Can't promise you the world, but... (A Rohit-Shreyas Fanfiction)

Chapter 3

2018

One fine morning in April 2018, Gauti bhai approached Shreyas at breakfast when he'd just taken a sip of milk.

"Good morning, Shreyas," he said pleasantly. "I'm stepping down today, and you will be captaining."

Shreyas spat out the milk when he'd started choking on it. Gauti bhai rubbed his back as he coughed, saying, "Come on, Shreyas, take it easy...I suppose I shouldn't have mentioned it while he was eating," he added to Ponting sir, who'd also joined them.

Shreyas, who was all of 23 at that point, choked out, "Take it easy, Gauti bhai? What does that even mean?"

"Like don't be so shocked that you choke on milk," suggested Gauti bhai.

"Not that," Shreyas said, agonized. "What do you mean by stepping down?"

"I am well past my peak, and I've become a burden to the team. I'd rather have a better batsman in the squad in place of me, and for that, someone has to be the captain."

"Someone," agreed Shreyas.

"You are the best option," said Gauti bhai. "In fact, you are the only option." He patted Shreyas on the shoulder comfortingly and added, "Join us on the field when you've finished eating. I'll run you through the duties of captaining."

Shreyas sat and stared after Gauti bhai.

I am the only option?

How, how am I an option at all?

__________________

Rohit was in a team meeting at a quarter past seven when his phone, which he'd forgotten to put on silent as usual, rang out.

Shreyas.

Rohit took the call and began, "I'm in a meeting, I'll--" when he remembered. "Don't you have a match forty five minutes?"

"I have a toss in half an hour," wailed Shreyas at the top of his voice.

"A what?"

"A toss. A TOSS."

"You mean you have a toss to settle something with Rishabh and you're scared you're lose?"

"ROHIT BHAIYA, I HAVE AN ACTUAL, REAL-LIFE TOSS WHERE DK BHAI WILL BE STANDING OPPOSITE TO ME AND SHASTRI SIR WILL SAY 'SHREYAS IYER, CAPTAIN OF THE DELHI DAREDEVILS, HEADS IS THE CALL.'"

"Firstly, don't shout what you're going to call," said Rohit, excusing himself from the meeting he was supposed to be leading. "Some people can manipulate tosses. Some people can even manipulate coins."

"I know, I've watched Sholay," said Shreyas grumpily. "Goodbye, Rohit bhaiya."

"Wait!" said Rohit. "Did Gauti bhai step down?"

"You knew?" demanded Shreyas. "You knew?"

"No, MI doesn't have spies in the DD camp, Yas," Rohit said indulgently. "It's just, I feel like I'm having a...what do they call it? A deja vu."

"Why the f--" Shreyas bit his tongue. "Why the hell would you have a deja vu now?"

"Because the exact same thing happened with me once, you know, four years back. Ponting sir comes and tells me over breakfast he's stepping down and I'm going to be captain."

"Gauti bhai told me over breakfast, too," howled Shreyas. "And Ponting sir was there with him! He's some sort of a black magician!"

"Shreyas?"