It began with casual insignificant signs.

When Team India was waiting impatiently for the rain to clear during the 1st ODI vs West Indies, 2019, Yuzi saw Kuldeep and Manish exchanging a glance.

"We've endured worse waits," said Manish.

"A lot worse," said Kuldeep fervently.

"Meaning?" Yuzi asked.

"The 2017 Eliminator!" they both said, sounding nostalgic.

"We'd bundled SRH out below 130, but then it started raining awfully in Bangalore, Yuzi," explained Kuldeep. "SRH had qualified as 3rd, so you know... we'd have been eliminated if the rain hadn't stopped."

Manish grinned. "Thankfully, it did."

"Then you and Robbie and Narine got out," said Kuldeep, shaking his head. "In a chase of 48!"

"Hey, we won," said Manish. Then he seemed to fall silent.

Kuldeep and Yuzi studied him, Yuzi in confusion but Kuldeep with understanding.

"What happened now?" demanded Yuzi.

"It was his last victory with KKR," whispered Kuldeep.

"So?" said Yuzi. "Do you miss KKR or something?"

"Yuzi!" said Kuldeep in exasperation.

"Of course I do," say Mahish incredulously. "It was more than a team... we played together for 4 years," he said wistfully. "Most of my best friends are still in KKR."

Judging by Kuldeep and Manish standing shoulder to shoulder, Kuldeep fell in that category of best friends, thought Yuzi grimly.

"And the Eden crowd," said Kuldeep.

"And SRK," said Manish.

"And Kolkata itself...our second home," said Kuldeep, his voice full of unexpected love.

"The City of Joy," said Manish sadly.

Kuldeep and Manish had the same second home, too. Yuzi tried to brush off the thoughts, annoyed.

But they kept coming back.

__________

Neither Yuzi not Manish were in the playing XI during the 2nd ODI, and they were sitting in the dugout. Kuldeep came up to field on the boundary near them.

After a while Kuldeep looked back between two balls and gestured for a drink. Yuzi was about to get up, but before he could, Manish had grabbed an orange drink--Kuldeep's favourite, as Yuzi knew as well--and ran to the boundary.

So Yuzi didn't get up after all and tried to look in any direction but the one in which Manish and Kuldeep were standing together.

It doesn't mean anything, Yuzi told himself sternly. Of course it doesn't.

__________

That day, after dinner, a few of them were lazing around in the dining hall and chatting.

The conversation turned to the female fan following they got and how strange it seemed at first. Hardik, of course, was in his element, though Bhuvi's strict gaze kept him slightly subdued.

"Manish has got heaps of female fans," said Kuldeep, smirking. "There are all kinds of Manish Pandey fanclubs with female admins on social media."

"I was always better than you in that respect, Kuliya," said Manish with a touch of arrogance.

Yuzi cringed when Kuldeep didn't protest at Manish calling him 'Kuliya'. He always protested when Yuzi called him that!

"I'm poor in that respect altogether," said Kuldeep with an ungrudging laugh.

"Except the only time a fangirl called you. In South Africa, remember?" said Yuzi wickedly, for a moment forgetting that Manish was also there.

"Not the only time," said Manish immediately, and Yuzi tried hard not to scowl. "Someone had called you before the Eliminator of 2016, right?"

"Only a KKR fan," said Kuldeep.

"With a special interest in you," added Manish, and they both grinned.

By now, Yuzi was glaring at the ground.

Kuldeep and Manish had a whole history between the two of them, because they had played together for KKR for four whole years. Yuzi realised with a sinking heart that he had known Kuldeep for only three years--not even three full years.

Yuzi knew Manish didn't mean anything bad, but he couldn't help resenting him fiercely from the core of his heart.

__________

Yuzi felt that it was increasingly becomimg a Yuzi-Kuldeep-Manish trio more than his and Kuldeep's duo, though he could barely speak to Manish properly.

It was not a change he could like, but for Kuldeep's sake, he had to tolerate it, at least.

Few days later, Kuldeep looked into his and Yuzi's joint room and called, "We're going out for coffee, Yuzi. Are you coming?"

We, not I.

"I--I've got a headache, Kuldeep, I'll pass," said Yuzi convincingly.

Kuldeep rushed to Yuzi at once.

"Have you got fever?" he asked anxiously, touching Yuzi's forehead.

"No, no, it's just a headache," said Yuzi, lying down on the bed.

"I'll not go, then."

"Kuldeep! It's just a headache, I told you," said Yuzi firmly. "And I'm going to sleep too. You go out with Manish."

Kuldeep turned reluctantly to go out, switching off the light on the way.

"Get well soon!"

"Yeah, whatever," muttered Yuzi resentfully. Then he felt bad about resenting Kuldeep, because honestly speaking, none of it was his fault. Nor Manish's.

It was only his stupid jealousy.

Yuzi almost felt a real headache coming on, because jealousy was like a disease that made you physically sick, too.

I'll talk to Kuldeep and see what he says, Yuzi decided finally.

___________

Yuzi had fallen asleep by the time Kuldeep came back. Kuldeep entered the dark room quietly and whispered, "Are you awake, Yuzi?"

There was no answer. Deciding not to disturb Yuzi, Kuldeep turned to go out again, but his knee bumped against the cupboard in the darkness.

"Kuldeep?" came Yuzi's voice at once.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up!" cried Kuldeep guiltily.

"It's ok, I just fell asleep minutes ago," said Yuzi.

"Are you feeling better?" Kuldeep switched on the light and went up to Yuzi's bed.

Kuldeep thought that Yuzi looked rather pale.

"I really think you might be going down with fever," said Kuldeep, sounding extremely concerned, and Yuzi did not want to lie to him anymore.

"Of course not. I didn't even have a headache," admitted Yuzi.

Kuldeep looked surprised.

"Did you lie because you didn't want to come along with us?"

Kuldeep sounded genuinely hurt, and Yuzi started feeling bad. "I just didn't want to intrude upon you and Manish, that's all."

"Intrude?" said Kuldeep, confused.

"Yes, well, you and Manish have known each other for years and years, and of course I don't blame you for wanting to be with him all the time," said Yuzi, but the resentment in his voice couldn't be clearer.

"That's not fair, Yuzi!" cried Kuldeep. "I don't feel annoyed when you and Rohit bhai spend time together!"

"That's different," said Yuzi coolly. "You know perfectly well that it'll always be Virat for Rohit. But you and Manish act like best friends all the time, and..." Yuzi clenched his fists. "Not that I...mind... I'm not telling you not to be his best friend or anything..."

Yuzi didn't sound cold anymore, he sounded plain hurt, and a horrified Kuldeep stared at him, wide-eyed.

Yuzi wouldn't look at him, but Kuldeep still noticed that Yuzi's face had gone white.

"It's not like that, Yuzi," said Kuldeep, almost desperately. "Obviously Manish has been my closest friend--for--a very long time...maybe even my best friend--but..."

The look that passed over Yuzi's face for a fleeting moment brought Kuldeep on the verge of tears.

"...but it's different with you, Yuzi--you and I..." Kuldeep tried to say what he was feeling, but it wasn't easy. "We're not even--not, like, different persons, are we? They all know us as KulCha, not Kuldeep and Yuzi--and... it's like... you're part of me... and... without you, there's no me."

Yuzi looked at Kuldeep finally.

"That sounded weird," said Kuldeep hastily. "But..."

"Without me, there's no you," repeated Yuzi.

Kuldeep nodded.

"Mean it?" Yuzi met Kuldeep's eyes.

"Yes! Don't you feel the same too?" cried Kuldeep eagerly.

"Without you, there's no me," said Yuzi thoughtfully. "You know what, that's exactly how I feel!"

Yuzi's eyes had lit up, and when Yuzi said that, Kuldeep's eyes lit up too. They grasped each other's hands simultaneously, suddenly feeling completely at peace.

"Now I don't mind you and Manish behaving like best friends," said Yuzi generously.

"You shouldn't have minded in the first place," said Kuldeep. "Because without you, there's no me. And without me, there's no you."

It felt particularly satisfying to Kuldeep to repeat that line. Yuzi laughed and grabbed Kuldeep in one of his smothering hugs.

"Without you, there's no me," whispered Yuzi, and Kuldeep, for once, hugged him back just as smotheringly.

A/N: I