PRESENT

Over the IPL with the Test Championship final against Australia beckoning, KL Rahul did not recover in time.

So with Srikar Bharat as first choice, the selection committee found themselves short of one backup keeper.

Then came a bit of an unexpected news posted by Rohit bhaiya in the official group a couple of days after the IPL final. Ishan was in the squad.

The runners-up Gujarat Titans team had been on the way to the airport. Shubman forgot all about how upset he was that they had lost the final after dominating most of the match and called Ishan.

"Hi, Ishu, packing for London?"

"Not yet..." Ishan didn't sound cheerful.

"What's up?" asked Shubman, surprised.

"I don't know what Rohit bhaiya means to do sometimes," said Ishan.

"Meaning?" said Shubman, blankly.

"Everyone knows it's unfair, Shubi!"

"What's unfair?"

"God," said Ishan, sounding furious.

Shubman, who had no idea what Ishan was going on about, was debating how to tell him politely to explain himself when he heard bits of a conversation between some of his teammates and support staff. Since the WTC squad came out, everyone had been discussing and airing opinions.

"-someone who doesn't even have a Test debut-"

"-we all know who Rohit was gonna back-"

"-oh, that's fine, all captains have their biases-"

Oh.

"Talk to you later," said Ishan.

"No! No, wait-"

"If I wait, I'll end up yelling at you," pointed out Ishan calmly. "I don't want to yell at you, Shubi."

"Then don't yell, just listen to me-"

"Bye."

"Rohit bhaiya would never take a team he doesn't believe to be the best for-"

But Ishan had already disconnected.

***

The next time they talked, Ishan sounded normal, unbothered. Shubman thought it would be best not to bring up the whole team selection topic, which was anyway raging in the whole country. Everyone expect the Mumbai Indians fans, it seemed, were fuming at the captain's  'favouritism.'

Shubman, very honestly, did not know what to make of it. He had never faced such accusations in his whole career so far, be it domestic or IPL or international. As Ishan's friend, he sometimes thought he should ask Ishan why the hell he was listening to what stupid people were saying, but when he thought of what the stupid people were saying...the fact that Ishan hadn't made his Test debut and this was a one-off final in England...his claim that they were stupid sounded feeble even to himself.

But he believed this with all his heart...Rohit bhaiya would never take a team he did not believe to be the best for India.

Surely Ishan knew that too.

Shubman did not know why it was so difficult for him to bring up the topic with Ishan even when he could sense Ishan's constant uneasiness about it.

***

On the flight to London, Ishan slept most of the journey. 

"Ishan, Ishan, Ishan..."

"Let me sleep."

"I don't want you to sleep."

"I don't want you to talk."

Shubman pushed Ishan's shoulder to receive a much harder push back. The next time he tried to push Ishan, Ishan caught his elbow with narrowed eyes. 

Since Ishan had a horrible knack for twisting elbows, Shubman was forced to give up. "Ow! Ow! Ok, sorry! You can sleep!"

On Shubman's other side, Shami bhai vibed to a very weird song the whole journey. Bored, Shubman got out into the aisle and looked for someone to talk to. He found that in Virat bhaiya, whose neighbours, Rohit bhaiya and Ajju bhaiya were also sleeping.

So Shubman besieged him to beg Virat to narrate the memories of his best knocks Shubman remembered (a very favourite past time of his which even Virat bhaiya didn't seem to mind much).

When they got to the 2011 World Cup Final, Shubman asked, "What did you do all night?"

"I went to meet Rohit," said Virat. "You know, it was in Mumbai."

"You went to meet him? Wasn't he with you-"

"No, um, he wasn't in the squad. He didn't come to the stadium."

"Why not?"

"I dunno. Ask him. Or no. Don't."

"Why not?"

"And they say kids' why not phase starts at three and ends at four," muttered Virat. "I don't know, Shubi," he said, lowering his voice. "It wasn't easy for him to not be in the squad, with India winning in his city...and it's just...not easy to talk about it to him for me either."

Shubman unconsciously glanced back at Ishan. 

Virat bhaiya gave him a wistful smile. "Yep, it's difficult being too good at times."

***

India lost the final by more than 200 runs.

There wasn't much to be said in their camp afterwards. Thankfully their return flight to India was just the next day. Nobody wanted to stay on in London anymore.

They turned in early. After dinner, Shubman flopped down in bed on his stomach and stayed that way. Ishan kept potential mockery aside and packed up both their stuff, occasionally pausing on the way to the cupboard to ruffle Shubman's hair or rub his back.

It was shocking how messy they could have got a room in a week. Ishan finished packing after a long, long toil and went to switch off the lights.

"Will you come here?" Shubman asked simply, extending an arm with his head still hidden.

Ishan went to lie down beside Shubman on his side, and catch the extended arm to pull Shubman close to him.

"I heard Rohit bhaiya talking Jaddu bhaiya," Shubman whispered against Ishan's chest. "He said, they could forfeit all knockouts and just play group stage matches and bilaterals. Our credentials will stay the same."

"That doesn't sound like a very sensible thing to do," said Ishan.

"How do you think they stand it?" asked Shubman. "If losing one trophy hurts so much here-" He touched his own chest. "-how have they borne it ten years? Shouldn't their...hearts...have let up by now?"

Ishan pressed Shubman's hand above his chest. "I think their hearts withstand it because they've been together. And they'll always be together."

"We will also always be together, right?" Shubman sounded like he was seeking assurance and reminded Ishan of the Shubman before lockdown and Border Gavaskar trophy 2020-2021.

"Of course, Shubi," said Ishan, pulling him still closer. "Anyone who tries to not keep us together will all fail."

On his bedside table, Ishan's phone rang. He couldn't see who it was from Shubman's bed. To be honest, he didn't try too hard.

It was only after it rang five times he dislodged Shubman's head from his chest to Shubman's mumbled protests and went to get the phone.

It was Aditi who had been calling. Ishan decided against calling her back and texting instead.

Ishan: Anything wrong?

Aditi: No, but are you ok?

Ishan: Yeah, not too bad

Aditi: Call

It was midsummer, but even then Ishan found the prospect of going out and talking very cold. 

It was strange.

Any prospect except returning to Shubman seemed cold. 

'Call you tomorrow,' he typed.