The world is where your smile is

Chapter 7

This time, it bothered Venky a lot more.

So maybe he had gone to talk to Rinku. But he'd talked to Nitish, too. From two hours of lamentations, he already knew Nitish regretted everything and was miserable. And that if Rinku gave the slightest indication he was willing to listen, Nitish would tell Rinku himself.

And it wasn't like Venky wanted the matter to be sorted out just because Nitish was miserable. Rinku was miserable, too, and that bothered Venky every bit that much.

Then why did Rinku--who never said anything just for the sake of hurting someone--keep saying Nitish was the only person who mattered to Venky?

As he was pacing in the corridors, lost in thoughts, he came across a bunch of his team slurping ice candies (it was getting fearfully hot in Kolkata).

"What's up?" Dre asked. "The heat getting you down?"

"No," said Venky, and blurted out, "Do you think no one in the team matters to me but Nitish? Rinku keeps saying so!"

VC gave him a bland smile.

"Indeed," said Narine, with a bland smile of his own that terrified Venky. "I would have to say I agree with Rinku."

"How can you--" spluttered Venky, almost speechless with indignation. "--how can you say that when I'm the one who remembers--everyone's--birthdays--and stop Shreyas from yelling at you all--why would I do that if I only cared for--why would I do that if you weren't all my family?"

"No worries, tall man," drawled Dre. "We all get you."

Venky turned to him hopefully. "You do?"

"Yes, yes."

Venky sighed with heartfelt relief that there was at least one person--

"And it's anyway chill to be inclined to one person in the family a bit more, you know," added Russ with a huge grin.

Venky scowled.

"Ice candies again?" came their captain's thunderous voice. "Chandu sir said you'd reached your limit for the day!"

"Aw, skipper--"

"We've got a day match in this weather--"

"--building up our resilience to deal with a day match--"

"Shreyas!" Venky broke in loudly. "I talked to Rinku."

"And?"

"And he said--he keeps saying--I only care for Nitish, no one else--"

"How is that news to you?" asked Shreyas, who was in a nasty mood because he wanted an ice candy, too, but couldn't because the captain had to set an example.

Venky gave up on them all and stalked towards the stairs.

Sometimes, these people left him no choice but to go to Nitish himself to seek assurance.

________________

Nitish was lying in bed with an air of gloom quite similar to Rinku's.

"What's got you worked up now?" he asked, in a gloomy tone to match his demeanour.

"Everyone's always saying you're the only one I care about. You know that's not how it is, don't you?"

"Of course not," said Nitish, comfortingly. "You love all of us."

This time Venky was relieved for real. "And I love you and Rinku equal."

Nitish raised his eyebrows. "...No? You don't."