True value (A Hardik-Bhuvi Friendship Fanfiction)

Part 5

As we were both smiling at the memory of that day, I felt a familiar surge of affection for Bhuvi. I noticed for the hundredth time how his eyes crinkle when he smiles and how innocent he looks. Of course, Bhuvi is nowhere as innocent as all that, as he proved a second later by throwing his book at my head and saying, "Remember the time you threw my book into the pool in the Melbourne hotel?"

I laughed and banged the book back on his head.

*****

I had caught a slight cold in Melbourne last year, so I'd been barred from the pool. Almost the entire team was fooling around in the pool, and I was feeling awfully bored.

Bhuvi was stretched on one of the armchairs beside the pool and reading some daft novel.

"Let's go for a walk, Bhuvi!" I suggested enthusiastically.

"Not now," said Bhuvi without looking up from his book.

"I'm bored, Bhuvi, please!"

"Hardik, I'm right at the climax, please go away."

"Bhuvi," I whined. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

Bhuvi sighed and finally looked up. "Do you really need to, or are you bluffing?"

I told you, I can't lie to Bhuvi. "I'm bluffing," I admitted.

Bhuvi rolled his eyes.

"But I still want to talk to you during the walk," I tried for the last time.

"Don't irritate me," said Bhuvi with finality.

"Fine," I said in a wicked enough tone for Bhuvi to look up again, but before he could even realise I had snatched the book from his hands and thrown it into the pool.

"HARDIK!" yelled Bhuvi in anguish, and he dashed towards the pool, quite prepared to jump in, fully-clothed.

I caught him around the stomach to stop him.

"You utter wretch," said Bhuvi, furiously trying to free himself, as the entire team started howling with laughter.

Kuldeep swam over and retrieved the sopping wet book and tossed it to Bhuvi, still laughing.

Bhuvi studied the pages, all stuck together, mournfully.

"Let's keep it in the sun to dry," I suggested. "We could go for a walk in the meantime."

"You wish," said Bhuvi sarcastically, turning on his heel to storm back to the hotel, but I caught his arm and dragged him towards the park.

An extremely unwilling Bhuvi allowed himself to be dragged, cursing me all the while.

Much, much later after he had finished reading the book and cooled down, Bhuvi had the good nature to admit that it was a pretty good trick to take him along for the walk.

"But if you ever try that again," he warned me. "I'm going to throw your Omega Seamaster out of the terrace."

I never dared to test his threat.

*****