Rohit was dropped from the Test squad for the England tour in a shock but not unjustified decision. Though Rohit always valued Test cricket above everything else, truth be told, he was far too impatient for the longest format of the game.

__________

About the same time, the ICT Twitter handle posted a picture of the team with Anushka Sharma in the front row. Virat's teammates teased him sportingly and the thing wouldn't have mattered.

However, some commoner commented on the photo about 'different rules for different people'.

After returning to India from England with the rest of the team staying behind, Rohit saw, to his surprise, that the newsfeed was flowing with "Rohit Sharma likes a Tweet directed against Virat Kohli; rift in the Indian team?"

God, how jobless were these people? When did he like any Tweet like that? Rohit felt slightly annoyed, but in an hour he had forgotten all about that.

He was reminded of it few days later, and not in a good way.

___________

Always together, thought Rohit, narrowing his eyes at yet another photo of Virat and Rahul together. Surely, he wondered, Virat had other friends too? Why did they always have to be together?

He didn't care, of course. Virat could be friends with anyone he wished to be. But well...he hadn't spoken to Virat in a long time. That night he messaged him.

: Whats's up with you and Rahul?

Meaning?

Why are you guys always together?

What the hell! Can't I be with who I want?

Of course. Sorry to have asked.

No, why did you ask?

...

Rahul's fun to hang out with. Always on the go. You know him

Rohit's heart sank swiftly. There was no reason for Virat to be a jerk all the time, he thought fiercely. [Reference to the fact that Rohit is a extremely lazy person, never on the go!]

Well, you and your team are performing real well these days-- always on the go

Do you always have to be such a sore loser! Just because you're not in the team, it's suddenly you vs India?

Oh? And I guess we all know why I'm not in the team!

You total prat!

You're a bad luck charm, you know that?

WHAT?

India loses a lot when you play well!

Virat stared at his phone, shaking with anger. Then he video called Rohit. If he dares to decline it...

But Rohit accepted it at once, and both of them glared at the other's livid face.

"You don't deserve to be sportsperson-- really you don't," said Virat scathingly. "You're so unsportsman-like!"

"You sledge people sometimes--and if--" began Rohit, racking his brains for an equally cutting retort.

"But I don't go all moody and bitter at personal downs!"

"That's just because you're never dropped!" exploded Rohit, his voice shaking. Personal downs? Was this what he was so angry about? wondered Rohit.

No--definitely not.

"And as for your friend Rahul--" began Rohit.

"Leave him out of it, all right! If he hasn't performed in this series, you don't have to pass comments about it! His mistakes has been discussed with the coach; there's no reason for you to give your expert opinion on the matter!"

"I wasn't about to say anything about his performance," said Rohit, rather quietly, but Virat was in full flow now.

"He hasn't done anything to make you dislike him, has he? Except take your place!" shouted Virat.

"I didn't mean--"

"Oh, I know what you mean! It's the same thing as with Jinks again. You can never bear it when others outshine you, isn't it? Isn't it? Go on, deny it!" Without giving the horrified and stunned Rohit a chance to reply, he continued, "But Rahul is nothing like that, you know. He plays for the team."

There was a sudden silence, as Virat realized that maybe he had finally gone too far. Rohit refused to meet his eyes. As Rohit tried to find his voice again, Virat suddenly remembered why he had been so angry at Rohit in the first place, and that there was no reason for him to feel guilty.

"And he doesn't like Tweets directed at making fun of his captain!"

Rohit's eyes met Virat's now, his face white and furious.

"In that case-- if that's--if that's what you think," he said in a choked voice. "It's better you stay with him after all!"

Rohit's voice was trembling, and behind his defiant mask, Virat could just spot the hurt look in his 'best friend's' eyes. But blinded by his own anger that Rohit was refusing to apologize even after that cheap act, he said coldly, "That was what I would've done, anyway."

"Right."

Rohit disconnected the call, feeling a lump in this throat.

Virat had no right to make him feel like this, he thought furiously. He blocked Virat's number and swiftly unfollowed him on Twitter and Instagram.

"Some captain!" he muttered, his eyes burning with the unshed tears.

__________

"Arrogant. Frustrated. No sportsman spirit at all," mumbled Virat, staring at his blank phone, but with something else underneath.

"Virat--who were you shouting at?"

It was Jinks, standing over his bed. Virat hadn't heard him enter.

"Forget it," muttered Virat.

"Rohit?" guessed Jinks, because he figured no on else could make Virat as upset as he looked just then.

"Honestly, is it any of your business?" demanded Virat.

"Yes," said Rahane. "It is."

"Interfering idiot," grumbled Kohli, as Rahane sat down beside him.

"Oh...and what happened in South Africa, Virat? Could you remind me?"

"Ok, fine, you win," said Virat, rolling his eyes. "But look here, if South Africa happened today, I wouldn't have lifted a finger to set things right between the two of you!"

"He's that bad, huh?" said Rahane sympathetically.

"Yes," said Virat. "No sportsman spirit at all. Always having a go at others who have replaced him."

"Did he have a go at you?" asked Jinks, surprised.

"No, at Rahul."

"Why?!"

"How do I know?"

"But Rohit and Rahul are friends!"

"Friends! Look!" Virat held out his phone to Jinks, who silently read their chat.

Then he looked up at Virat exasperatedly. "Don't you have any tact?"

"Me? Tact? What the hell did I do?" demanded Virat, starting to get annoyed.

Jinks figured that Rohit wouldn't thank him if he explained to Virat now why he had been angry at Rahul; for the 'always on the go' thing.

"Haven't you said anything tactless here?" he asked Virat finally.

"Well, he is a total prat! Blaming me about what the selectors do!"

"Not that!"

"And he is a sore loser. Whenever he's not in the team, he's doing this!" cried Virat. "I only told him the truth. And he started it, too, with no reason!" Virat got more and more passionate as he said this, and Jinks could clearly see his need to be assured that no, he hadn't done anything wrong at all, and that Rohit would come around.

"But what did you tell him on the phone?" asked Rahane, suddenly remembering.

"Oh...something about..." mumbled Virat, going red with embarrassment. "Him not being a team man because--because he was unnecessarily having a go--at--Rahul..." Virat trailed off, suddenly feeling terrible about saying such a thing to Rohit.

Rahane stared at Virat in undisguised horror. "So what if he says anything about Rahul? Why did you have to tell him that?"

"Remember that Tweet he liked!" cried Kohli, flaring up again.

"He did not like that!" Jinks defended Rohit at once.

"Blind--git--" shouted Virat, suddenly in a tearing rage, whether at himself or Rohit or Jinks, he didn't know. "He liked it, you know he did! You'd think a person would expect a little bit of support from a-- a-- a best friend--" Virat clenched his fists. He couldn't even think of a word bad enough for Rohit's betrayal.

"And you would think, wouldn't you," added Jinks quietly. "That a person would trust his best friends over some issues."

___________

"If that's what you think--it's better you stay with him after all."

Virat woke up four times in the middle of the night, each time hearing Rohit's choked voice saying this--each time seeing Rohit's angry and hurt face inside his head.

"Ok, fine," he told himself after the fourth time. "Maybe he didn't like that Tweet. Maybe his account was hacked."

He took up his phone and dialled Rohit's number, though it was 4:30 in the morning--because the mere thought of talking--not shouting--with his best friend cheered him up enormously.

The call wouldn't connect. His number had been blocked, said a voice in the phone.

His heart beginning to sink, Virat opened his Twitter account and saw, '@imRo45 unfollowed you'.

Within moments, Virat forgot all his remorse and guilt, and he was in a tearing rage again. Unfollowing Rohit was the only thing he could think of, though he made up his mind, extremely firmly, that he would never speak to Rohit ever in his life outside captain-vice captain interaction-- no weightage to the fact that Rohit had been his best friend for years now, and no weightage to how he had taken him out of depression after his break-up with Anushka and no weightage to how much he used to love Rohit's laziness, kindness, stupidity, forgetfulnesss... Virat clenched his jaws and blinked furiously in the darkness-- and certainly no weightage to the fact that the very thought of not talking to Rohit ever again was bringing tears to his eyes that instant...and Rohit had always been the best person to dry his tears.

___________

Rahane was deeply troubled by the attitude Kohli had taken. And Rohit, too, by the look of it. But then, Rohit had a genuine reason to be hurt and upset, because Rahane knew very well how cruel Kohli could be at times.

"Can't you call him and tell him sorry?" he asked Virat for the hundredth time.

"No. He blocked me."

"From my phone, then. Go on!"

"I won't be the one to apologize for this!"

"After you told him all those things? Can you imagine how he felt?"

"He had it coming," said Kohli coolly. "A person in the team can't be so catty and jealous if anyone else outperforms him or takes his place, Jinks!"

"Honestly, Virat," said Jinks finally. "Do you really think he was going against Rahul because he took his place?"

"What?"asked Virat, shocked. "Is there another reason? I thought it was obvious..."

"You're blind," said Rahane in disgust, walking off to call Rohit.

"Jinks! Jinks, wait! Is there another reason?" shouted Kohli after him.

"Later!"

Rahane went to his room and called his best friend. [Rohit was their common best friend, or used to be, he thought sadly.]

"Jinks!" cried Rohit in the phone, sounding extremely pleased. "Haven't talked to you in ages!"

"Yeah, I know, right?" said Rahane, laughing, equally pleased to hear his voice. "Do one thing, Ro-- we're landing in Mumbai next Saturday. Meet us at the airport?"

"Us?"

"Uh--" began Jinks awkwardly. "Y'know, me and--"

"You're the only person I'm going to meet," said Rohit, rather childishly.

"Look, Rohit, I know what happened between you and Virat--"

"Oh, so he's been pouring poison to you about me now?" cried Rohit, flaring up.

"Nothing like that," said Jinks impatiently. "I know most of it was his fault..."

"All of it," said Rohit, clenching his jaws. "I hate him!"

"Sure, you do. Which is why you got all possessive and territorial because he's spending so much time with Rahul."

There was a silence.

"How do you know?" mumbled Rohit finally.

"You made it pretty obvious, Rohit."

"Well," began Rohit, starting to feel mortified, though it was kind of hard to feel so while talking to Jinks, the most sympathetic and understanding person he knew. "What you said is wrong, all right? I don't give a damn about who he hangs out with!"

Rahane sighed. Virat's blindness mingled with Rohit's obstinacy was getting to him.

"Ok, fine, whatever. We'll talk when we meet next week, and you can try to convince me about your last statement."

__________

As Jinks slept through most of the plane journey, Virat, who was sitting beside him, had a hilarious time with Rahul, sitting across them.

When they alighted from the plane, Virat and Rahul were still together, as Jinks hadn't come up with a good reason to separate them.

Rohit was waiting at the airport. As the team came in and greeted him, he saw Virat and Rahul walking in together, laughing about something.

In spite of the fact that he wanted to ignore Virat, like, forever, a tiny part of him wished earnestly that Virat would behave as if nothing was wrong between them. If only he would leave Rahul's side for one minute!...The two of them could have a long chat like old times...and maybe pick up Jinks on the way too.

Virat spotted Rohit suddenly. He felt a rush of anger at Rohit again, which was, however, marred with a deep feeling of guilt as he noticed the wistful look on Rohit's face.

Virat felt sure that Rohit would snub him if he tried to approach him. So he turned away as if he didn't even know him, and continued talking to Rahul.

Rahane came in just at that moment, and saw how Rohit's face fell when Virat turned away. With a surge of affection for Rohit, he felt a strong desire to hit Virat hard to bring him to his senses.

He waved at Rohit, telling him to wait, and then stalked off to Virat and grabbed his arm.

"We're going to Juhu beach together," he told the surprised Virat.

"You and me? Why?"

"You, me and Rohit. We haven't spoken together in so long!"

"I'm not going anywhere with him!" said Virat, loudly enough for Rohit to hear.

Rohit stormed up to them. "I'm not going anywhere with him either! So don't you even try, Jinks!"

"Don't order him about!" cried Virat.

"He's my friend too!" cried Rohit indignantly.

A horrified Rahul muttered a vague goodbye and slunk away quickly.

"You're friends too," said Jinks hastily.

"No, we're not!" shouted Rohit and Virat at the exactly same time, in the exactly same tone.

As people began to glance at them, Rahane said, "That's why I suggested we go to Juhu beach. So that you can yell at each other as much as you want and let each other know clearly that you hate him."

"Is it a trap?" demanded Virat.

"Don't try to cast suspicion on him!" said Rohit.

"Who are you--his bodyguard?"

"Who started it?--"

Jinks groaned. "When will you two grow up?"

__________

So they did go to Juhu beach, directly from the airport. Though Rohit was the one they were meeting after a month, the conversation was carried out mostly by Jinks and Virat.

Because Rohit stared out of the window all through the drive, thnking about how at ease Virat seemed with Rahul, and no wonder he was always defending Rahul.

They settled down near the sea, Rohit and Virat on either side of Jinks.

"Well?" asked Jinks. "Aren't you two going to say anything to each other?"

"You don't have to try to be peacemaker, Jinks," said Virat. "I hate bitter, unsporting people," he muttered under his breath.

Rohit glared at him viciously. "I also hate--" But at that moment, he couldn't think of a single bad word to describe Virat.

Virat grinned at him; not a nice grin, but a mocking one.

Rohit's temper snapped.

"You think you're so cool, don't you, captain? Just because you can throw insults better than most decent people-- and because...yes, you're the best player in the team. Well, so was Sachin sir few years ago! He didn't think himself cut above the rest just because of that. Mahi bhai was our best captain-- and have you ever heard him run down his players like you do, all the time?" Rohit paused for breath.

Virat was too stunned too speak.

"You think you can say anything because you're the captain! That's the most un-captain-like trait in a person!"

Virat winced at the venom in Rohit's voice. Rohit noticed it and turned away, half-triumphant, half-miserable.

"I think both of you are missing a vital point here," suggested Jinks, before Virat could retaliate.

"Oh? And what is that?" demanded Virat.

"Virat, d'you think Rohit's angry with Rahul because he took his place?"

Rohit went red. He glared at Rahane to stop-- but now Rahane faced him.

"And you think, Rohit, that Virat thinks he can tell you anything because he's captain?"

Both Rohit and Virat were silent.

"You're both blind," said Rahane, rolling his eyes.

"If you would be kind enough to enlighten us--" began Rohit.

"Don't you dare have a go at Jinks now!" shouted Virat.

"I wasn't about to!" shouted back Rohit, even more loudly. "You're a total hypocrite-- you're the most arrogant--"

Virat's phone rang.

"One second," he said, glaring at Rohit before walking away and receiving the call.

When he came back, Rahane asked, "Who was it?"

"Rahul," said Virat, causing Rohit's face to darken again. "He asked me if I'll join him at the Kingfisher party at 7."

"It's nearly 7 now," pointed out Jinks.

"Oh...yes," said Virat, glancing at his watch.

"Well..." said Rohit, in a very different tone. "You're going, then?"

Virat glanced at Rohit curiously, but Rohit was staring at the ground. Rahane got up swiftly and disappeared.

"Uh...what's with the change in tone, Sharma? One moment you're like I'm the most arrogant person in the world-- and then you say 'you're going' all politely!" said Virat, laughing rather mockingly.

Rohit abruptly gave up all pretense of hating his best friend.

"Virat-- you like Rahul better than me, don't you?"

There was a horrified silence as the dumbfounded Virat stared at Rohit's bent head. Rohit seemed to deduce the worst from his silence.

"It's-- it's all right really. I mean...I understand. He's--he's a lot like you...always on the go, as you said..."

And Virat suddenly realized how badly his unthinking words had affected his best friend.

"...and it's natural that you'll like his company the best-- and of course you were angry when I blamed him," said Rohit, and Virat noticed with a pang how Rohit's shoulders slumped as he said it.

Before he could say anything, Rohit looked up at him and mumbled, "He's your best friend now, isn't he?"

"Damn it, Rohit," said Virat in a low voice, feeling most awfully guilty. "Of course not."

"No?" asked Rohit, looking bewildered.

"That's right, he's not my best friend."

"Oh..." said Rohit, half hopeful, half apprehensive.

"My best friend is not always on the go like Rahul. My best friend is the laziest, most exasperating person in the world."

Rohit stared at him.

"And about those Tweets," began Virat, determined to get over with it, but then he wished he hadn't said anything, because Rohit looked more miserable than ever.

"I didn't like them," he said half-heartedly.

"I know," said Virat quietly.