"Moonlight drowns out all but the brightest stars."

- the lord of rings

*OoO*

Rahul has seen many up and down in his entire cricketing career. He has felt many emotions, emotions he was sure he wasn't supposed to feel in the team. No one exactly told him, how it felt to be the part of the national team. There wasn't some kind of handbook that told them how to behave as junior, senior and a player. How to stay positive? How to deal with the tons of emotions a single match ignited? How to feel when from getting brutally trolled you become the reason someone else is getting brutally trolled? How to meet that person's eyes and tell him it's fine dude? Your day will come soon too, just trust us?

"Oye Rahuliya, I know you idolize me but you don't need to prove it again and again. I know how much you worship me, kiddo."

Rahul jumped about a foot and whipped around so fast that he almost lost his balance, almost being the key point here as he stared at a grinning Virat jogging beside him looking like he was jogging with him from the starting. He didn't even realize when Virat joined him and he really didn't know whether to feel irritated or spooked by Virat's sudden ghostly appearance beside him.

"What—what are you doing here? And what's Rahuliya and why again kiddo?" asked Rahul a little grumpily as Virat continued jogging with him looking in a totally merry mood and Rahul really didn't know how to feel about it?

"Well, I can ask you the same. You know there is a party going on for the series win and you're practising to be Usain Bolt here. And I thought we have settled this fact long ago that you're my Rahuliya and you're my kiddo too." Virat told him in a totally disconcentrating mixture of seriousness, snickering and sarcasm. Is it even possible to apply all these emotions together or it's just another of Virat Kohli thing?

"I'm not Rahuliya and you shouldn't have left the party?" Rahul snapped at Virat making a face thinking about the party? Even if he was the standing captain in today's match he definitely wasn't feeling even a little happy tonight.

"Well, I'm the captain and you can't order me. You still didn't answer me why are you trying to be Usain Bolt right now?" Virat told him totally unaffected by his snarky mood and maintaining his perfectly jolly denamour as he continued jogging unaffected by his attempts of getting rid of him.

"I just felt like it," Rahul replied flatly

"You felt like practising to be Usain Bolt in this freezing windy evening, where the wind is flowing with such a speed that it can fly away Yuzi?" Virat asked Rahul incredulously with arched eyebrows and even Rahul knew his excuse sounded really hollow but the image of flying Yuzi was funny and he wasn't in a mood to feel happy right now yet Virat was making him feel like smiling. He doesn't know how this guy makes him smile like this.

"yes," said Rahul continuing with his pretence as Virat rolled his eyes.

"Rahuliya, come out with what's bothering you kiddo. The wind isn't going to fly away your worries like it can fly away Yuzi"Virat coaxed Rahul to come out with his worries while continuing running with him on the beach. He didn't know what was wrong with this kid. But he was going to get it out of him by hook or crook. Even if he had to lock Rahul with him in his room to make him spill the beans or stay in this cold beach all night. He is going to make him spill out all his worries. But he is hoping he doesn't have to take such drastic steps.

"Virat stop calling me Rahuliya" Rahul demanded pouting slightly and losing his usually calm composure. The calm, cool and confident composure he normally wrapped around him like a second skin as he slumped on the soft sand unceremoniously and Virat followed his suit sitting beside him without complaining and waiting for him to open up on–what's going in his overthinking mind? In these situations, Virat really hoped that he could read people's mind. It would have come handy in fixing these situations where some stubborn kids refused to tell him what's wrong with them.

"Why did you chose me as the wicket-keeper?" Rahul asked him suddenly meekly throwing him out of the loop with his sudden question.

"Because I know your worth as a wicketkeeper, remember I selected you in RCB for your wicket-keeping skills and then you went on to become the second-highest run-scorer of the season under my guidance," Virat said winking at his direction in a full boasting voice taking the whole credit of Rahul's good performance in the season. Even going as far as to wipe a fake proud tear. He expected Rahul to argue with him, scoff at his boasting but nothing like that happened as Rahul turned his face away from him.

"Why do you trust in me so much Virat bhaiya?" asked Rahul in a broken voice and Virat knew the matter was serious for Rahul never calls him bhaiya unless in two extreme situations. None of them were good situations.

"Because you're my hukkum ka Ikka, Rahul, my it man, the man I can use in any place I want finisher, opener, wicket-keeper, even the drinks boy. I think I've told you this several times." Virat told Rahul with surety shining in his eyes not even a fleck of doubt can be seen in the captain's eyes.

And Rahul knew this. He knew this from the 2013 IPL when Virat has called him his hukkum ka ikka for the first time. He knew this when he got totally offended by Virat when he called him BC in the field and thought what an arrogant, rude, idiotic, classless captain they have and then regretted his thoughts almost instantly when Virat has come to his room and personally apologized for the cuss word telling him an interesting story. An interesting story about Delhi life where you call your besties and only close friends with BC. It was a way of letting out and expressing feelings and also a term of endearment and if he was really that affected by the word then Virat promised to never use the word around him. And he had shrugged off the matter, attaching it with another Virat habit and now, he doesn't even bat his eyes hearing Virat's some more censored words.

"What if I failed you?" Rahul asked Virat toying with his fingers not meeting his eyes.

"Well, I will drag your sorry ass on nets and make you practise till you get your senses back or maybe I'll call an ojha aur usko bolunga teri nazar utarne ko," Virat said matter of factly not knowing what was really wrong with this kid today. Why was he acting so weird?

"Thank you bhaiya for trusting on me so much (even if it sometimes feels misplaced)," Rahul thought sadly hugging Virat totally unexpectedly and scaring his captain for good as various odd thoughts started running wildly in Virat's mind, Rahul called him bhaiya two times in a single day the world must be officially ending. Virat's mind swirled with various possibility of what might have upset him so greatly and ended with concluding many disastrous ideas all of which ended with someone getting murdered today by him. For no one makes his team feel bad about themselves and escape unscathed by his fury.

"What's the matter, Rahul? What's wrong tell me?" Virat asked Rahul so gently, so lovingly, so caringly that he couldn't help but directly hand over his phone to Virat and showed him various things going on twitter. How Rishab and Sanju were getting trolled because of him? And sometimes Virat himself was coming under the bus and then there was also an old article with the heading 3 players Rohit Sharma didn't back and Virat Kohli did with Rahul's name on number 1. Well, Virat was really ready to blast those people.

"Do you think Rish hates me? He is bearing all this because of me"

"Don't be daft, Rahuliya. What have I told you about this "Let your form talk and don't let the unnecessary sounds unfocus you." and do you think Ro hates me or I hate ro?" Virat asked Rahul scowling

And Rahul hastily nodded his head in negative of course Virat bhai didn't hate Rohit and vice-versa. They were inseparable best friends who doesn't get satisfied without fighting with each other once in the day. They technically finds reason to start their squabbles and then at the end of the day are found with each other trolling someone mercilessly. They were best friends goals who are also entitled to win the tag of the roommate's goals. Well, they create their own goals.

"Have you seen our fans battle on twitter or any other social networking site? If social networking trolling makes people hate each other Rahuliya, then me and Rohit would have been rival goals." Virat informed Rahul rolling his eyes though he didn't know what made Rahul feel so certain Rishu hated him, after all, Rahul has been trolled very brutally in the past too and he personally knows how bad all this is for self-esteem. 

"Do you hate Harry, Rahul after the coffee incidence?" Virat asked Rahul trying another approach watching his thoughtful look.

"No" Rahul mumbled looking at the now starry sky. How can he? Harry is his bestie and even though he was a little angry at that time. He didn't hate, Harry though he despised Karan a lot. Getting banned from the team was a nightmare for him and he didn't even say anything but he remembers how Virat called him and told him to be patient "the clouds of gloom" will vanish soon. The way he failed innings after innings and Virat kept on giving him chances, backing him up and chanting the mantra of "Keep calm, let the bat talk and ignore the trolls" in his ears. Those people don't know you have been repeated a series of times too.

"And the trolling and backslash you both received has been vast" and that was Virat Kohli mumbling plan facts as Rahul rolled his eyes looking at the guy who treats him as a kid sometimes, a friend always and backs him up like he is family. He doesn't know what he did to get Virat as his mentor, leader, captain, friend, and brother.

"But Rishu said you trust me more as I played under you in RCB." And Virat felt like rolling his eyes, banging his head somewhere and calling all the team kids for an urgent one-one meeting with the one and only Virat Kohli. Okay, What's going in those Kids mind? He needs to deal with them and teach them how to deal with social media panic, trolls and everything along this line.

"Well, he isn't wrong. I know your every skill Rahuliya as your captain. He is a good kid but he has a lot to learn and even serving as a drink boy teaches us many lessons. Even I learned many things doing so" Virat explained to Rahul who just nodded along with his words. He was actually feeling a little alone tonight and like always Virat hunted him down and forced his company on him. He really is blessed to have him as an elder brother but he isn't ever going to tell him that. After all, he has a reputation as a senior player to maintain. A senior player who can make even Virat change his decision and listen to him with 100% trust.

A tranquil silence surrounded both the players as they sat there staring at the crashing waves and starry sky. A smile on Rahul's face as he sat there leaning on Virat while Virat thought over how to make Rish understand that he is also a valuable member of their family though he postponed the thought for later as he saw Rahul finally smiling and decided to test the water.

"Rahuliya! What do you think should we make the whole team come on a chilly evening jog with us from tomorrow? It'll be a funny session, won't it?" Virat asked Rahul grinning maniacally imagining his team's reaction.

"Well, they'll lock you out of the hotel if you even suggest this." Rahul said flatly dropping cold water on Virat's plan as he added as an afterthought " and don't call me Rahuliya, VIRAT"

And Virat knew Rahul was back on track if he was calling him Virat and not, Virat Bhaiya.

"spoilsport"

"Well, I was thinking let's sneak in Rohit's room by climbing his balcony. He'll be shocked" Virat proposed the totally awesome plan of scaring Rohit according to him to Rahul who glanced at him warily before stating "NO"

"You're not supposed to say no, Rahuliya. Didn't you see the post of you saying yes to do whatever I asked you to do." Virat speaks in a totally whiny mimicking Harry perfectly when he presents some disastrous plan.

Rahul just passes him  an "Are you serious look?" and when Virat gives him an "Of course look"

Rahul knows this spectacular idea of Virat is going to get him killed or worse arrested. But he couldn't help but say yes to Virat with an "Aye, Aye Captain"

As both of them get up and jog back to the team hotel. They stood exactly under Rohit's balcony and succeeded in climbing it as he hauled Virat up and then Virat pulled him up. Sneakily, the opened the sliding glass door and entered upon their whole team sitting in Rohit's room watching Conjuring and they had perfect timing the moment the suicide maid was saying "Look What She made me do!"

The moment she jumped on Brad, Virat and Rahul jumped in Rohit's room with a bang shouting"Look what she made me do!" in a perfectly ghostly creepy voice making the whole team who were already in the movie jump and scream totally terrified.

And Rahul and Virat started laughing watching their reactions and capturing their reactions in their phones for later blackmail material.

No matter, how many pillows were used to beat the hell out of them when the team got their wits back and realized there was no ghost in the room. Rahul was feeling happy, truly happy and blessed to be a part of this team which treats it's every member as family.

~The END~