***

Everyone who had ever known Rahul Tripathi for half a day had a soft spot for him.

He was like sunshine. Or moonshine, because he was so soft-spoken. He made things better simply by being present. He loved people unobtrusively, and they loved him unobtrusively in return.

In some ways, Nitish reflected, he's like Rinku.

He still remembered the auction day of 2022 vividly.

***

12th February, 2022

He'd kept his fingers crossed from the night before. I always colour my hair purple, he prayed. Give me what I want and I'll colour it golden too, this time. 

And he did get what he wanted.

KKR outbid everyone for him shortly after noon, and he was back where he belonged.

Afterwards, he could relax and watch the auction. KKR got back Rinku. KKR got back Mavi. Two of Nitish's favourite people in the team. KKR got back Pat. They already had Venky, VC, Narine and Dre from their retentions. And Nitish began to hope that maybe in spite of the absence of DK bhai and Shubi, the upcoming IPL seasons would not feel that alien.

Till Rahul's name came up in the last pool of Indian batters for the day. KKR's purse was the lowest amongst all ten teams, just having spent 8 crores on Mavi; they stood no chance. SRH took him.

It had taken Nitish a while to grasp the idea of Rahul being absent from the camp. The silent, supportive, smile-spreading existence that was Rahul Tripathi...absent from their camp.

It would take a lot longer to come to terms with it.

***

21st May, 2024

And as destiny--or God's plan--would have it, KKR was playing the Qualifier 1 with SRH, and Rahul was going great guns after four quick wickets. 

Till Samad cut to Russell at short backward point, who fielded brilliantly and threw to Gurbaz, who was about to throw the ball on instinct to the bowler--because it had supposed to be such an easy run. He found, however, Tripathi standing at mid pitch--just standing--and took off the bails.

It could only be called a brainfade.

As KKR wildly celebrated the unexpected stroke of luck that gifted them the wicket of SRH's last hope, Rahul could hardly being himself to leave the field. He only went as far as the stairs to the dressing room, where he sat with his head in his knees, the picture of dejection.

He wasn't aware of how many players from the opposition took in the sight, not in triumph but in concern.

__________________

Nitish left the celebrations--they'd won the Qualifier 1 on a canter, with Venky and Shreyas running amok with the low total--right after the Presentation and slipped away to the SRH dressing room, where he could find everyone but the one he was looking for.

"Congrats," Pat said with an ungrudging salute.

"Thanks," said Nitish, distractedly. "Where's Rahul?"

"Left with the first bus," said Pat, tone changing into concern, too. "He's a fair bit upset with himself."

"Yeah, we could see that...I think I'll leave with our first bus to the hotel to see if he's--"

"D'you think I haven't tried?" said Pat. "Go on, though, I'll join you, I'm coming with our next bus." 

"Right."

Nitish sprinted out only to find that KKR's first bus had already left. No one knew who had authorized it, because Gauti bhai hadn't and Shreyas hadn't--but since taking off the bus unauthorized was exactly what Nitish had been intending to do, he did not comment. Instead, he chose to take a cab to the hotel without telling anyone.

By the time he reached SRH's quarters, it dawned on him that he didn't know where Rahul's room was--both teams having arrived just yesterday afternoon, they'd only met during practice on the field.

When he called Pat, the ringtone blared behind him in the corridor. He turned to find the owner of the phone striding over to him.

"At least I beat you to it," said Nitish. "Which one's his room?"

"Won't tell you," said Pat. "Then you can't beat me to it."

Nitish tried to come up with a retort.

"Then I'd call him and ask myself--he never turns down a call, even if he's upset, even if he's sleeping."

"Point," said Pat with his easygoing smile. "C'mon."

They'd reached the other end of he corridor when a voice hailed them.

"Nitish! Pat!"

It was Venky, who, it appeared, was already in the hotel, still in his jersey.

"D'you know which one is Rahul's room, Nitish?" he asked. "Oh right, Pat--you'd know--"

"Yeah," said Pat. "We were going exactly there, in fact."

"Did you take the bus?" Nitish demanded.

"What bus?" asked Venky.

Nitish rolled his eyes. "Don't you act innocent with me."

"I didn't take any bus--which bus are we talking of again?"

"Enough about the bus," said Pat, all commanding.

Nitish and Venky gawked at him.

"What?" asked Pat.

"Two years of international captaincy," drawled Nitish, "and you finally grow a bit of personality."

"They don't listen to anything I say, though," said Pat, glumly. "And Starcy eggs them all not to."

"Starcy listens to Shreyas," said Venky snidely.

"Who is younger to you," added Nitish, "and not even an international captain."

Which left Pat looking even more glum, which made Venky say remorsefully, "But he loves you anyway, you know! He's always talking about you."

"Tell him what he says, too," Nitish encouraged, since Starcy used Pat's reference all the time to tease.

"Better not," said Venky.

Pat stalked ahead of them.

When they reached Rahul's room, they heard people talking inside. Two of them, at least.

"You said he's not been talking to anyone since the match ended!" said Nitish. "He's been cheating you, Pat!"

Venky sniggered. Pat rapped on the door.

The door was opened by VC.

Before they could start to express their surprise, Rahul came up to pull them in, smiling.

He always smiled, and the thing was he didn't even need to fake it. Around people he loved (whose count was very high), he always smiled geniunely.

"I told you I didn't take the bus," Venky told Nitish.

"Did you take the bus or did someone else also come to check on Rahul?" Nitish asked VC.

It would've been tactless with most people, but Rahul's eyes went even warmer than usual as he said, "It means a lot you all came. I'm almost not at all upset about my brainfade anymore."

VC's eyebrows flew up. That's not what I saw so far.

"Honestly," Rahul told him. "You could...you could say I took KKR to two finals."

"Oh, no, you didn't," said Nitish, competitive spirit jumping to the fore. "You took us to the 2021 one, definitely, but not today. We would've chased down what you gave us even if you hadn't got yourself run out."

VC gave Nitish a stoic look. We're trying to cheer him up, bro.

Venky flashed Rahul a cheeky smile.

"Maybe your heart took over your brain mid pitch," he said. "Maybe your heart wanted KKR to win."

At that, Rahul gave him a flat, unsmiling look, which for him was equivalent to a glare, and Venky figured that hadn't been the wisest thing to say, either.

Pat rescued him the bother of covering up by saying, "Anyway, we'll get them in the finals."

"You'll get us? You'll get us, Pat?" said Venky, unable to resist. "You're both still Knights. You'll always be Knights. Doesn't being a Knight sound better than being a... Sunriser, or whatever you are...what are you? What even is a Sunriser?"

Then they were all laughing, Nitish's arm around Rahul and Pat trying to grab Venky's arm, who was trying to get behind VC, and they could have all been Knights, having won a Qualifier 1 together on a canter. Or, even if three of them had won and two had lost, it didn't matter.

Somewhere deep inside, they would all always be Knights, too.

***

A/N: Whoever was there or not there, Rahul Tripathi was supposed to be there in purple and gold on 26th May 2024. The present KKR team is incomplete without him.