(Not) Easy people to handle

Chapter 4

Maybe Nitish didn't want to create a scene soon after such a big one, maybe he'd vented out all his frustration through that one fight with Rinku, or maybe it was just that KKR—in spite of the appalling fast bowling—was playing decently, all said and done, but he waited a long time before exploding next.

They'd been squarely outplayed by GT and Shubman had given them a wink and a very smug smile when he'd spent the post match presentation in KKR's dugout. (Of course, they'd all given him smug smiles after Rinku's miracle in the first leg, too, so no one could blame him.)

Afterwards, Nitish made them sit down in the lobby and tore into everything they'd done wrong, including his own batting. The only people who got off were the trio of spinners, who'd been their only ray of light that season, and Rinku.

"Bowl a consistent line, that's all I ask of you," he told the young fast bowlers in a way that said he was completely done, and barked to Venky, "And you! Get yourself to an ophthalmologist."

"Why?" asked Venky, baffled.

"Clearly you're developing nightblindness."

By the time Venky had figured out the reason of his being accused of nightblindness—somehow he'd only played well in day matches that season—Nitish had already stomped out. And Venky felt most insulted.

It didn't help that Russell and Rinku and Suyash were clearly trying their hardest not to laugh out loud.

"To be fair, you can remind Nitish he played like a half-wave recitifer once, too," said VC smoothly.

"A what?" asked everyone.

"A—um, never mind." VC backed off.

Venky glared at them and stormed off, too.

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Nitish's temper had died down by morning, and he offered Venky a grin at breakfast which remained unacknowledged, because Venky was not going to forget the grievous insult that soon.

"Ah, Venky," said Nitish remorsefully, slipping into the seat beside him. "You know I didn't mean it. 'Course you're not developing nightblindness..."

"Thanks for the confidence," said Venky acidly.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't've said—" coaxed Nitish.

"How come he apologizes to you?" Rinku asked Venky.

"I wouldn't look too much into it," said Venky. "It's not like his apology counts."

"Why doesn't it?" asked Nitish.

"I'm sorry, Rinku," said Venky grimly. "I wronged you."

Rinku's jaw dropped.

"I should not at all have manipulated you into being a doormat to Nitish's tantrums."

Now Nitish had begun to get annoyed again.

"You didn't wrong him—and you don't have to act like I committed a crime or something. Where's the lie in what I said, anyway? What are you, a plant? Photosynthesizing only in daylight?"

Narine turned his snicker into a loud fit of coughing as Venky stood up, banging his glass on the table, and made an impressive exit.

"Are you trying to make it worse?" VC asked Nitish.

"Uh..." said Nitish sheepishly.

And at the door of the dining hall, when Russell and Venky crossed over, the former asked loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Booked the eye appointment yet?"

Venky's footsteps could be heard all the way to the grounds.

__________________

With Venky out of the question as mediator, there was simply no one to make peace between the two. A large reason was that the whole team found it hilarious.

After practice, when the team lounged around for tea, Nitish chided Suyash, "Don't put three cubes of sugar."

"Oh," said Venky loudly, addressing Rinku. "You see how people turn bossy with time and power? That they dictate how much sugar others take in their coffee, too?"

"People don't need to get bossy if they get the choice and the right people under them." Nitish addressed Rinku, too. "People who can see in both day and night."

"UNDER," said Venky. "UNDER IS THE WORD."

Gurbaz, who had a headache, groaned, "It's not funny anymore, will you two please quit it?"

"Funny?" shouted Venky and Nitish together.

"When exactly was it supposed to be funny?" VC asked with a rather creepy smile.

"Of course," said Venky, now addressing VC (and not in Tamil, for others had to hear), "if the captain explodes on a daily basis, how can the team even think of fun?"

"I do not explode on a daily basis!"

"Narcissist, who said I was talking about you?..."

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That went on for a whole week, and the end of the season neared.

After KKR won their penultimate match, Venky told Russell when Nitish returned from the post match presentation, "If we don't qualify, I'm glad there's just one match and next season Shreyas will be back, aren't you?"

For a brief moment, Nitish might have looked hurt.

Then he said huffily, "I'm glad, too."

But Venky felt bad, too, especially because their playoff chances were still alive with today's victory and Nitish had just returned from telling Harsha Bhogle on the mic how proud of his team he was.