Rohit was talking with him ok. It was not like he was ignoring him, thought Virat. But the accusation in his eyes was only too clear. Same with everyone else. Take Shikki. Take Ash. Take Jaddu. Take even Bhuvi.
No one approved of Mahi bhai's retirement.
Did he approve of it himself? wondered Virat. He doubted it. He had driven Mahi bhai to it though; that much was clear, so it was no use having second thoughts now.
Virat found himself avoiding his team the day Mahi bhai left for India, and the silence was killing him now.
Was it possible for a person to die of loneliness?
At dinner, he abruptly caught sight of Rahul sitting in one of the corners. Virat rushed towards him with immoderate delight. Here was one person at least who would not look at him with accusation.
Rahul looked up when Virat bumped into the seat beside him, his eyes glittering and a huge grin on his face, exuding enthusiasm. He automatically backed away (because you know, it was scary to see a clown right beside your face suddenly).
"Hi, Rahuliya!"
"Rahuliya?" repeated Rahul, even more alarmed (he had NEVER heard a nickname like that).
"That's your name, isn't it?" said Virat innocently.
"Pretty sure it's not."
"Rahul, Rahuiya, close enough," said Virat dismissively. "Who is your fashion star?"
"Er," said Rahul. "Fashion star?"
"Something's wrong with your ear," said Virat, concerned.
Rahul rolled his eyes. "No, Virat. The kind of things you keep saying, they seem unreal."
Virat gaped. "Everyone has a fashion star, right?"
"Mine's David Beckham," conceded Rahul, remembering Mahi bhai's words and resolving to at least try to talk to Virat. Plus, he had been feeling lonely as well, in a team where everyone had known each other for year.
"Mine's SRK," said Virat solemnly.
Rahul's jaw dropped. "Really?"
"No, you dummy, who has SRK as their fashion icon?"
"But you said it so seriously I thought...never mind," sighed Rahul. Having played with Virat for a season in IPL, he did have a slight idea about his perennial tendency to play pranks.
"I'm my own fashion icon," said Virat.
Rahul couldn't tell if Virat was joking again or not. He decided to take his word for it.
"That sounds nice," he said. "I'm my own fashion icon."
"Look at these tattoos." Virat poked Rahul's tattoed arm. "You were being your own icon while getting these."
Rahul was possessive about these tattoes.
"My mother would've kicked me out of the house if I tried it at your age, Rahuliya," continued Virat.
"Mine tried too," said Rahul, beginning to grin. He told Virat about how his mom had turned up with soap when he returned home after getting those.
Virat started laughing loudly; so loudly that Rahul felt self conscious. It hadn't been that funny. He was beginning to realize that Virat was a bit too extreme about everything.
They started exchanging stories about their evolution from conservative families to fashion-conscious cricketers, and after dinner, Rahul went with Virat to his room.
Kind of to his own surprise, he was enjoying Virat's company. Strange, but there you are.
The best part, of course, was that Virat hadn't alluded to cricket in any way. Whatever Mahi bhai had said, Rahul felt the longer he stayed away from the cricket field, the better.
He thought about Mayank. He thought about their childish dreams of making their debut in the same match, opening side by side for India. Maybe scoring a century each and making India win in glory.
Instead he'd opened alone. And made a disaster of it.
"Who's your best friend?" asked Virat out of the blue.
Rahul wondered if Virat could read minds.
"Um, there's a guy in my Karnataka team called Mayank," he said.
"Agarwal?" said Virat.
"Yeah, you know about him?"
"Of course. I am the vice-captain of the Test team, y'know," said Virat teasingly. Then his face flushed in confusion as he realized he had said 'vice captain', not 'captain.'
There was an awkward silence before Virat broke it himself.
"Then Mayank and you must've been playing for quite a long time together?"
"Since U-13," said Rahul glumly.
"You don't sound very happy about it," observed Virat.
Rahul glared at him.
"Um, sorry," said Virat quickly.
"I wanted to make my debut with him," confessed Rahul. "In the same match. One of those fantasies, you know..."
"Yeah, I know," said Virat. "I have one like that, Rohit and I win a World Cup together with Rohit being highest run-getter." He looked kind of embarrassed. "I don't know why but I feel very strongly that he has to be highest run-getter for us to win."
"Whenever I imagined our debuts I imagined Mayank getting a 150, and me getting somewhere between 100 and 150," said Rahul in wonder.
"We may be more similar than we know," said Virat, back to his solemn tone that was beginning to make Rahul suspicious. "Do you like to sledge?"
"No," said Rahul firmly. "I don't."
"Ah but when you play with this Australian side it becomes necessary at times," sighed Virat.
Mahi bhai didn't sledge, thought Rahul.
"You won't judge me by sledging on the field, Rahuliya, would you? Most people do," said Virat.
"I don't judge anyone," said Rahul rather stiffly. "So I'm not going to judge you either."
Virat mistook Rahul's tone for his hatred of sledging.
"Ok," he said, grinning and resting his elbow on Rahul's shoulder. "It's clear you do judge people who sledge. Never mind, I'm nice enough off the field to make up for it."
The strange thing was, in spite of not wanting to, Rahul believed him.
Their conversation turned to pets. Then to Virat's relationship with Anushka Sharma. Then to their families. Then to pretty much everything except cricket, and before they had realized it was past well past midnight.
"Practice session early tomorrow morning," declared Virat, catching sight of the wall clock. "I can't be the one keeping the youngest member of the team awake so late."
"I'm not the youngest member of the team," said Rahul.
"Really?" Virat winked.
"Yeah well, you're just four years older than me," retorted Rahul. It didn't even feel weird, retorting to your national captain. Maybe because Virat was such an extraordinary goof?
"Exactly," said Virat. "Four years....you want to know what changes can come into a person's mentality in four years, Moi?"
"What the hell is Moi now?"
"It's just a nickname," said Virat earnestly.
Rahul's eyebrows shot up.
"No, I do not want to know what changes can come into a person's mentality in four years, Virat," he said distinctly. "Good night."
"Good night," said Virat, beaming.
Why was he so happy all the time, wondered Rahul as he walked back to his own room.
Well, Mahi bhai's 'favour' had done at least one good thing, he thought glumly as he laid down on the bed. He had spent a whole evening without worrying about his game.
Without Virat's goofy companionship, it was right back again, and it was a long time before he could fall asleep that night.