Snippets, Incorrect Quotes and More

Reasons and Repercussions (Ft. Hardik and Jassi. Also Mahi Bhai.)

Reasons and Repercussions (Ft. Hardik and Jassi. Also, Mahi Bhai.)

Hardik: Goodbye, I hate you all.

Jassi *tilting head and making puppy eyes*: Even me?

Hardik *covering blushing cheeks with one hand*: Shi- no, not you."

"Hey, Bhai."

"Hey?" MS placed down his iPad and stared at the latest arrival to grace his room. "What are you doing here, Hardik?"

"Sorry. I should have informed huh?"

MS took in Hardik's awkward feet shuffling and shook his head in negater. "Did I say that? Only that we met a couple of hours back and you never spoke about coming over. Anyways, come on in, and lock the door behind."

"Lock... Will you get into trouble because I came over?"

The question, petulantly put, caused MS to train a look of deep contemplation at his younger teammate and he read so much more now into the deep lines of worry and stress prematurely marring that dear face.

A proud yet humble face. As huge a conundrum as Hardik Pandya himself was.

"No Harry. I will not get into trouble. I would just like to have some privacy without expecting someone to barge in every minute."

"Oh."

The click sounded harsh in the silent room and Hardik looked around, taking in the furniture and the fixtures.

"Like the fireplace?" MS asked, after the all-rounder had stared at the stone structure for a good few minutes; unblinking at that.

"Kya?" Hardik looked up. "Oh haan. I love fireplaces in general but then again, I have always liked useless things."

"Useless things? Tell that to the people living in the colder cities."

"But doesn't a heater work better, Bhai?"

MS wrapped a hand around the length of his hair, hunted for a hair tie, and pulled it up. "Maybe, Hardik. But what of the days before the heater was there? And what of people who cannot buy a heater or there are electricity issues?"

"So it is just a failsafe? A fallback option? The heater?"

The topic had moved on from fireplaces and heaters faster than a 16-year-old's crush and MS reached out for the last remaining bits of his energy. It had been a long day with the match and everything. 

"No Harry. The Heater is important but so are fireplaces. And Fireplaces are more comfortable; in general."

"They are more work too?" Hardik was gazing at the carpet, the thick locks of his long hair falling over his eyes. "A lot more grind and clean?"

"Of course they are; but so worth it. They are also a lot more security and warmth."

"They are?" Hardik looked up and his eyes were delineated with excess moisture. "I have always preferred fireplaces, Mahi Bhai. Sometimes, when we used to be kids, we would see one in a movie or something and I would always tell Krunal that we should have one built in our house. And Krunal would always point out, rather unhelpfully, that our house was too small for half of a fireplace and even a makeshift one would probably end up setting fire to the entire place."

"Ok?" MS dropped on the chair placed next to the window and fiddled with the controls of the AC unit. A few beeps later the temperature of the room plummeted.