Wish we were 28... still (A RohiRat Fanfiction)

When the split captaincy rumours became real

10th December, 2021, 2 p.m.

'Dear Mr. Sharma

This is to inform you that you will be taking on the role of One Day International captaincy of the Indian cricket team from the bilateral series in South Africa and onwards with Mr. Kannaur Lokesh Rahul as vice-captain.

We might add that the decision regarding the same has been taken rather abruptly; everyone in the selection committee, however, are in agreement, hence this is a non-negotiable offer.

The BCCI would be making the official statement in a few hours, after which you may be called forth to attend your first press conference as limited overs captain of the Indian cricket team.

Regards...'

Rohit blinked the sleep out of his eyes (yes, 2 p.m. was his scheduled sleep-time) and re-read the email.

ODI captain?

Abrupt decision?

Non-negotiable offer?

Rohit blinked again and pinched himself to check if he was dreaming. It hurt; he was clearly not dreaming.

Limited overs captain of the ICT?

Jesus, he must be dreaming. Such a weird dream, too. It was making his throat feel all funny, like something unswallowable was stuck inside it. It was also making an icy-cold feeling like dread pool into the bottom of his stomach.

Rohit closed his eyes again; he knew he was inside a complex sort of dream—when he woke up (hopefully hours and hours later), he would've forgotten all about this horror, and everything would be normal again.

__________________

Rahul, unlike Rohit, had been out for a walk with Bhavana and Simba in the winter afternoon sun, and did not see the new email in his inbox till half past three.

"What happened?" Bhavana asked in alarm, catching a look on his brother's face as he stared at his phone. "Bhaiya. What happened? Is it bad news?"

"I don't—I don't know, I mean, this can't possibly be real..."

It took Bhavana another half-hour to make Rahul sit down, keep away his phone and stop looking quite so white in the face.

"I need to talk to Rohit," he said finally, holding out his hand expectantly.

Bhavana looked warily at his phone, which she'd abandoned on the sofa. "Don't re-read the mail," she said as she returned it to him.

_________________

"Rohit?"

"Wha—?" yawned Rohit. "What's up, Rahul? I'm sleepin..."

"Haven't you checked your mail?"

Rohit's sleepy daze vanished and he remembered his dream all at once.

It was a dream. It was a dream. It WAS a dream.

"No," said Rohit, "why?"

"Christ, Rohit," said Rahul on the other end of the phone, horror dripping from his voice, horror that somehow managed to drench Rohit, too.

"I thought I'd imagined it," said Rohit. "Maybe you're imagining it, too."

"No, I do not think we're both imagining the same thing, that they're throwing Virat out of captaincy."

Rohit winced involuntarily.

"Don't say it like that," he hissed.

"How are we supposed to say it? Sweetly?" demanded Rahul, with increasing hysteria in his voice.