True value (A Hardik-Bhuvi Friendship Fanfiction)

Part 6

"Remember how you scolded me for three hours and forty minutes after I flirted with a waitress?" I asked, still laughing.

Bhuvi shook his head disappovingly.

"Remember how you sulked with me for a week after I dismissed you in the SRH vs MI this year?"

"Remember the time you hit the ball at me at the runner's end so hard that you couldn't believe it was you?"

*****

I was not in the least prepared for Bhuvi to hit the ball this hard. I hadn't even got the time to duck.

The ball came at a hundred miles per hour and hit my helmet, knocking me down.

As I lay on the ground, winded, the Aussie bowler and few of the fielders came up check on me. Then I saw Bhuvi running in towards the crowd.

He bent down beside me and asked in a terrified voice, "Are you all right?'

I looked up at Bhuvi. His eyes were glazed over, and he looked sick with worry.

I downplayed my injury and sat up quickly, because I couldn't bear to see Bhuvi so scared.

"Absolutely fine," I assured him.

"I'm so sorry," whispered Bhuvi, as he held my shoulders and helped me stand up.

I took his arm and said reassuringly, "Not your fault, Bhuvi--and no harm done."

Patrick had come over by then. Bhuvi refused to leave my side while Pat checked my head, and he went back to the batting end only when he absolutely had to.

Later he told me that the few moments while I had layed motionless on the ground had been the worst moments of his life; he had never been more frightened.

It took me quite some time to convince him that I know he would never hurt me deliberately, and that I'm completely fine.

*****

Bhuvi looked vaguely stricken and I regretted bringing up that incident.

So I continued with a smirk, "Remember your horror when you watched Rahul and my 'Koffee with Karan' show?"

Bhuvi narrowed his eyes at me. I gleefully studied him struggling between the urge to tell me off and to continue our 'remember' sequence.

He came up with a clever reply.

"Remember you promised me not to joke about that issue?" he said severely.

"Remember how you promised me you would never scold me again?" I said brightly.

"Idiot," said Bhuvi. "I never promised that!"

"You broke the pattern!" I howled so loudly that Bhuvi jumped out of his skin.

"Hardik. Grow up."

"I am grown up."

"Don't give me that nonsense."

"Do you know," I demanded. "Everyone says you look like a child?"

"I know you act like a child. Seriously, you need to--" Bhuvi began exasperatedly.

"Be more serious?" I suggested with a straight face.

"Totally out of control," muttered Bhuvi.

Did I tell you I love Bhuvi when he goes all annoyed and exasperated on me?

We spent the next hour with Bhuvi trying up explain to me why and how I should grow up, me trying to rile him up, and him trying not to laugh and maintain his bossy demeanor.

We hadn't realised how late it was till we heard the team coming back. They were all thundering up the stairs as usual, so we couldn't help but hear them.

"It's nearly one!" said Bhuvi, sounding astonished.

"Well, we just won a match, we deserve a break," I said.

I thought I saw Bhuvi's face fall the slightest bit as I mentioned the match.

I bent over and grabbed both his shoulders.

"Remember," I began dramatically. "You promised me we would win the World Cup 2019--together?"

It was true; when I was at my lowest, during my ban after the KJo show, Bhuvi had called me one day and said that he knew I'd be back before the WC, that both of us would play and we would win the World Cup together.

"Well, yes," said Bhuvi, a little startled at my intense tone, no doubt.

"So we will," I said.

Bhuvi hesitated a moment before grasping my hand and saying, "We will."

"G'night," I said as I moved towards the door; it was already very late.

Just as I was about to leave the room, Bhuvi said with all his adorable childish honesty, "I'm glad you stayed back after all."

I turned back and flashed him an arrogant grin. "Good that I was feeling tired, then."

Bhuvi laughed. I joined him.

As long back as I can remember, it has been Bhuvi taking care of me. It's high time I start taking care of Bhuvi, too, because isn't that what best friends do?

A/N: So how does the Bhuvi-Hardik best friend pair seem??