Everything but her

All in it together

Raina woke up the next morning finding the bed empty. He looked around and found Virat nowhere in sight. He walked with groggy eyes to the practice ground hoping to find Virat there. His hopes were not dashed because he saw him involved in a gruelling session. It looked as though he was trying hard to punish himself and he had found a way to do so.
Raina called out to him and said, 'Buddy, it's just 5:45, the practice is not before 7. Why don't you relax and save your energy for it?'
He answered him saying, 'I needed some extra practice. You go inside, I'll wake you up.'

'No, you don't need to run away from me Virat. And I don't understand this obsession with being alone and getting through everything alone, fighting all odds on your own as though we are nothing to you. We are not just a group of puppets who have been put together. We are real people with real emotions. And sadly, we understand when someone is in pain. And pain doesn't need a cushion of self awareness and sanity. It needs guidance and an outlet for craziness. And you might be the captain but I am still your senior, remember? So if you want this all to remain between you and me, then you might as well come in. Or invite me to join in, don't make me go away. You don't know it but you need me.'
'Okay, Mr. Philosophical', Virat gave up.
Raina and Virat both started practising and Raina also went that extra mile asking Virat for a few batting tips. He had always felt that he was a better batsman than him and he had absolutely no qualms in taking tips from him. There was no feeling of seniority and ego within him. Moreover, he also wanted to make him feel a little special. Not that he already wasn't but that little bruise on his heart needed healing.
'And that's how I counter the short ball', Virat said showing it to Raina. 'But you can have all kinds of techniques. You know, it is not just about going by the book anymore. And you would know it better than I do.'
Raina had an evident problem with the short ball and many oppositions had used the tactic against him. However, he seemed determined to destroy all their plans on that front now.

It was almost 6:30 and Virat and Raina had started enjoying their self designed practice session. Both of them were helping each other and also having fun in between. While they were still going about this business, Ajinkya came in and started coughing from behind to grab their attention,
'Seriously, guys you hate sleep so much?', he questioned the both of them.
'Oh, welcome Mr. Rahane. How are you doing this morning?', Raina greeted him.
'Better than you two. You seem like insomniacs getting up so early.'
'Early to bed, early to rise', Raina quoted like a child who has been made to memorise this by his mother.
'Yeah, you were very early to bed', Ajinkya said sarcastically.
'Leave that, where's Mr. Sharma?', Raina asked Ajinkya.
'What?'
'Ro'
'Oh Rohit, he's still sleeping. He has become so used to getting scolded by Ravi sir that now he thinks is he gets up early and doesn't get the dose, his day would not start on a good note.
'That means he'll be late even today', Virat let out a sigh.
'Looking at how he is sleeping there is no chance that he'll come here before 7:30 minimum.', Ajinkya told him.
'I don't know how Mahi bhai used to handle us so well', Virat said.
'That is true', Ajinkya said and nodded in agreement.
'Guys, what if Ravi sir himself is late today?', Raina let out a grin.
'He is always on time', Ajinkya said off handedly.
'Not if he doesn't get his morning tea...',Raina said giving it a long thought.
'No, he'll be irritated all day', Virat said.
'But that way everyone would get a little bit of scolding but no one in particular would be scolded too much', Raina explained.
'Sounds like a plan', Ajinkya joined him.
'Ok, so let's fiddle around with his tea till Rohit gets up', Virat said finally agreeing to the plan.

They made their way to the hotel's lobby and talked to the room service in-charge.
'Please do it for us', Raina literally begged him.
'We will get you Sachin paaji's autograph. Promise.', Ajinkya said.
'It is just a small task. You just have to keep him waiting and say, ''It is coming'' and keep delaying it. Okay?', Virat explained the 'small' task.
'Ok, sir what was his room number again?'
'439', all three spoke together.

It was around 7:45 and all the players had gathered in the ground. Rohit had just joined them a minute ago. Ravi Shastri was nowhere in sight and everyone else was starting to get worried. But not Rohit.
'So, sir himself is late today. My effect rubbing off on him as well', he exclaimed.
Virat, Raina and Ajinkya could not control their laughter. Virat motioned everybody to start the fielding drills as the fielding coach had arrived.
Ravi Shastri arrived at around 8 and everyone could see that he was not in a good mood.
'Someone will bear the hell today', Bhuvneshvar whispered in Ashwin's ears.
'Hopefully it is not us', he replied him back.
Raina looked at Virat and said, 'All hell will break lose today. Credits to us.'
But to their surprise, nothing of that sort happened.
Ravi Shastri, instead, called them close and apologised to them, 'Look, I am really sorry. This addiction of tea has done this to me. I will make efforts towards quitting it. And everyday I scold you, I should have been responsible. I am really sorry. It wouldn't happen again.'
Virat, Ajinkya and Raina were surprised. They had neither expected this nor had they seen this avatar of Ravi Shastri. But then they all realised that the reason they could not see it was because they were like a family and in a family you sometimes take things for granted. They understood the fact that if they were scolded by someone for something, that person himself was also ashamed of doing the same thing. It was even stevens. They finally got the conclusion that no matter what happened, they were all in it together. And maybe that is what matters in life.