WICKETS AND WIDGETS

Comatose

"Hey there," he greeted tentatively, his uncertainty palpable.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his cautious demeanor. "Relax, Kabir," I reassured him, placing emphasis on his name. "I promise I won't bite." With a gesture, I invited him to step inside.

As we made our way through the foyer and into the living room, I encouraged him further. "Feel free to make yourself at home, and lose the mask, please," I instructed.

He complied, revealing his face. And what a face it was! His sun-kissed complexion, those large, tranquil eyes, the tousled black hair with bangs framing his forehead, and those lips, slightly pursed as he regarded me. He was quite the sight to behold.

He gave me a probing look, "What was it you wanted to discuss?"

"Well, you tell me." I responded, settling down next to him with a slight smile, "After all, you and Raghav have certainly made my job quite interesting, haven't you?"

He lowered his gaze, his eyes heavy. He looked like a puppy that had lost its way. How could I possibly say anything harsh to him now? That would just make me feel remorseful. Fuck.

I cleared my throat to get his attention, "Look, the job isn't really the main concern. I've managed to secure employment again, Raghav must've informed you."

"Yes," he replied in a soft tone.

"I just want you to understand that it wasn't right to play someone like that," I said with a serious tone.

He nodded, his voice barely audible. "I know. I didn't want to do it, but Raghav was really desperate, and I felt like I had no choice."

"It's okay, really. No need to be so hard on yourself," I reassured him with a gentle laugh, giving his head a soft pat.

A faint smile tugged at his lips in response.

"Well, you should be familiar with the shipping situation by now, right?" I asked, hoping he was aware of the issue.

He shook his head. "What are you referring to?"

I was surprised by his lack of awareness. "Seriously? It's been all over the place." Retrieving my phone, I showed him the post Riddhi had sent me, leaning in to ensure he could see it clearly.

He studied the video and the comments for a moment before a blush crept onto his cheeks. "I had no idea this was happening."

He tilted his head, clearly puzzled. "But why would I want to do that?"

"Because what they're doing isn't exactly fair," I explained gently.

He regarded me with curiosity. "What's wrong with it, though? They're just showing support for two people they like. It's not like they're forcing us into anything, right?"

I paused, considering his perspective. "Well, no, not exactly. But don't you find it a bit... unusual?"

"What's unusual about it?" he asked, genuinely intrigued.

"They are shipping two straight people. Don't you see the problem with that?" I questioned, feeling a mix of frustration and incredulity.

He met my gaze steadily before responding, "Did I ever mention I was straight?"

I blinked, taken aback by his question. "W-What?"

"Did I ever explicitly state my sexual orientation in our earlier conversations?" he pressed on. "How did you just assume it out of nowhere? If anything, I could argue that you've hurt my feelings by making unfounded assumptions about my sexuality." His words were direct, slicing through the tension between us.