Being protective little brothers

Sides

After that, whenever the juniors were hanging out together, they avoided mentioning Virat. Jassi, Hardik and Shreyas', though aggrieved on Rohit bhaiya's behalf, did not want to run down Virat bhaiya or something, and Mayank accepted the change of topic whenever Virat's name came up, but the ever-loyal Rahul fumed over it, wishing he could beat a little bit of sense into these idiots' heads.

The topic came up once again in the evening when Virat attended his first press conference in Australia and said that he had been unaware that Rohit wasn't flying with them to Australia.

"He didn't know?" said Hardik, raising an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Hardik, I'm going to break this bat over your head if you talk about Virat that way," Rahul threatened.

"That'll only break your bat, and nothing will happen to his thick head," said Mayank with a snort.

"Mayank," whined Hardik. "Why are you taking his side?"

"I'm merely stating a fact, Harry."

"He is on my side!" said Rahul. "We believe in Virat!"

"I wish I could, too," sighed Jassi. "If Virat bhaiya stops fighting for us what will happen to our team?"

Rahul stood up so violently that his chair crashed to the floor, and stormed away.

Shreyas sighed along with Jassi.

"What's he so mad about? Is he blind or something?"

"I'm here too," said Mayank. "and I agree with him."

"Well, why can he not ask Virat, then?" demanded Hardik.

"Dunno," said Mayank, alarmed. "Don't ask me to deduce Rahul's brain."

_________

Rahul had, of course, gone straight to Virat's room.

"Virat," he said fiercely.

"Yes? Cm'ere," said Virat, glad to see a familiar face after so many unknown ones at the conference.

Rahul went and flopped down beside him, glowering.

"What happened?" asked Virat warily.

"I'm sick of stupid idiots," said Rahul flatly.

"Mayank and Harry poured orange juice down your neck?"

"No."

"They put shaving cream in your bag?"

"No."

"They called you Rahuliya in front of everyone?"

"No, you did that," said Rahul. "In the plane."

Virat grinned.

"So what did they do?"

"Mayu didn't do anything," said Rahul. "And Harry and Jassi and Yas...they're—they're being all..."

Virat's heart sank just a little bit, because he had felt that Jass and Harry had been avoiding him since the half conversation on the flight, too.

"Yeah?" he said off-handedly.

"I can't tell you," said Rahul with a sigh. "But they're being idiots, and I just can't stand being around them anymore."

"You sure you can't tell me?"

Rahul looked into Virat's eyes and realized that Virat already knew the truth. But he could not be the one to tell him just in case he didn't.

"Yes," he mumbled.