"MR. VIRAT PREM KOHLI, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOURSELF?!"

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT, VIRAT?"

"HOW COULD YOU NOT INFORM US, VIRAT BHAIYA?"

Virat looked at the two dark faces who entered his room in a fit of rage. Second being Rahul obviously and third was Jassi, a little surprising for Virat.

As no matter what, Jassi never shouted at Virat Bhaiya.

That thought scared Virat a little.

First was basically Rohit whose phone calls Virat had been avoiding for whole day waiting for the right time to tell him that even though his best friend had given up captaincy without even informing him or anyone else but it was okay as it was the right time according to him.

Rahul, being sensible enough to think he had read the tweet wrong (after reading it for 9th time) and Virat couldn't have not informed them, had called up Rohit only to hear him shouting 'WHERE THE HELL IS THAT IDIOT?' from the other end.

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, VIRAT KOHLI?" Rohit asked menacingly. "YOU DON'T THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO TELL ANYONE BEFORE TAKING SUCH—such—stupid decisions?"

"Ro, listen" Virat tried, taking the phone from Rahul's hands.

"JUST SHUT UP AND YOU LISTEN. What were you thinking while you took that decision? You're the best test captain India ever had! You think you're becoming oh so great Virat Kohli by giving up on captaincy?"

Rahul and Jassi exchanged a look.

"Ha! You think you giving up on captaincy will make things any better? The new captain—whosoever—will win every match for India? That's what you think? What if we keep losing even after this, Virat? What will you do?" Rohit asked furiously.

"Ro, please, not you too!"

"Then you will retire, eh, Virat?" Rohit spoke after a moment of silence. "Because no matter who the captain is, those people will always turn on you. People will always turn to Virat Kohli. Then what will you do, Virat? Oh yes, then one day we will open our phones and get an official mail that Virat Kohli has retired, eh?"

Now that stung!

Virat felt his chest getting heavier and heavier untill he could say his heart had sank down right there.

Rohit didn't have even one ounce of regret of saying all the harsh things coming to his mind straight away to Virat instead of saying 'You did great and I'm proud of you' at this moment when he had decided to step down from his captaincy. He didn't regret at all. Virat deserves this. He firmly told himself.

It hurt that Virat didn't tell him. It hurt that something had been terribly wrong with Virat that pushed him to take this decision and he wasn't there for him.

"It's the best decision for team!" Virat mumbled looking down.

"Team? Did you say team, Virat? Okay, so this was for the team?" Rohit said mockingly. "Then you must have consulted everyone in the team before stepping down, right?"

Virat clenched his fist as he knew he didn't have any answer.

"Did you ask us, Virat? Did you even care to tell us? Did he tell you, Rahuliya, say?" Rohit said.

Virat looked at Rahul.

"Why would he? Who am I, after all?" Rahul said accusingly before walking out from there.

"Rahuliya, listen to me—" Virat shouted behind Rahul who had walked off as fast as he could.

"Did he tell you, Jass?"

Virat looked at Jassi hopefully but the hurt and disappointment on Jassi's face only made it worse for him. He suddenly felt sick.

"Why, Virat Bhaiya?" Jassi whispered almost tearfully.

"Jass, kiddo—" Virat blinked away his tears.

Jassi couldn't see that hurt look of Virat Bhaiya anymore so even he chose to walk out from there without waiting to listen further.

Virat looked away with a sigh.

"Did you tell Jinks or Ash?" Rohit demanded. "Did you tell me?"

Rohit's voice had taken a hurt tone from angry one.

"Ro, please listen to me." Virat whispered tiredly.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO LISTEN, VIRAT?" Rohit shut his eyes firmly before speaking to again. "How can you end your captaincy tenure like this? We need you. The team—the kids are broken. I feel broken. I—"

The line went silent.

After what seemed like an eternity, Virat could almost hear a sob escaping Rohit's mouth.

"I'm—I'm s-sorry." Rohit managed to say.

Rohit was crying.

"Don't be." Virat whispered. "Ro, you can shout all you want but please don't cry."

"I'm not—crying." Rohit sniffed.

"Ro, trust me I did want to talk to you but you guys wouldn't have let me—"

"If you knew we wouldn't let you then didn't you think even once that you should reconsider your decision?"

"No," Virat said honestly. "I didn't reconsider because I just didn't want to. I'm tired, Ro. I really don't want this captaincy anymore. It wasn't an impulsive decision. I've been thinking over it and it felt the wisest thing to do to me."

"This is your team, Vi. It will always be."

Virat's shoulder relaxed.

"I think I can do better as a batsman for the team. And this was what Mahi Bhai had done too, right? Stepping down so that I could get proper time and experience. I'm still there for the team, Ro. I'll still give my everything to the team."

"You don't need to tell me that, Vi." Rohit said exasperatedly. Why was his best friend so stupid all the time?

Virat smiled through his dried tears.

"Please, trust me, Ro. I can't do this without you. I really can't." Virat said gripping the phone in his hands. "I need you guys. I know you all are hurt that I'm informing you guys officially and didn't discuss it with any of you. And I've nothing to say in my own defense but this is very well thought decision."

Rohit knew Virat was being completely honest. And now that he was regretting venting out his anger at the worst time possible, there was only one thing that scratched his heart—Virat must have been holding back his tears all the while and none of them even had a hint.

"Are you okay, Vi?" Rohit asked softly.

"No, I'm not." Virat admitted. "But I'll be okay. I just need some time and—I need you, Ro."

"I'm always there." Rohit automatically voiced out the reply.

"I know."

"Virat, it's gonna be alright, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Nothing will change within us."

"Nothing will be same either, Ro."

"Not for the first time, right? We will get through it."

"Yes, we will."

Rohit desperately wished he was there in South Africa right now but he knew they will get through this anyway. It wasn't the first time when it seemed that the entire universe had crashed down and everything ahead was a black hole.  They had gotten through it earlier too. And he knew they will get through this now as well.

"The kids need you, Vi." Rohit spoke suddenly remembering how upset Rahul and Jassi sounded. He felt guilty that he had completely ignored their distress in front of his own.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure they are fine." Virat said, already thinking how he could make it up to his younger brothers.

That reminds him—

He needed to make it up to his elder brother as well. He gulped the lump in his throat thinking about that.

"They are just upset, Vi." Rohit said comfortingly. "They will be alright once you talk to them."

"Aren't you too?" Virat asked tentatively.

"Even you are!" Rohit said, on the verge of tearing up once again. "But it'll be alright. We will get through it. I know we will." Rohit added hurriedly.

"Yeah, we will." Virat replied mildly.

"You know that—" Rohit said, trying hard to keep his voice steady. "—that I'm proud of you, right? I'm so damn proud of you, Vi! We all are!"

"I know."

Tears made its way through their eyes once again. But this time both of them had a smile and the silence was more comforting than any conversation.

"We will get through this." They whispered together with a slight smile and tears rolling down.
____________________________________

A/n

Okay, I HAD to write this. It was getting just unbearable and writing was the only thing which could keep me sane. All of us are in it together, I guess? (:

(Also, I will be writing one MahiRat too as a next part of this OS)

Do vote and comment!