"What happened to us??"

Rohit couldn't help but watch frozen on his spot as the therapists barged past him in Yuzi's room. He could just watch as the door banged shut before his face, the last image in front of his eyes was of Virat's head on Yuzi's lap and the kids fussing over Virat. There were two phones placed near Virat and two absolutely frantic rambling voices were washing over all of them.

Rohit couldn't understand what was happening? His Virat, that was his Virat in there and the looks on Yuzi's face made it absolutely clear they weren't allowed in the room.

Even the therapist's banged the door close on their face. It felt like someone had placed a boulder in between them and Virat. They were acting as if they were Virat's enemies. Like Virat needed protection from them.

It wasn't true.

Virat was their family. Virat was his brother, his friend. He didn't need protection from them. He didn't need to be shielded from them. They...they can't hurt Virat. None of them, ever, wants to hurt Virat.

"But you already have," the devilish part of his soul mocked, flashing the images of Virat's downfall in his eye. The clear panic in the eyes of the kids. The accusing look their eyes held. They were blaming him.

Rohit could see that, Yuzi was blaming his Rohitaa for his bhaiyaa's pain. When did this happen? When did they get so far? When things changed so much? What happened to them?

Rohit didn't know.
Rohit didn't know.
Rohit was confused.

It wasn't them. It wasn't the Rohirat in his mind. The young boys who could read each other eyes. The young boys promising to be together forever, no matter what. The young stars of India dreaming to make it big. The boys with a CT-13 trophy, making plans for getting more trophies together. The boys always together through thick n thin.

Where did those boys go?

Where did the close-knit boys, who, considered each other more than family go? The boys who could read each other like an open book, the boys who spent hours daydreaming and making moments,  the boys who always bickered like dunderheads but stood up for each other like a wall of steel go?

What happened to them? When did so much distance creep on between them? When did they become known strangers? When did people come between them? When did they stop understanding each other? When did they become blind to each other plights? Who crept in between them? What happened to their strongest communication? What happened to their bond?

What happened to them? Where did those innocent smiling, jumping kids of Mahi bhai go? Where did the kids who fought like brothers, getting under each other skins, twisting hurtful words casually, insulting as only siblings could go?

When did their words become venom for each other?

Rohit didn't know. He played and replayed his words in his mind. They weren't at all bad. They weren't half as offensively mocking as the things they've hurled at each other in past and laughed off like it was nothing. Of course, it was nothing for them.

They knew, they don't mean anything by that, they were being spiteful just for the sake of being so. They were being insufferable then what changed today?

He didn't mean anything by anything. He admires Virat fitness regime and hard work, even if he mocks him on that like 200 times a day.

Virat knows he loves him.
Virat knows how proud he is of him, then, What changed today?
What happened?

He didn't mean anything by it all. He didn't mean anything.

"Did you not?" The self-tormenting, part of his consciousness mocked him relishing in his guilt.

"No,"

"Didn't you speak oh so vindictively to hurt him? Didn't you want to twist the dagger of your words in Virat's heart? Didn't you want to hurt him?"

"NO!!! Absolutely not!! He is my brother" Rohit denied firmly, he didn't want to hurt Virat. He never wants to hurt Virat.

"But you did...you hurt your brother," his consciousness sang merrily, mockingly.

"I didn't want too. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean anything. I didn't mean too," Rohit repeated again and again as his consciousness played with his guilt.

"I know, bhaiya! I know you didn't mean it," the words, the sudden unexpected words sounded like saving grace to Rohit. Someone believes him. His mind was wrong. He could more firmly retort now, getting the assurance of another soul.

Another soul, who happened to be KL Rahul. Virat's chosen protege made the words even more believable to Rohit. If Virat's most loved child didn't hold him responsible if Virat's dearest kid knew he didn't mean anything. It helped to deal with his own consciousness.

But it did nothing to lessen the burden of not knowing what really happened to his brother?

What happened?

What changed tonight?

What crashed?

"What happened to Virat? Why??" Rohit couldn't complete his statement, the pain in Rahul's eyes was blinding.

Rohit didn't even want to imagine what was going with the kid? His eyes held a hauntingly worried look. Looking around Rohit could see the similar daunting look on Hardik and Jassi's faces with Jaddu, Mani and Jinks trying to console them.

But the worry, terror and guilt were shining brilliantly on their faces too.

It was clear none of them knew what was exactly going on there. It was a worrying situation and Virat being in that condition made the matters worse for them.

"It's not your fault kiddo?" Rohit said, trying to gently reassure Rahul and Shreyas, who was looming over him looking like the whole fault was there.

It wasn't.

"I...I should've realized it. He always did when I was down, I should've known too," Rahul softly disagreed with Rohit's word. No matter, what anyone said, he knew for certain he failed as a younger brother again.

Virat always knew whether it was his debut, kwk, 199 out or any other such debacle. He always knew how to stop it from making a disastrous effect on his psychology. Virat always knew when he was in a bad space and needed support.

And here, he didn't know anything. Rahul couldn't redeem this slight. He was blaming himself the most. Virat's protege unaware of Virat's plight.

Unknown to him, the same thoughts were running through Hardik and Jassi's mind. Their earlier tomfoolery, not helping their consciousness in anyway. They were certain, they were as much as at fault for Virat bhaiya's  current condition as anyone. They should have paid heed to Yuzi's warning and shut up. They might have prevented all this mess then but they didn't and all they have is regrets now.

Rohit eyes searched for Mayank. The kid was with Virat most the time, the past few days. He must be most affected too. Rohit eyes met Sikhar's and he asked his partner to check on Mayank. Sikhar nodded hidding his worries behind a mask of casual indifference. He started walking towards Mayank only to halt in his stops noticing the door of Yuzi's room open and teary eyed, forlorn looking Kuldeep and Rishab getting out of the room.

They looked quite gloomy and very angry with themselves. fundamentally, the team know their first instinct should be making the kids happy and all. But right now, they were too worried about their brother to actually care about anything else?

"What happened?"

"Is Virat alright?"

"What the bloody hell was that?"

"WTF is going on?

"How's Virat?"

"Why aren't you answering?"

"say something. Dammit!!!!!!!!"

The plethora of questions bombarded on them made Rish, Kul shrink in themselves. Rohit and Jinks realizing they were scaring the kids gestured everyone to calm down. They weren't going to get any answers this way.

"What happened Kiddo?" Jinks asked softly, keeping a reassuring hand on both Rish's and Kul's shoulder.

"They...they said...we are the triggers," a sniffling Rishu said softly, "asked us to leave him for some time"

"TRIGGERS!!! Triggers for what??" The rest of ICT demanded as one.

"Anxiety attacks...he's in depression," Rishu said, still musing over the fact that they were the triggers. It was hurting him too much.

He didn't notice, how his words affected the whole ICT. There was a sudden sharp in take of breath, the whole ICT breathe in as one, shocked.

How can Virat be in depression? He was so happy just a few days ago. The news of going to be a father was the happiest news of his life. How can he be in depression?

It was beyond them.

What was happening?

What happened to Virat in the past few months that he changed so drastically? All of them couldn't help but wonder just that; what happened to their Virat?

"Remember the way he flinched hearing my voice!!" A sniffling Kul said reminding Rishu of the breakfast incident. His innocent eyes wide with worry and guilt.

The only thought in mind being should have noticed, should have taken better care of his brother. Should have asked him? Kul was sure if her just asked his Virat bhaiya would have told him. His Virat bhaiya might have resisted a little but in the end he would have gave in. He always did and Kul felt like a bad brother for not noticing his brother was in pain.

"What do you mean? What exactly happened? What did they tell you?" a frustrated Rahul asked sounding very grave absolutely nothing was making sense to him.

Rishu and Kul looked at each other and then at the whole team looking at them expectantly. Well, they were as unaware of the whole thing as them but for the sake of all of them. They decided to share whatever they know and heard.

"We don't know what happened or how long Virat bhai has been going through this?" Rishu admitted truthfully and the team looked ready to protest but Kul's "But" stopped them.

"But the therapist said while ushering us out that the anxiety attacks are because of extreme stress, overthinking and negativity. He said emotional distress, extreme stress and something else is consuming Virat bhaiya. Something affecting him emotionally and somehow, we are the triggers. WE triggered this panic attack," Kul, all but sobbed while uttering the last words.

The whole ICT looked forlorn hearing this and more than that angry with themselves for not knowing what was actually causing their brother so much distress.

"But... Yuzi bhaiya and all of them knows the reason. Whatever happened, happened, when Bhai was in RCB" Rishu added, wrapping his arms around Kul in a supporting manner.

Rohit felt really resigned hearing Rishu's words. Yuzi won't tell them anything. The burning fury, he noticed in Yuzi's eyes when Yuzi cradled Virat a clear indication, Yuzi wasn't going to tell them anything. The kid was really angry on them and rightly so, Ro thought gloomily. Even though, a part of him was angry with Yuzi for not telling him of Virat's condition before. Yuzi should have told them, whatever, this was about. 

Rahul was looking down gloomily. The only thought in his mind was Virat and how will he help Virat when he is one of the triggers? What did he do to become a trigger? What's actually happening with his brother? He was so angry on himself. He wanted to beat himself and at the same time, he wanted to curl next to his Virat bhaiya, never letting him go.

"Is Dev still in call with Virat?" the sudden question of a very serious looking Mayank threw all of them out of loop. They looked at Mayank uncertain why was he asking this ?

"No!" Kul answered looking confused by the sudden question on Dev. He didn't like that guy much and noticing, the way all of them tried to keep Virat's attention on his voice, didn't help the matter with Kul much too. Here, they're saying that Kul's voice is triggering the anxiety and that guy's voice calming his Virat bhaiya. It didn't sit well with him, not at all.

"KL! call him" Mayank said somberly, yes, he knew what he was doing and whom he was asking this but right now Virat was more important than their fickle jealousy battles.

"Why?" Rahul asked curiously, fetching out his phone and eyeing Mayank's phone in hand quite suspiciously. Why wasn't Mayank calling Dev? Mayank was anyway better behaved then him around that kid. Why were they calling him anyway?

"Mahi bhai asked he said the kids seemed aware of the whole matter. Right now, only he can tell us everything," Mayank said showing a very grim looking Mahi bhai on his phone screen and the ICT couldn't make themselves face their Mahi bhai. Well, what'll they tell their Mahi bhai anyway? They failed. They couldn't keep their promise of looking after each other.

Rahul on the other hand didn't need any more encouragement to call Dev. He'll do anything for his Virat bhaiya, even, if it means calling annoying little rascals. He'll call them for his Virat bhaiya. The whole ICT waited with bated breath for the call to be answered.

The first try ended in voicemail.

Rahul tried again and again.

On the third ring of the third try, a very sleepy voice answered the call.

"Hello"

~to be continued~