ICT ONE-SHOTS (FRIENDSHIP)

Come back--and never leave ('Us')

Ash: Calm down Vi

Ash: How about you call Jaddu's number and ask him to add us on conference

<Virat still throwing a tantrum>

<Bhuvi comes online and quickly reads the messages>

***

Jaddu's phone rang. Bhuvi, it said.

"Hold on a sec, Ro--" Jaddu put aside Jinks' phone and received Bhuvi's call.

"What is the big news, Jaddu? Virat's going mad," said Bhuvi anxiously.

"Rohit still hasn't divulged it," wailed Jaddu. "He keeps calling us wastrels."

"Well, you are a bit of a wastrel," Bhuvi pointed out gently.

"What is a wast--"

Bhuvi broke in with command. "Add us all on conference call, please. And make sure you add Virat first of all."

"I will if you tell me the meaning of wast--"

"I don't want to hear another word about wastrels," said Bhuvi firmly, and disconnected.

***

Conference call, ICT

"So there's a good news," began Rohit, who was still impatient, shaking, a mess of emotions and furious at being kept from contacting Jinks by a wastrel of a phone hijacker. "A good news the sort of which none of you've considered--"

"Something to do with my best friend," said Virat in a tremendous voice. "And if you try to keep me in suspense for one second more, Rohit Sharma--"

"Where's Mahi bhai?" asked Rohit.

"Outside," said Jaddu. "Unavailable to take calls."

"ROHIT--" This time it was both Virat and Shikhar who yelled.

"Jinks is going to the WTC final," blurted out Rohit.

Silence.

Then someone cheered. Possibly Hardik. Kuldeep and Yuzi joined in. Jaddu whooped and jumped up on the bed so high he almost hit the ceiling fan.

Jinks blinked up sleepily. "What are you doing, Jaddu?"

"YES," shrieked Jaddu. "YES!"

Jinks, figuring Jaddu was up to one of his usual annoying sprees, covered his ears with his pillow, turned over and closed his eyes again.

"JINKS BHAIYA IS GOING TO THE FINAL," screeched Jassi. They were redundant words, but he could be forgiven for them, because Jinks bhaiya was Jassi's star. "JINKS BHAIYA IS GOING TO THE FINAL, JINKS BHAIYA IS GOING TO THE FINAL--"

"You convinced them," said Pujji, voice unusually loud with emotion. "I wasn't sure the selectors were ready to consider him again--Rohit, you're a genius--"

"And Jinks," said Ash in a funny tone. "He did his best to help Rohit along in the Ranji and the IPL, didn't he?"

"He did," said Shikhar. "He did."

"Have you told him, Jaddu bhai?" Kuldeep shouted.

"HE IS PRETENDING TO SLEEP AHAHA!"

"I'm a bit tired, Jad," said Jinks politely. "If you could please continue this yelling and jumping an hour later..."

There was one person who had been suspiciously silent all along.

"Virat?" said Bhuvi. "Virat, are you there?"