I'm going to assume that Rahul and Hardik weren't banned after the incident, and were just normally playing in the team.
The atmosphere in the ICT hotel was grim to say the least.
The Koffee with Karan episode with Hardik and Rahul had just been released, and as the trolls started reaching their peak, Yuzi, who had been on social media as usual, ran to Hardik's room and cried, "What have you done?"
Hardik, who had been sitting with Bhuvi, asked blankly, "What now?"
"That episode--people are--Bhuvi bhaiya, look!" And Yuzi thrust the phone in front of Bhuvi's eyes.
Bhuvi, sure that Yuzi was overreacting, took a good look, and knew at once that he had good reason to react that way.
He took Hardik's arm and dragged him to Rohit's room (Virat was out for team selection of the next series), and told Yuzi, "Call Rahul, quick. And all the others too."
So the team gathered in Rohit's room and managed to watch the episode before it was taken down from the internet. There was mostly a stunned silence prevailing in the room in the duration of the episode.
Rahul shrank back into the wall as it progressed, wishing he could go back three days back in time anyhow and reverse this. It sounded a thousand times--no, a million times worse when his team was watching with him.
Hardik looked appalled too. When he had said everything, it had seemed like light-heated jokes. As usual, he had not stopped to think about the consequences.
At one of his dialogues, Hardik caught Bhuvi wincing a little. Jassi looked horrified.
After the episode ended, Rohit opened all the news sites and saw the scenario.
It was not encouraging.
"Do you think," said Jassi, finally breaking the silence. "It will reach the BCCI?"
"I think it already has," said Rohit, sounding agitated. He took up his phone and called Virat, but Virat did not answer.
"He must be at the meeting," said Jinks.
Rohit looked at Hardik and Rahul.
It wasn't Rahul's fault at all; and Hardik's face looked smaller than he had ever seen it, and the reproach died on his throat.
"It's ok, Harry, Virat will tackle the BCCI," he said gently.
"They can't ban you," said Bhuvi, a little too loudly. "Not really. This doesn't have anything to do with cricket. Don't worry, you two."
Rahul, of course, could always keep a composed demeanor whatever happened, so he was looking a lot less perturbed than Hardik.
Rohit knew it was his duty to say this, so he added, "You were an awful idiot out there, Harry. For god's sake learn to control your tongue."
"I didn't even know I said all that," said Hardik, half-heartedly.
Jassi made his way across the room to sit beside Hardik. "Then better learn to be fully conscious at all times."
Hardik rolled his eyes, and grinned a little.
It faded away almost instantly.
Jaddu pulled Rahul from the corner and said, "Don't ever go to talk shows with Hardik Pandya, Rahul."
"Jaddu!" said Bhuvi and Rohit in exasperation.
But it had successfully made Hardik laugh a little, and Rahul, out of nowhere, felt a little lonely.
He couldn't help noticing how they were all trying to make Hardik feel better--and it was natural too, seeing that Hardik had been in the family for a lot longer than himself.
Well, thought Rahul. If Harry has all of them, I also have Virat, don't I?
Virat will soon come back from the meeting, and of course Virat would understand him, even if Rahul didn't say anything out loud (which was embarrassing), because Virat knew him best of all.
________________
Virat returned late from the meeting, looking extremely frustrated. Evidently the selection hadn't gone as he had wanted.
"What's up with you?" Rohit asked when he came in during the middle of dinner.
"Stupid selectors," said Virat. "Tell you tomorrow."
"Did they tell you anything about the KWK episode?" asked Rohit in a low voice so that no one else could hear.
"No," said Virat, frowning. "Which KWK episode?"
"Oh well," sighed Rohit. "Hardik messed up real bad."
"The one they shot last week? Didn't Rahul go with him too?"
"Yeah but he didn't say anything much. Hardik did, a lot."
They both looked at Hardik, who was sitting far too subdued for Hardik Pandya.
"People are trolling them a lot. Like really brutally," said Rohit.
"Is he ok?" asked Virat.
"A bit better than earlier this evening," said Rohit.
"Should I talk to him now?" asked Virat.
"I think you can keep it for tomorrow, after the match," suggested Rohit.
"Yes, you're right."
Virat glanced at Rahul too, and saw Rahul eating with a perfectly normal Rahul-like expressionless expression. He didn't look disturbed like Hardik--and rightly too, because he hadn't done anything wrong, thought Virat.
Virat hoped Hardik would soon be ok.
A depressed Hardik depressed everyone around him.
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