Hardik and jealous? Never! Hardik was a mature guy who understood that a person is allowed to have more than one friend. He had no issues with Mayank being one of Rahul's best friends. He had no problem whatsoever! If that's what you thought then you're completely deluded! Hardik was an absolute jealous bean. It didn't matter to him that his circle of acquaintances was big, but when it came to his friends, the boy seriously struggled to share whoever was close to him.

It could have been childhood insecurity. When they were kids, Krunal had a lot of friends, while Hardik realized that making friends didn't come easily to him. Instead of making friends, he claimed Krunal's friends as his own. But boy, did it irk him when Krunal would get too caught up with his friends!

If Krunal got a monkey hanging off his back the entire time he was with his friends, then he simply thought of it being part of being a big brother. But Hardik's jealousy wasn't limited to only Krunal. As he became part of the Indian Cricket team, his jealousy made its way there as well.

He was always pouting when Mahi Bhai would take any youngster under his wing. Well, not only youngsters, but he was slightly jealous when a teammate would get between him and MSD when he was with his Mahi Bhai.

He wasn't too happy of Yuzi being cozy with Rohit or Ishan whining to his MI captain after a bad match. It even got to a point where Ritika had to laugh and signal to Rohit that a certain jealous little brother was watching Rohit cuddle up to Yuzi for a cheeky Instagram picture.

If Rohit was swinging an arm around Hardik, pulling the boy in a headlock as Ritika subtly took a picture for memories then nobody was going to point out how they were quietly sorting out a jealous kid.

Hardik hated anybody getting in between him and Jassi or between him and Bhuvi, so sharing Rahul with anyone was a big no-no for Hardik. To be honest, Mayank and Rahul were friends before Hardik was even in the picture, but Hardik didn't see it like this. He had been through highs and lows with Rahul, so he assumed that he was Rahul's only best friend but imagine how his jealousy flared when Mayank joined the Indian cricket team. He would have perhaps been alright with Mayank but post the Koffee with Karan fiasco, Hardik started having trust issues.

~~**~~

"I'm done with Hardik. He is an idiot that doesn't think before doing anything," Rahul fumed as he barged through his hotel room.

"Tell me something new, Rah," Mayank chuckled as he watched Rahul throw himself on the bed and bury his head in the pillows.

"Oh, come on, Rahul! How was I supposed to know that the girl will post the selfie online?" Hardik sheepishly said, following Rahul to the room.

"She asked you for a picture! Of course, she is going to brag about it," Rahul mumbled in the pillows.

"So what? It's just a picture" Hardik shrugged.

"Just a picture? It was a selfie in front of a nightclub and that too, a day before the match. Just a picture, he says," Rahul fumed.

"We weren't in the nightclub, Rah. We went for a walk, got stopped by a fan who asked for a picture. What can I do if it happened to be in front of a nightclub?" Hardik huffed.

"He isn't serious, is he?" Rahul asked Mayank, sitting up in the bed, "Oh my God, what kind of an idiot is he? Doesn't he know that media isn't going to think of all that! People are going to say that we were partying a day before an important match."

"Since when do people matter, Rahul?" Hardik innocently pointed out.

"What they say has always mattered to me, Hardik! Maybe not to you, that's why you're so carefree, but I'm not you, Hardik. I can't suffer another blow to my career because of a stupid issue where I wasn't even to be blamed" Rahul let his anger take over, not noticing how quickly Hardik's face changed from whining to shock.

"Rahul, calm down," Mayank mumbled, grabbing Rahul by his shoulders.

So far, Mayank had been quiet, but he could see that things were going out of hand, so he decided to shut Rahul up first, and then he would sort out the issue with Hardik, but when he looked back, the boy was already gone.

~~**~~

You can never keep a secret on the Indian Cricket team. By morning, the entire team had learned that Rahul and Hardik had a fight and if someone didn't know, then Hardik being a lost soul on the team bus confirmed it.

As Hardik climbed the bus, he noticed that Rahul was sitting with Mayank. He felt a pang of jealousy grip his heart but brushed it off as he went to Bhuvi.

"I sit you with Bhuv?" Hardik asked.

Bhuvi was in no mood to hear Hardik whining about Rahul so early in the morning, but he didn't have the heart to say no to the kid. So he nodded and let Hardik claim the window seat, but he was in for a surprise when Hardik simply popped his earphones in and shut his eyes, letting his head fall on Bhuvi's shoulders.

Bhuvi looked up pointedly at Virat, patting Hardik's knee as if to say 'fix this.'

~~**~~

Virat meant to speak to Hardik and Rahul, but he got caught up with the match. Meanwhile, Mayank thought of being the mature one out of the three and solve Hardik and Rahul's issue. He approached Rahul first.

"You shouldn't have spoken to Hardik like that," Mayank told Rahul.

"I can't believe you're taking his side. You're my best friend," Rahul accused.

"It's not about being a best friend. I'm just saying that Hardik was right to say that people don't matter. Bringing the Koffee with Karan thing was a low blow, Rah," Mayank calmly explained to the boy.

"Oh, so someone has a new best friend. Now he is right, and I'm wrong," Rahul chided.

"When you are angry, Rahul, you don't think!" Mayank pointed out.

"Go to your new best friend then," Rahul shouted.

"Incorrigible you are!" Mayank yelled back, "I don't want to talk to you ever again."

Too angry at Rahul, Mayank went down to get some fresh air when he noticed Hardik and approached him.

"Is he still angry?" Hardik asked.

"He is an idiot," Mayank said, sitting by the boy's side.

"I know that I dragged him in that Koffee with Karan mess, but I sincerely regret it," Hardik mumbled in a soft voice that had Mayank wincing.

"He knows!" Mayank said, squeezing Hardik's knee.

"If he knew, he wouldn't have said so" Hardik shook his head.

"Rah didn't mean it," Mayank blurted out.

"Of course, you'd take his side. You're his best friend!" Hardik accused, "Who am I? No one!"

"Hello idiot, you can't seriously be jealous right now! You're as much his best friend as I am," Mayank scolded the boy, "Right now, the issue is yours and Rahul's fight."

"See, even you're shouting," Hardik sniffled, "Go away! Go to your best friend."

"God, why do I have to deal with idiots everywhere? I don't want to see your face ever! Have fun being a jealous soul," Mayank face-palmed as he walked away.

Hardik pouted, choosing to wallow in self-pity rather than doing anything to solve his fight.

~~**~~

Virat could swear that he would end with more grey hairs because of his kiddos rather than of age. Early morning, he approached Rohit.

"So the kids fought," Virat sighed, "I wonder what Hardik has done now!"

"Is it always Hardik's fault? Can't it be that of Rahul?" Rohit pointed out.

"My Rahul never does anything wrong," Virat confidently answered.

"Excuse me, boys, we already have one fight to resolve! Should we focus on that, bacchon?" MS said.

The two men nodded, each turning in a direction to go and look for their kid.

"Hardik, Rahul is your best friend, kiddo. You can't fight with your best friend," Rohit whispered, sitting next to Hardik.

"I'm not his best friend. Mayank is his best friend," Hardik pouted.

"Hardik, baccha... Virat is my best friend but does that mean I don't like Jinks? Jinks completes our trio. Come on! You can't let this jealousy issue overshadow all your good qualities, baccha." Rohit explained.

Hardik looked up at Rohit, eyes full of tears, "Rahul said I don't think before I say anything, and then he ends up getting blamed too, but I didn't mean it, Rohit bhaiyya! Now Mayank thinks I'm a jealous soul too. I don't want to fight with them."

Rohit easily grabbed the kid who threw himself in his arms, smiling over the boy's shoulder as he rubbed Hardik's back.

Rahul was in a similar situation as Hardik. He, too, was upset after having fought his best friends.

"I didn't mean to bring the Koffee with Karan issue in our discussion, but Hardik wasn't understanding how his one stupid selfie could bring us trouble," Rahul mumbled on Virat's shoulder, not ready to let go of the man yet.

Thankfully, Virat understood as he simply held the boy, nodding, "I know. Hardik doesn't think much, but you know he doesn't mean harm."

"I know. He is an idiot. But now he isn't talking to me, and Mayank is upset too," Rahul sobbed.

"There is only one solution to this kiddo," Virat said, smiling at Rahul.

~~**~~

"I'm so sorry! Next time, I'll ask you before taking a selfie with anyone" Hardik wiped his tears as he apologized to Rahul.

"You're an absolute idiot, Hardik, but then you're my idiot," Rahul laughed tearfully as he pulled Hardik in a hug.

"We need to apologize to Mayank too," Hardik sniffled, pulling back from Rahul.

"No need," Mayank said, "I know that both of you are idiots."

"But then we're your idiots," Rahul smiled as Mayank braced himself for the impact of having two best friends jumping onto him.

~~**~~

Hardik being jealous of someone wasn't something new, nor was it something that could be resolved easily. When it comes to Rahul, he probably will always be slightly jealous of Mayank's bond with his best friend, but then as Rohit mentioned, your best friend can have best friends, and he'll still be your best friend. And maybe, Hardik too could have many best friends.

Already he had Rahul, Jassi, and Bhuvi and maybe, Mayank could be added to that list too. So, if Mayank finds a jealous bean sticking by his side pouting because he spent too long talking to someone who wasn't himself, then Mayank will know that he has gotten another best friend in Hardik.

~~**~~

A/N

Dedicated to MithleshSachan!

To be honest, I kind of struggled to fit Mayank in this hence, I filled in some Virat-Rahul, a glimpse of MS with Rohirat, and my fav Rohit-Hardik bonding. I hope it didn't come out too bad.

I've been taking some time to update this book, but I hope that you people will like this new chapter.

Please read, vote and comment.

I'm very thankful to everyone who voted or left a comment!