Rohit saw Coulter Nile's delivery hit Shikhar's hand with awful force first hand, 22 yards away. And he knew straightaway that it wasn't a blow that could just be subdued with a pain killer and spray.

Rohit saw Shikhar's face screwing up in pain quite a few times during their partnership, but it was Australia, so Shikhar just gritted his teeth and held on.

Virat saw it too, and he almost got himself run out trying to make Shikhar reach his century. Rohit cheered loudest from the balcony. He wanted to shout in Shikhar's ears, "I'm so proud of you!"

And he did shout that, when Shikhar came back.

And he whispered it more than once when the doctor was examining Shikhar's injury.

____________

"Shikhar Dhawan out for 5 matches."

Shikhar, very rarely for him, was spotted without a smile on his face that evening.

Rohit wouldn't leave his side.

"You'll be back before the semis, Shikh," said Rohit. "You won us the Australia match--we'll reach the semis easily now even without you."

Shikhar said nothing.

"I know you wanted to play this World Cup," said Rohit sadly. "But look at the positive side of things, that's what you do, Gabbar!"

After a few days, with his team rallying around him, Shikhar got his smile back.

"How was opening today?" Shikhar asked Rohit teasingly after the Pakistan match.

"Sucks without you," said Rohit honestly.

"And today?" asked Shikhar after the Afghanistan match.

"Still sucks!"

In the meantime, the doctors kept examining his injury, and suddenly one day, without warning, it was declared that Shikhar was ruled out of the entire tournament.

The entire team was in shock. Let alone the team, the whole nation was in shock.

This could not be happening.

Shikhar Dhawan had always been India's 'God of ICC tournaments'.

How could they win a WC without him?

"How am I going to open in the entire tournament without you?" cried Rohit frantically.

Seeing that Rohit was panicking, Shikhar forced himself to speak cheerfully.

"Rahul's not bad, Ro, you'll get used to him."

"Rahul isn't you, Shikh!"

"Funnily enough, I knew that."

"Don't joke," groaned Rohit. "It's all over. Our WC dream is over."

"Rohit--" said Shikhar.

"No good hoping anymore, we might as well go back..."

Shikhar grabbed Rohit's shoulders, forcing Rohit to look at him.

"It's up to you now. To support Virat. To take us through."

"I can't!" cried Rohit.

"You can," said Shikhar firmly. "You can, Rohit. I'll be cheering every single run of yours back in India. I'll be beside you every time you open."

Rohit and Shikhar stared at each other.

Then Rohit looked away and said, "I won't let you down."

The next day, the entire team went to see Shikhar off at the airport, and Rohit grew quite teary.

"I'll miss you so much, Shikh," he mumbled in his partner's ear as they hugged for a last time.

"I'll be beside you, just remember that."

____________

Rohit didn't let Shikhar down.

At the end of the league stage, Rohit had scored a record 5 centuries, and was the highest run scorer, ruling the batting charts. India safely got into the semis courtesy Rohit Sharma.

"Opening without you feels so... lonely," Rohit told Shikhar over the phone one day.

"I know I'd feel the same."

Suddenly Rohit realised that in all these days, he had never once considered what Shikhar must be going through, he had been so focused on his own plight at having to open alone (or so it seemed to him.)

"Shikhar--are you fine?"

"Of course I'm fine. It's your team you should be concerned about."

Oh no, oh no, how had he not noticed Shikhar's wistfulness earlier?

Why could he say?

It was easy to deal with a hurt Virat, because Virat started acting like a jerk and let everyone read him like an open book.

But Shikhar had always kept up his cheerful facade, no matter what. He hadn't complained even once.

"You're thinking about how to comfort me," came Shikhar's wicked voice. "Don't worry, I'll let you know when I'm in need of comfort."

"Thanks," said Rohit warmly, rolling his eyes.

But he was so proud of Shikhar.

So damn proud.

___________

On the eve of the semi final, Shikhar called Rohit again.

"Just two more matches, Ro. Two more big scores, as Virat said."

"Yeah..."

"How're you feeling?"

"Terrified."

"Understandable. But you guys can do it, Rohit. I know you can."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Shikh."

"Don't mention it," said Shikhar with heavy sarcasm. "Go to sleep now. Best of luck for tomorrow."

"Good night mom."

"Good night dad."

__________

After India lost in the semi final, Shikhar felt that being forced to watch Rohit breaking down on the TV, being forcefully kept away from Rohit during those moments was pure torture.

Somehow consoling Rohit over the phone wasn't the same as holding him and telling him that he was proud of Rohit, too.

_________

Rohit and Shikhar finally met before India left for the West Indies, and the moment they hugged each other hard without being able to speak for some time was when they both realised just how much they had missed the other.

Opening finally felt normal to Rohit again.

Shikhar failed in all three T20s and in the first ODI as well, and Rohit watched him getting dismissed from the other end, each time feeling more upset.

Shikhar deserved a better comeback, Rohit kept thinking. He had been so strong in the last two months; Shikhar had been strong for Rohit, and Rohit wished he could do something for his best partner.

Which was why, when, during the third ODI, Shikhar failed to respond to Rohit's call in time and was in the danger of a definite run out if he started running then, Rohit turned back without hesitation and dived for the danger end himself, getting himself run out.

But Rohit didn't mind.

Shikhar deserved it all--and more.

He was so proud of Shikhar, Rohit thought again as he walked off, and then he cheered every run of Shikhar's from the team balcony.

Because some partnerships on and off the field transcend all boundaries.