A Tumbler Full of Tales - ICT and beyond

The Rickety Little Garden Gate - The Part 2 (Rohirat)

The Rickety Little Garden Gate - The Part 2 (Rohirat)

A/N - Set in the future. A/U in a way.

"Are you crazy?"

Virat was staring at Rohit with a look that was bothering on dismay and with all the interest that one would accord to a weird insect.

"Have you lost what little brains you had?"

"What?" Rohit tugged at the lapels of his jacket, making it hold more snugly around himself. The breeze at the cliffside was cold, even carrying in droplets of water now and then. "Why are trying to make me freeze to my death?"

"Don't be dramatic." Virat flapped his arms around. "And I meant about you being the reason for me getting injured and all. It was a bloody accident, Rohit! And had nothing to do with you and your apparent lack of fitness!"

"So you do believe that there was a lack of... Hey!" Rohit raised a hand and rubbed the back of his head. "Why did you hit me?"

"Because you are deliberately misunderstanding things! And trying to put words in my mouth. I never blamed you, Rohit!"

Rohit allowed the gloominess of his surroundings to seep into his feelings and felt the melancholy take over. "The entire world did.... Still does. And not for naught, huh? If I had managed to break my fall, then your spine would not have taken on the brunt of it."

A shudder and Rohit shook his head. He could still see the scenes from that match as clear as day. That lofted shot from  Harish, a must-win match, and Rohit had lost all sense of direction as he had run to catch something which was not his in the first place. He remembered the collision and the way he had cursed a mile to a dozen as he had seen the ball drop in the space in between.

Only later did he notice Virat. Unmoving. Face down on the ground, looking normal except for the thin line of blood on the ground.

Blood. That sight had finally propelled him to move and by the time he had hobbled over to his friend, Virat had been surrounded by their Physio Team. And they had carted off the unconscious man to the hospital.

"Hey! Don't think about the past. It was not your fault. Never your fault."

"How does that matter? You still suffered from a career-ending injury. You had to leave your home. I remember every minute of your recovery, Virat! The helplessness. The despair. You became depressed. How can I just let it go? All of it?"

As a particularly large wave broke upon a heap of sharp rocks, they were showered with a spray of icy cold salt water and a particularly violent shudder ran through Rohit's frame.

"Aren't you cold?" He asked Virat, who was wearing nothing more than a thin jumper over his T-shirt and yet looked at ease.

"I have had a lot of time to get used to this weather. There have been entire nights I have spent out here."

A hand held onto Rohit's feelings and twisted them a fair bit. "Virat. Here?" He looked around and found only unending greyish sea shores and dark waters. A few bare trees here and there, and a whole lot of strong winds. "Why?"

"It is peaceful here."

"You have a very twisted definition of peaceful, my friend. Why would you sit out here?"

"Here the voices are not so loud; I can even completely shut them out."

"The voices?" Rohit turned around and grabbed onto Virat's shoulder. "What voices, Virat?"

Virat shrugged and looked away. "Just things. But they grow fainter with each passing day. This place is healing me, Rohit."

"Don't you get lonely here, Virat?" At the farthest corner of his mind, Rohit had the drawing realization that Virat was overstepping through all the raised questions and it was not sitting well with him. "And what about Anu and the kids? I am sure that she worries when you come here all alone."