"Rohit, get up! We'll be late!" Virat said, shaking him.
"Uth ja, Ro, warna main pani dal dunga tujh pe! Phir muh mat phulana!"
Rohit just stayed asleep, holding his hand.
"Vi, so ja yaar! Kitna tension leta hai, chill out! Relax!" Rohit mumbled, then fell asleep again.
Virat moved aside, grabbed a glass of water, and poured it on Rohit.
"Vi ke bache," Rohit said, getting up and running after him. Virat jumped out of bed, and they ran around the room. Virat's leg got tangled, and he twisted his ankle badly.
"Ah, fuck!" Virat yelled in pain. Before he could fall to the floor and hurt his head, Rohit quickly caught him and made him sit on the couch.
Virat put his hand over his eyes, leaning back on the couch, his face twisted with pain.
"Don't touch it, Ro," Virat said as Rohit adjusted his ankle on the couch.
Rohit felt terrible seeing him in pain. "Ek sec, Vi."
"No, where are you going?" Virat said, holding his hand as he noticed Rohit moving away.
"Ek minute, Vi. Let me call the doctor. He'll check it and prescribe medicine, and they'll put a bandage too. We have a match tomorrow, right? You need to be okay!" Virat nodded and let go of his sleeve, lying back down on the couch, unable to move his leg.
Rohit called the doctor, then quickly freshened up in the bathroom. When he came out, he saw Virat still in pain, a single tear trickling down his cheek.
Rohit approached him and wiped the tear away. "I know it hurts, Vi, but I'm here, okay?"
"How many times have I told you both to stop playing around when there are matches scheduled?" Mahi said, entering the room after a while. He saw the bandage on Virat's leg, who was now lying on the bed, and Rohit sitting beside him.
"Bhai, it's my fault. I'm sorry," Virat said before Rohit could explain his reasons for sleeping in.
Mahi hugged Virat once, telling him to take care before leaving.
"Why didn't you let me say I got up late and all that?" Rohit asked, not liking how Virat took the blame.
"Aree, kya farak padta hai?" Virat answered back, not thinking it was a big deal.
"Farak padta hai, Vi. Bhai was already upset with you yesterday, and now today again..."
"Ha, toh kuch nahi hota, Ro. Mai aur tu alag thodi hai."
"We're not the same, Virat. We're different," Rohit said, then left the room.
"Why would he say that?" Virat thought, feeling hurt.
_______
Rohit's POV:
"Why did I say it like that? It sounded so rude. But what was the need to take the blame? Now he can't even come to practice. If only I had woken up on time and not run after him, he would be okay. Everyone is already judging him for that incident, and if he can't come to practice, there will be even more questioning stares.
I hope Mahi bhai handles it, like he always does. I can't see Virat sad again. It's been the same for a week—someone saying something or the other to him, and his girlfriend dumped him again. How can any girl dump him? It's the fourth time!"
POV end.
"We are not the same, Virat! We are different."
These words were ringing in Virat's ears. If someone had said this to him when he joined the team in 2008, he would have agreed.
But today, in 2014, after five years of their friendship, when everyone in the team considered them as one, Rohit saying this didn't sit well with Virat.
_______
"Ro, what are you doing here? Virat must be alone in the room, and you know him..."
Rohit didn't even let Mahi finish and rushed to his room, knowing exactly how Virat would be.
And exactly what he expected happened.
Virat was trying to walk, using the bed for support, his face showing the pain. But as soon as the support was gone, his ankle gave out, and he tripped.
Before Virat could fall flat on his face, he crashed against someone's chest.
He knew it was Rohit. He could recognize him instantly—it was hard not to after so many hugs. Yeah, it was him, Virat thought.
"What are you doing?" Rohit asked sternly, helping Virat stand.
Virat just looked down when he heard the stern voice. "I just wanted to go to the washroom," he said quietly.
Rohit helped him, then waited outside. Once Virat was done, he helped him back to bed.
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Vote and comment, would mean a lot. The story is a bit slow, tell me how u like it.
