at any given point. But even that serious discussion came as an respite to Virat and Rohit it seemed. MS watched them with amused eyes. "So it has started to work" he thought

In the match Rohit and Sikhar got off to a good start. But Rohit got out just after scoring a century, and Virat walked into bat. India put up a target of 285. During the fielding half too they couldn't talk much.

The next night Rohit was hanging out with Harry and KulCha. And Harry was as usual teasing Kuldeep.

"You have such small kid like face. Looks like you are still on cerelac." Hardik joked while Kuldeep sulked.

But Yuzi's protectiveness kicked in and he spontaneously said "Atleast people didn't confuse him with Dhabe Wala chhotu when he was young."

Hardik looked at Yuzi completely stumped.

Rohit and Kuldeep burst out laughing.

"Look at your face Harry" Rohit said laughing "I have gotta tell this to Vi. What a clapback Yuzi."

He was about to get up to go top Virat, when Kuldeep called him "But weren't you two fighting? And hasn't Mahi Bhai asked you not to talk to him?"

Rohit stopped dead in his tracks, of course he couldn't go and tell Virat this right now. And they were fighting weren't they, gosh, he just wished that he could go to Vi and make up.

Hardik winked at Yuzi and Yuzi realised Harry was just doing this to do what Mahi Bhai had asked them. And Yuzi raised his eyebrows in admiration.

Virat was in his room, scrolling through his Instagram when his eyes fell on a fan post. It was sketch of him and Rohit, and it was captioned Rohirat forever. He almost liked it but stopped himself he didn't wanna cause a media stir. Liking a picture should be harmless but you never know media. And he didn't want that, especially with him and Rohit not talking to each other. He thought of sending that pic to Rohit, but then suddenly remembered that today in the evening he was with Jassi and Sikhar and he had casually said feeling smug,
"What if I just text Rohit?"

"I am pretty sure by not talking Mahi Bhai meant texting too." Sikhar had said.

"No he didn't" Virat said stubbornly.