In his defense, Mayank had really not had any idea his team would mess up 1 needed off 1 that badly to take the game into the Super Over after he was dismissed in the 20th over against the Delhi Capitals. When he came back to the dugout, the mood in the camp was pretty light.

"Couldn't have finished it off, I suppose," Rahul greeted him.

Mayank stumbled; he wasn't even acting. The heat was tremendous, and his feet felt badly cramped.

"I've got these awful cramps," he told Rahul with a very realistic groan.

Everyone around looked at him. Rahul masked the flash of concern in his eyes with a offhanded, "Cut the drama, mate."

Mayank, disappointed with his failure, plopped down beside him with another hyper realistic groan.

The physio asked Mayank if he needed any help.

Mayank, deciding to play the hero, shook his head, though he grabbed a bottle of water and chugged it down in five seconds. Rahul rolled his eyes.

Mayank began hunting for another bottle because his thirst had, by no means, been satiated.

"Move!" he ordered Rahul, as he tried to reach the carton on the farthest end of the bench.

Rahul sighed and passed him the carton, and eyed Mayank suspiciously and he started drinking from the second bottle at top speed too.

"You really got cramps?" asked Rahul after a while.

"D'you think I was lying—" Mayank's third realistic groan was cut off with Jordan's wicket. "Damn!" he cried, realizing that the match which had been within arm's reach had gone into the Super Over.

Rahul had his head in his hands. So had half the dugout.

Mayank began to feel guilty. If only he hadn't been going for the glory shot in the 2nd last ball...it'd have been such an easy victory!!

"Great, now move yourself, K," said Mayank, pulling his best friend's hands away from his face. "We've gotta go down to bat now."

Rahul reluctantly stood up, looking really morosed.

Mayank tried to stand up too, but his feet gave way beneath him, and he bumped down again. Rahul caught his arms on instinct, this time unable to mask his concern.

"Just—just a second," said Mayank, mortified. He hadn't realized how badly the dehydration and rapid rehydration had cramped him.

"You can't go down in this state," said Rahul.

"It's just six balls, I'll manage," said Mayank, trying to stand up again. To his relief, he didn't fall this time. "You can sub someone in the second half."

Rahul looked up and down Mayank, trying to judge the scenario. Mayank took a cautious step forward and tried not to wince.

How could he run with feet that refused to listen to him?

I'll make them listen to me, thought Mayank sternly. Once he was outside in the field, he'd forget the cramps altogether, he knew.

"Sit," said Rahul, pushing him down on the bench again. "Nick and I'll go."

"Now, seriously, Rahul..."

"You look dead on your feet," said Rahul sternly. "You definitely can't go down now."

Mayank glared at Rahul, unable to believe that he was really saying that.

Rahul glared right back at him, and Mayank pushed himself up again, because with him sitting and Rahul standing, the latter really had a rotten upper hand.

When their glare reached a deadlock, Rahul did the typical coward KL Rahul thing—he appealed to their staff, who pronounced at once that Mayank was not to go out.

Mayank glared at Rahul's back right till he and Nick reached the crease. After that he let his face relax and crossed his fingers.

Not that his fingers were of any use; KXIP lost in the Super Over spectacularly, and the country turned on Rahul for being such a terrible captain, such a jealous human being for keeping the set Mayank Agarwal out for personal glory.

Mayank saw the articles and snorted.

"Look," he told Rahul later that night when Rahul had almost drifted off in Mayank's room.

Rahul opened a sleepy eye and took in the headline.

"Yeah, I'm green, Mayu..." he mumbled. "Green with envy."

Before Mayank could berate the nickname, Rahul was asleep again. The AC was on in full blast, of course, and Mayank tried to throw a blanket on top of Rahul, but his entire body groaned in protest at the micro movement.

Let him sleep in the cold, thought Mayank sarcastically, but he did ignore the protests of his arms and feet and struggle to ensure that Rahul wouldn't wake up shivering at night.

____________

Mayank couldn't remember the last time he'd been so excited as when Rahul was decimating RCB in the last two overs after having reached his century.

You know that phrase...'can't keep still'?

Mayank couldn't relate more. When the innings ended, he stood up and clapped and jumped in the balcony, almost ADHD for the time being. The support staff beside him smiled indulgently and said, "He played well..."

"Too right he did!" cried Mayank, giving a very hard high five to him.

The poor man winced. Mayank's palm was stinging too, but who cared?

Rahul trudged into the dressing room, his face an expressionless mask as usual.

"God, K, can't you smile?" demanded Mayank, rushing over to smother him in a bear hug.

"Don't overreact," warned Rahul. "We haven't won yet."

"Right, Mr Pessimism," said Mayan, rolling his eyes and looking for an energy drink. "Or Mr Captain, whatever."

Rahul grimly accepted the drink.

"Or Rahuliya," added Mayanl snidely.

Rahul stopped drinking and narrowed his eyes.

"Who told you about that name?" he demanded.

"Guess who?" Mayank winked.

"Wait 'til I catch Virat," muttered Rahul, sitting down on a couch, drained out.

"You can relate with my cramps last day, can you now?" asked Mayank.

"I most certainly cannot," said Rahul, jumping up again. He had not caught the cramps as bad as Mayank that day, somehow. "I'm a darn sight fitter than you, Mayu."

"Sure thing, Rahuliya," said Mayank obligingly.

Rahul groaned. You just couldn't fight back when the opponent called you 'Rahuliya.' He'd definitely give Virat a piece of his mind for spreading that awful nickname around. Er...after he'd settled the issue of him dropping two catches when Rahul was in the 80s.

Mayank spotted the Orange cap lying beside Rahul and snatched it up, his eyes alight.

"Hey, why aren't you wearing it?" He pushed the cap on Rahul's head violently, almost making the latter choke on his drink.

"Can you stop being so annoying for like two minutes, Mayank?"

"Ok, ok," said Mayank, crestfallen that the reason of his excitement was so un-excited himself.

"If you like this cap so much, keep it till we go down to field," said Rahul patronizingly.

Quite unoffended, Mayank flashed him a grin and tried the orange cap himself.

Rahul couldn't help grinning back at his best friend's crazy excitement for him.

__________

That night, going by the trend, you'd expect Mayank to fall asleep first, right? But once again Rahul was the one snoring (well, he didn't snore, but it was a figure of speech) and Mayank throwing the blanket on top of him.

Nice how he always had to play the dad, but he could live with it.

As he never forgot to remind Rahul a single day, Mayank was his elder.

.