A Tumbler Full of Tales - ICT and beyond

Random Thoughts - A Night Haunted by.... - Virat and his Mahi Bhai (Ashwin)

Random Thoughts - Part 2

A night haunted by.... - Virat and his Mahi Bhai  (a bit of Ashwin)

A/N - Absolutely not inspired by true events.... (...:P...)
Slightly angsty.  Maybe?
Crazy? Most definitely

The Champion's Trophy of 2013 was well and truly underway, and yet, Ashwin found sleep evading him. He was prowling the corridors, not unlike a ghost, trying to work out the excess energy, aka the Jitters, and was also contemplating whether it was worth picking up his Lord of the Rings copy for the umpteenth time.

He would never be able to put it down and then would roam about the practice, mimicking a Zombie.

It was well past midnight when he crossed Virat's room and it was an unusual sight to see light escaping from underneath the door. Though Virat loved to party as much as the next youngster, his discipline was enviable when it came to following routines especially during matches.

Ashwin barely rapped on the door once and then made his merry way in. If someone needed privacy, they would have locked the door. And frankly, having spent so much time in close quarters, there was hardly any privacy left between them.

Reclusion, especially in the Indian Cricket Team, was unheard of and people were ever curious to know about the details of your life. Even when it did not involve them in any manner.

Or maybe, especially then.

Virat was in the room, standing smack dab in the middle, his eyes narrowed in concentration, urgently tracking the walls of his room.

"Hi, Virat?"

Virat looked over and showed a flicker of a smile. "H-Hey Ashwin."

Complete with the mildest stutter and an uncomfortable grin, Virat was looking and behaving rather out of turn.

"So? What's cooking?"

Virat shrugged. How was he supposed to know what was cooking and mentioned the same to Ashwin; the situation was worse than it looked.

"I meant, what is up with you? Things ok, na?"

Another shrug and Virat continued to look around the room.

"Virat?"

"What?" And now Virat snapped. He had lost his concentration and it just made the fear creep in that much faster. "Do you need anything, Ash? Like right now?

Ashwin's forehead knitted into a frown and he almost gapped at Virat.

"Do you have ants in your pants or something? Why are you behaving so sour?"

Virat thought for a moment, then dragged a smirk on his expressionless face. "Wouldn't you want to know?" He enacted a proper sneer. "Had expected better from you, Ashwin!"

"Well, then same pinch." Ashwin's arms crossed across his chest. "What is wrong with you? And why didn't you come down for dinner?"

"I..." Virat trailed off. There was no proper justification for this. No reason, per se. It would have been a reprieve, but he had been afraid where, of where things would end up.

"You?" Ashwin prompted. "And what about Mahi Bhai? Both of you missing the dinner is a noteworthy incident.

This caught Virat's attention and his head snapped up. "Mahi Bhai did not have his dinner?"

Ashwin shook his head. "Two peas in a pod, aren't you too? It is not even surprising now."

"Come on Ash! Nothing like that. We are rather different. "