My Lover's The Sunlight...

Aabaad Barbaad

"The person you are calling is not answering. Please try again later." Mayank grew frustrated with every unanswered call that Abhishek refused to pick up. Where the hell was he? He had seen him practicing in the nets, something about getting his form correct... Abhi could really go hard on himself, he was getting better at his game each day and his boyfriend could not have been prouder of him, after all it is a cruel world where you've to fight every moment to stay in the league. That aside, where was Abhi? Asking Iyer and Pant had been useless as they were more engrossed on what to wear to Harry bhai's party. Tilak was a lost cause, he didn't stay even a second more after the practice ended - fucker wanted to spend some 'quality time' with his saiyyan. He had almost given up hope when he came across Kamlesh bhai in the cafeteria, making himself a cup of coffee. "Kaise hai bhaiya?" "Are, Mayank? Main thik hun. Tu toh bohot laparwa hote jaa raha hai aaj kal!" Something about the other's tone did not seem right to him. "Pehle yeh toh bataa do ki maine kiya kya?!" The look he got from the medic made his blood run cold as he finally joined the dots.

The scattered equipment on the ground, the unanswered calls, no one knowing about his whereabouts, "Bhaiya, Abhi thik toh hai na?" Markhande could feel his heart beating faster. Abhi seemed all right when they left in the morning, oh Lord! Had something happened during the day? How could he ignore his Abhay for so long! "...yank, Mayank Markhande!" The medic's shout brought him back to the world of the living. "Tumhari dulhan medical room main rest kar raha hai, jaake mil lo. Udhar Zach sab samjha..." Oh, the ungrateful brat had already gone the moment he heard 'medical room'. The senior medic shook his head disappointedly, he didn't get paid enough to deal with a bunch of crackheads who seemed to have taken Stephano's dialogue from Shakespeare's last play, 'The Tempest' to heart, "Every man shift for all the rest and let no man take care for himself, for all is but fortune." 

Shubman left with Ishan soon after he had come to search for him, leaving Abhi alone with the junior medic once more. The Punjabi longed for someone to talk to as his attention drifted back to his boyfriend. Was Mayank still his? Was he ever his? Before he could contemplate over this for long, his reverie was broken by Zach, "Abhishek bhaiya, can you please lay down?" Doctor's orders had to be followed. The IV drip was removed and a cute little Peppa Pig band-aid went over the spot where the needle had been a few moments ago. "Peppa Pig really?" Abhi couldn't help teasing the flustered junior, Mayank was really rubbing off on him. Zach went redder than it  seemed humanely possible, "Woh, bhaiya, I- I really, really love cartoons." Bonding over cartoons? Best activity ever. The both of them were busy discussing arguing over whom Chhota Bheem would marry - Chutki or Indumati, when the door to the medical room slammed open.

A very haggard looking Mayank entered and strode up to his boyfriend, engulfing him in a hug, tight enough to crush his ribs while Zach felt like puking. What was with these cricketers being so lovey-dovey? Has it not been for his ulterior motive, he would have ditched this job and happily starved to death after not getting any job in this wretched country! He felt invisible, he was literally nothing but air as he slipped to his desk, completing the never-ending paperwork, all the while keeping an ear attuned to the couple. "Abhay, kya hua tha? Pata hai main kitna darr gaya tha? Tune mere ek bhi call nahi uthaye!" Abhi tried to calm down the man he held in his hands, "Mau, Mau, listen to me, I'm fine. Kuch nahi hua tha, bas paer main moch aa gayi thi." The other's eyes fell to his legs, memorising how the compression bandage was wrapped, to be able wrap it the exact same way later. 

Zach decided it was time to take revenge, because Bheem would definitely ditch Indumati for Chutki, "Mayank bhaiya! Abhishek bhaiya fainted, he was severely dehydrated, too. You're skipping out on your boyfriend duties. PDA karne ki jagah thoda dhyaan bhi rakhkha karo, bhaiya!" Abhishek's cute glare was worth the scandalised look he got to see on Markhande's face. "I'm so sorry, baby. Sab meri galti hai, maine tera khayal nahi rakhkha." He looked like he was really going to cry now, what was with these men and crying? From where Zach came from, if anyone had seen a man cry, they would really give him 10000 reasons to do the same! Abhishek did the best to soothe his boyfriend, but it wasn't working, He needed to get back to their flat as soon as possible. It was a big no-no for them to be papped and Mayank's red eyes would speak volume along with his sprained leg. He once again cursed his luck, because Indians were so excited about everyone else's life rather than their own!