Incorrect Quotes and Shenanigans ft ICT

Denial

Karnataka U19 Team; December, 1987:

The only reason he was even up at that hour, eyes half open, was because he had promised himself that he would get to studying after a couple of hours of rest. His second pre-board exams were coming up and as soon as he returned to Bangalore, he would barely get a week before they commenced. And while he loved being with the boys, especially now that he and Sri were a part of the senior Karnataka team set-up and certified big boys in the U19 group; it could be impossible to study with the ruckus around him. Seventeen boys all between the age of fifteen to seventeen could never be a quiet group after all.

But instead of getting up and getting to it, Anil was feeling far too lazy to rise from his strangely comfortable bed. The mattress was nowhere near soft, but he just could not raise his limbs from it. He had dozed of for a bit and opening his eyes had not been as much a struggle when the insistent nagging of his brain refused to let him get any quiet. But getting up from the bed? Oh no, that was a completely different matter; especially because of how warm and comfortable he was feeling.

It was then that he heard it, a very muffled sound that he couldn't quite make out for what it was. He strained his ears. It sounded a bit like a sniffle or a cough but it was very very stifled, could have been anything else too. He raised his head nevertheless, curiosity and a bit of concern getting to him. He was sharing the room with Sri, his Karnataka Team friend; and Rahul Dravid; a junior, again from Karnataka. He had played against Dravid and with him a handful of times before this; a high school final, few U17 games. He liked the kid well enough, serious, intense, talented. But there wasn't much he knew about the boy otherwise.

Both dark lumps were motionless. Sri was on the other bed, Dravid had taken the couch- being the youngest could be tough like that. For a moment, Anil thought he had imagined it. But then just as he had begun laying back down, he heard it again. Now that he was properly paying attention, it was unmistakeably a sniffle. His head popped up again, feeling a lot more aware. He first looked at Sri worriedly, fast bowlers tended to be fragile beings- both in pride and body. It wasn't like Sri to cry but who even knew what could be troubling a man on the inside right?

When the next sniffle came, it was obviously from Sri's direction. His head snapped to the couch at the other end of the room. It was Dravid.

"Dravid? Is that you?" he asked like the dunce he was. It had obviously been Dravid, unless they were sharing a room with a ghost that sniffled in it's scare tactics.

The room went completely silent instantly. It was too dark to see, but Anil could have sworn he felt the other boy stiffen.

"Dravid I know it's you. What's wrong are you hurt?" Anil addressed it louder this time, sitting up as his eyes adjusted better to the darkness. He could hear Sri stir a little. Dravid refused to answer. Now Anil was all for letting men keep their pride.

But also Dravid was just a fifteen year old, and from his own experience as a now seventeen year old; they were bloody stupid. He threw off his covers and stalked closer a bit carefully.

"You know that's not working on me right? I heard you. You were crying,".

Anil thought another silence was going to meet him with how still it was after his statement.

But then a voice which had obviously still not gone through puberty answered, "I am not crying,", nevermind that a sniffle immediately followed.

Anil rolled his eyes and flicked the lights on. Ignoring the loud groan from Sri going "The hell?", he marched back to Dravid and pulled him bodily back to turn him to his side. Dravid managed to get his blanket up to cover his face, but Anil had already seen the tear streaks.