The Foundation Stays

All my lows

'Silence is sometimes the best answer.'

While Hardik sat in the same position, unmoving, for the fourth hour running, Jassi's cryptic post sent the internet into a frenzy. Rightly, it was interpreted as him not being happy at all with the shift in captaincy.

But it took on layers and layers of deeper significance to Hardik.

The thing was that maintaining a complete silence was what Rohit had done over the past two months. He'd never alluded to the topic of MI's captaincy a single time over all the hours he'd been with Hardik during the Asia Cup and the World Cup. Or when he came to visit Hardik at the NCA soon after the team landed in Bangalore for their last league match. Or when Hardik joined the team after the finals (though that was quite unremarkable--who would think of anything else when the country has just lost a final?)

And afterwards, with MI making the announcements official, Rohit had still been silent about the issue. Plus, he had not been silent overall. He had never made Hardik suspect he was upset in any way. Not just Hardik--anyone. He'd been normal every day, and silent about the issue, which was the most--

The most powerful way a person could stay silent, and sometimes silence was the best answer, just like Jassi had said.

It was the realization that Jassi and Rohit were on the same boat that finally got Hardik to move himself from the couch and go to throw on some semblance of travel clothes over his nightclothes, simultaneously searching flights to Mumbai.

Even without exchanging a word with Rohit, he'd never felt so absolutely hated and disowned by his big brother.

__________________

Rikita had finished figuring out the stuff Rohit had forgotten to pack for the tour of South Africa, and to take a breather from all the packing, Rohit threw open the door of the balcony and stepped out and nearly fell off.

It was a good thing he didn't actually fall off, because the balcony was pretty high up--not so high that he couldn't see the silhouette of someone sitting on the panda swing in Samaira's animal playground in the garden, but high enough that he couldn't make out who it was.

If they'd managed to get in, they were probably not an entire stranger, because they had to know the secret entrance through the narrow gap in a corner wall. Unless it was a burglar who'd managed to find the entrance in spite of not knowing about it.

Rohit's eyes fell on the binoculars on the bed Ritika had dug out for the safari.

Looking through the binoculars, Rohit swiveled to find the swing. There it was--and it was Hardik who was perched on it rather droopily, the swing swaying slightly back and forth.

Good Lord.

Rohit kept the binoculars aside and made a dash for the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Ritika asked.

"Emergency in the garden," Rohit called over his shoulder, and ran.

__________________

"Hardik!"

Hardik promptly tripped down from the swing, but rose on shaky legs before Rohit could go to haul him up, and looked up.

He actually looked kind of terrible. It was nearing ten at night, and it seemed like he'd just got out of bed--unruly hair, rumpled clothes--and yet not slept at all--bloodshot eyes, a tired slump in his shoulders. Also, he appeared like a person who'd starved for days. Hollow cheeks. Pale face. Shivering against the December chill.

To be honest, he looked a bit like a beggar from the streets.

Rohit's arms automatically reached out with the intention of grabbing the boy, giving him hot chocolate and putting him upstairs to bed, but Hardik was already talking.