Behind the Scenes: World Cup 2023

A bunch of sappy people

5th November, India vs South Africa

When Virat got on the bus and wove through to the back seats (for a backbencher's inner nature never really changed), he was most displeased to see Shreyas clinging to Rohit, looking at him sappily.

Virat knew that sappy look and he did not appreciate Shreyas looking at someone other than him wearing that look. And he definitely did not appreciate how Shreyas had shaken him to stop him from bothering Rahul and to get him start packing.

And moreover when he'd said, wounded, "I thought you were on my side, Shreya--" Shreyas had said, "I'm always on Rohit bhaiya's side."

Virat kept casting Rohit and Shreyas evil glances as the bus started, planning what he could do to avenge this insult and steal Shreyas back. He did not come up with any idea about the latter, because now Shreyas was snuggled into Rohit's chest, sleeping, so he decided to go with avenging himself first.

He needed a partner, and his eyes fell on the seat in front of him, where Jaddu was boasting about Jamnagar, unheard tales that he'd never dug out even for their old bunch, and Shubman was listening. And Shubman looked just as sappy as Shreyas.

Again, Virat knew that sappy look and his irritation only increased.

It was his birthday and Shreyas was clinging to Rohit and Shubman was clinging to Jaddu and Jassi was clinging to Shami and Rahul was too pissed with Virat to have taken a seat anywhere nearby. Only Kuldeep was still stuck to Virat's side, which was good, but still...Kuldeep was fast asleep and even awake he wouldn't be much good in helping with a prank either...

Virat got up.

He would target Shubi first.

That was where his probability of failure was the least.

***

Flashback-5 days ago

On the eve of the match with Sri Lanka, Shubman had been walking up the stairs mournfully. His feet dragged. His shoulders drooped. Jaddu, who was coming down the same flight of stairs couldn't help but notice his demeanour.

"Hey, Shubi, wassup?"

"My sister said she won't be able to make it for the match at Eden either," said Shubman plaintively. "She promised she would be done by then."

"Isn't your sister abroad for work?" asked Jaddu.

"Yes, but she promised she would be back before the South Africa match and come to watch. She hasn't come for a single one."

"Are you being noble and not pestering her? Or have you pestered her and she's not listening?"

"I pestered," assured Shubman, shocked.

"Ah," said Jaddu.

"What do you by 'ah', Jaddu bhai?"

"Well, speaking as someone who has an elder sister myself--and knowing how much her watching me play matters to me--I know of a tried-and-tested way you could bring her flying to Kolkata," said Jaddu, his eyes gleaming.

"Really?" said Shubman, eagerly. "What's that?"

"It's not fully moral," Jaddu admitted, and added in an angelic tone, "And I wouldn't advice you to go ahead with it if your sister's presence didn't matter this much to you, like my sister's always did to me. It does matter a lot to you, right?"

"More than anything," said Shubman.

Jaddu couldn't gauge if Shubman's innocent tone was of genuine innocence or the Virat/ Shikhar/ Hardik/ Jaddu brand of innocence, and it bothered Jaddu not to be able to gauge. As a troublemaker himself, he fancied he could identify other troublemakers very well indeed. But Shubman pulled off the innocent guise (if it was a guise) too well.