The Eternal Season of Love

Winter begins with loss

The Earth has aligned herself to the Sun in a way fit to welcome Winter. The temperature is falling, the days turn to night quicker and Winter has come to greet us. She brings with her good fortune and happiness for us all.

India has entered the finals swinging. Is there anything that can come in between India and her World Cup title?

"What I have always loved about you is your tenacity. And today you have reminded me of why I looked at you and fell in love all those years ago. But your tenacity hurts me today, it hurts all my mates as we walk off this pitch. My birthday boy, bring the trophy home. Your victory will be my honour, your defeat will be mine."

"Will you let the birthday boy come to your room to visit you? Our team won't be celebrating much today because everyone is really tired so I thought maybe I could come visit you unless you have plans with your team."

"I do have some plans with my team but I will be free later in the night. If you are still up when I text you, come to my room. You know where my room is."

Virat's phone screen lit up.

-00:30, Kane <3

If you're up, you can come to my room.

Kane waited for roughly two minutes for a response and on not receiving one he turned down the lights to go to bed.

-00:45, Virat <33

On my way, I have something for you.

Kane was startled by knocking on his door. He opened the door to find Virat standing there with a slice of cake and a steaming cup of coffee.

"I thought you weren't going to come."

"You didn't see the message I sent you?"

"I had my phone in my hands for ten full minutes, you never responded."
"Where does all your on-field patience go when it comes to waiting for a response?"

"Oh, I am patient."

That's right about when Virat noticed how red Kane's eyes were.

"I brought you some of my birthday cake and coffee."

"Oh, thank you. Come in, come in."

"I didn't have any cake myself. I wanted you to eat the cake before I did. Plus I need to look after my health also."

"The cake will not take away years of your hard work. Now feed me your cake."

"Your cake? Really Kane? This late at-"

"Oh shut up, you know what I meant and why did you bring me coffee this late at night?"

"You like coffee, I wanted to bring you some because you, I didn't know how else to make you feel better."

"You feeding me that cake and staying in bed with me tonight will make me feel better."

"That I can easily do. Move, let me sleep on the right side."

Virat woke up to Kane crying beside him in the middle of the night. He was turned away from Virat so Virat couldn't see much of his face. He couldn't see any of his face but that's beside the point. Virat pulled Kane closer to his body and rested his face in the crook of Kane's neck.

"I'm sorry, I woke you up. You need to leave for Gujarat soon. Don't stay up for me."

"There's nothing to be sorry about, I want you to go back to sleep."

Summer is his favourite season. Let him return to happiness and joy when you greet him back home.

Australia has silenced the sea of blue. Not a sound to be heard from the stands of the grand Narendra Modi Stadium. Australia! The World Champions once again.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry. I've failed both of us."

"You've failed no one. Your team has been nothing short of marvellous this World Cup. And you just won Player of the Series."

"But we lost the World Cup. What was the point of playing well? I couldn't gift my country the World Cup. I couldn't gift you the World Cup."

"Close enough to wish for yet too far to reach, the World Cup brings us all great misery. I promise you that the Cup has all our names on it. For everyone that has ever wished to hold that trophy in their hands, for every person that has picked up the bat or delivered a ball in hopes to raise that trophy for their country, their name is inscribed in gold on that trophy. And no one's name shines brighter on that trophy than yours."

"But I don't see my name on it. I see our losses staring back at us."

"Maybe those losses too are etched into the trophy, our every attempt to win her is a part of her legacy. And I don't know about you babe, but it is your name that comes to mind when I think of victory. Not the Aussies, definitely not the Proteas and not my team. I think of you when I think of a victorious man."
"Then maybe I will be victorious one day. I don't want to face my team. I don't want to see Rohit's dejection, or Shami's vacant stare. I don't want to see Rahuliya's eyes. They betray all his emotions, and all the youngsters will be so heartbroken, their first World Cup and they lose the finals. I cannot see my team again."

"But you will because you love that team. You have given so much to that team and they know that. They know what you've done for them the same way you know what they have done for you."

"I'll come to visit you at the hotel tomorrow morning. Spend today with your team. You need to be there for the youngsters."

"Yeah, I'll try to."

Winter is his favourite season. Winter, why must you hurt my love so?

The next morning, Virat collected a mismatched bouquet from the hotel's receptionist that had been left behind for him.

"Who sent you that bouquet?"