Beware Of The Whispers

11: The Young Club

For Hardik and Rahul, their biggest fear was the aftermath of one show, which changed their image in front of their whole country. Their parents were ashamed, their seniors were talking bad things about them, and their teammates were not talking to them at all. They didn't care for the media or some seniors who didn't know them enough. All they cared about their team. Their ignorance was hurting them the most.

When they had opened their eyes, they saw themselves at the exact position on that cursed couch. They wanted to answer differently this time, but it was like a repeat telecast, and they couldn't do anything. The next thing they knew, they were in the team room, and no one was even looking at them properly.

"Virat!" Rahul called his name when he saw him entering the room while Harry ran to search his Mahi Bhai or Rohit to have someone by their side.

"What do you want?" Virat replied, and Rahul took a step back, hearing the venom in his voice.

"Are you alright?" Rahul asked timidly. He was more anxious now.

"Yes, I'm excellent." He replied and walked off. It was like the ground beneath Rahul was shifted. He couldn't believe his Virat would talk to him like that, ever.

Harry came running back to him, and by looking at his face, he knew the same thing like this had happened to him too, and Rahul didn't want to talk about it, so he put on a blank face.

"Rohit is behaving so strangely." He said, and both of them took a seat at the corner alone. No one was there for them this time.

This didn't happen the first time. Yes, they all were mad, but they didn't leave them alone. They all stood by their side. Both of them thought and looked around them where everybody was busy among themselves, talking, laughing, teasing, and totally forgetting about them.

"Let's call Mahi Bhai," Harry suggested, and Rahul agreed wholeheartedly.

Harry called him four times, but no one picked up. And on the 5th time, when both of them had lost their last hope, their Mahi Bhai received the call.

"Mahi Bhai!" Both of them said in unison. Their voice held so much emotion. They were like five-year-old kids who have finally got what they have asked from their parents.

"Yes?" MS replied in a monotonous voice which neither of them has heard from him before.

Though Rahul understood the tone, he didn't stop Harry, who, without even listening to him, started complaining about everything and every one to his Mahi Bhai.

"What did you expect, Hardik? After all the nasty things you said on national television. I can't believe I had let you spend time with Ziva. You are a disgrace to not only your parents but the whole country." MS said furiously and ended the call.

Before Rahul could've said something to him, he ran outside, and Rahul followed suit. Harry went and sat near the stands of the ground and started sobbing. Rahul sat beside him and held him while he cried. Harry hated himself at that moment and just wanted to vanish from the world.

"He is right, Rahul. I should take retirement and leave the country." He mumbled.

"And I'll join you," Rahul replied and chuckled dryly.

"But it's not your fault. I said those bad kinds of stuff you were just there with a wrong person." Hardik whined.

"We are together in this," Rahul warned him. He knew he couldn't leave this idiot's side no matter what.

"I am going to retire," Harry said, wiping his tears.

"We are going to retire," Rahul said in a voice of finality which none could oppose.

"No one is retiring." Said a small voice from a distance. They jerked their heads in that direction and found KulCha walking towards them with a small smile.

"What do you two want?" Harry snapped, thinking that they are there to insult them.

"Whoa, calm down, Harry; we aren't here to fight." Yuzi snapped back and then continued calmly. "We are here just to remind you of some things."

"Do you remember Harry, the 2016 T20 world cup last over? We all thought it was a lost battle, but you said we could do it, and we did it because of you." Kuldeep said, looking straight into Hardik's eyes.

"And you Rahul, have you forgotten your 91 off 56 and that match-saving partnership with Rohit and Virat Bhaiya against WI in Dec 2019?" Yuzi asked, glaring at Rahul.

"What do you both mean?" Rahul asked quietly while looking at his shoes in embarrassment.

"Yuzi, I think they might have got it," Kuliya said, looking at his partner.

"Yeah, and thank God we didn't have to remind them about their all other match-winning knocks," Yuzi replied while chucking.

"Can you both cut the crap and say whatever you want to say," Hardik said angrily as his patience was less than a teaspoon.

"Oh no, there is one more thing; don't you think Mahi Bhai, Virat Bhaiya, Rohit Bhaiya, and other seniors have always had your back?" Kuliya asked.

"And always supported you, fought for you, cared for you, and loved you like an elder brother. So don't you think they also have a right to be a little mad at you for your mistakes?" Yuzi asked.

Now both Hardik and Rahul completely understood what KulCha meant to say.

"But we needed their support now," Rahul said like a little kid asking their parents why they love their other siblings more.

"Yes, but elders are like that only. They would show you how mad they are at you, but they would hide that they are trying to pull you out of your miseries." Kuliya said each word slowly as if talking to kids.

"But we need them by our side now," Harry whined again.

"No, that is the job of us, you know the brothers who are of the same age and all," Yuzi said, and both of them took the seat next to Rahul and Harry.

As if finally understanding everything, Rahul and Harry smiled for the first time that day. How can they not realize it before that just like any other families the elders are the one who gets mad whenever the younger ones do something wrong, and the other youngsters are the ones who stood by their side.

And that brought them back to reality with a sharp pain in their heads.

"What the hell was that?" Hardik and Rahul said in union while stood up from their seats with a jerk and looked at grinning KulCha, who just jumped on them to hug them tightly.

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In another room, you can see Rohit and Jinks standing while their face is as white as a ghost and their hands are shaking.

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A small new year gift from my side, and you may get one more! 😉

I know some of you may have wanted to see HulRat or other pairs, but I wanted to show that the juniors also have the same affection towards each other as our US. And I hope you liked it. The next chapter will have our favorite group.

Happy New Year to you all, and let's hope it's a good one.

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