Shadows Of The Stumps

Chapter - 53

The three of them—Rohit, Virat, and Meera—descended the stairwell from the rooftop, their steps lighter than when they'd climbed up. The cool night air that had once felt heavy with doubts now seemed clearer, sharper. As they walked toward the lobby, the murmur of conversation reached their ears.

When they rounded the corner, a familiar sight greeted them—almost the entire squad, sprawled across the plush chairs and couches of the hotel lobby, looking like a room full of sulking schoolboys.

Rishabh sat slumped forward, his elbows digging into his knees, staring at the floor as though it held the answers to life's biggest questions. Shubman leaned back with his hoodie pulled over his head, earphones dangling, but the volume wasn't loud enough to drown out the frustration etched on his face. Yashasvi and Sarfaraz sat side by side, quiet for once, their usual chatter replaced by brooding silence.

Jadeja flicked the strap of his duffle bag repeatedly, his eyes distant, while Ashwin, cross-legged, seemed lost in thought, probably dissecting every ball bowled and every shot played. Jasprit sat near the entrance, nursing a cold drink, though even that couldn't mask the disappointment simmering beneath his usual calm demeanor.

Rahul and Siraj stood a little apart with Kuldeep, they hadn't played the game today but carried the weight of the loss equally.

The sight tugged at Rohit and Virat's hearts. They knew this kind of silence well—the silence after a defeat that clawed at your confidence, making you question everything.

Rahul, looked up, letting out a small sigh of relief. "Thank God you found him," he said to Meera and Virat. "Thought we'd have to put out a missing person report."

"Yeah, man." Rishabh rolled over, waving a limp hand. "Rohit bhai, you had us worried. We thought you'd ghosted us after the loss."

"Right?" Shubman added. "We were about to start a group chant. Something like, 'Rohit bhai, come back, all is forgiven.'"

Jadeja snorted. "As if that would've worked."

"Well, it might've," Rishabh quipped, shooting a grin at Rohit. "Or at least guilted him into coming back."

"Very funny," Rohit muttered, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Meera stepped forward, hands on her hips, surveying the room. "You lot really know how to sulk, huh? Should we bring out the violins too?"

"You try dealing with trolls on Twitter," Sarfaraz groaned. "They've been brutal tonight."

"Yeah, Meera," Rishabh chimed in with mock indignation. "We're emotionally fragile."

"Emotionally fragile?" Virat raised an eyebrow crossing his arms. "You've been emotionally fragile since your U-19 days, Pant. Nice to see some things haven't changed, also you guys were denied social media tonight, remember? I see that happening I throw your phones out. " 

Everyone chuckled, and the tension in the room began to loosen, just a little. Rohit, feeling lighter than he had all night, walked to the center of the group and clapped his hands together.

"Alright, listen up," he began. "We lost today. Badly. It stings, I know. But moping around here isn't going to change the result."

Jasprit sighed, leaning back. "Easier said than done."

"Yeah," Yashasvi added with a shrug. "It's not like we can just flip a switch and move on."

Meera gave him a thoughtful look. "Actually, you can. You've all been doing it for years. This isn't your first loss, and it won't be your last. It's okay to feel bad about it, but don't let it paralyze you."