The Trip and the Jubilant Turn

The extremist fans

The team decided that they had to disguise themselves when they went to the market, because otherwise a crowd would surround them as usual.

Apart from Rohit and Virat, who were still sulking, everyone had a hilarious time disguising each other.

"Do something to those eyes of yours, Bhuvi!" called Shikhar across the room teasingly. "Everyone knows you by your eyes."

Virat smiled after a long time, because he was so fond of Bhuvi's childish eyes himself.

"Here," he said, tossing a Bhuvi a spare pair of sunglasses.

Shikhar was wearing a funny hat to hide his characteristic hairstyle. Hardik, Rahul and Virat were all wearing full sleeved clothes to hide their tattoos, and overall everyone was dressed ridiculously enough to catch a whole lot is attention, but not as the Indian cricket team.

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The marketplace was crowded when they finally found it and tried to slink in inconspicuously.

"Do we need to split up?" whispered Jaddu.

"No," whispered back Ash. "Our phones don't get connectivity here, and we'll have an awful time finding each other."

"Ok," whispered Rahul.

There was a long queue outside the fruit stall, and two guys in front of them were discussing something heatedly.

"Test cricket is real cricket, it's no use denying it. Someone who hasn't performed in Test cricket can never be a good cricketer at all," one of them was saying loudly enough for them to hear. "You compare Rohit Sharma with legends like Ganguly and Sehwag, someone who hasn't even cemented his place in the Test squad at 32!" He had a distinct mockery in his tone.

The ICT behind exchanged uncomfortable glances, and they suddenly noticed that Virat was clenching his fists and glaring at the speaker's back. "He scored 600+ in the freaking ICC World Cup, dimwit! In the World Cup! With 5 centuries! That's what legends do!"

Rohit stared at Virat in disbelief, and the rest of the team couldn't help grinning.

"You're just jealous of all his recent performances. Have you seen your favourite player's record as captain? Lost every single knockout match he played!" said the other one, obviously referring to Virat.

And then Rohit felt what Virat had felt moments ago.

"It's not he who lost! Is he daft? Holding the best player in the team responsible for losses in which he played well even, just because he's the captain!" hissed Rohit.

"Have you seen how Rohit plays against the swinging ball?" demanded the Virat-fan.

"Do you know he's the best damn opener in the whole world?" cried Virat.

"He has won 4 IPL finals! Hope many has Kohli won?" asked the Rohit-fan.

"How the hell does IPL come into the question, anyway?" demanded Rohit angrily.

"Rohit averaged less than 30 during a time when Virat was in the top 3 in ICC ODI rankings," said the Virat-fan.

"That's right, live in the past," said Virat with heavy sarcasm. "He's no. 2 now, for God's sake!"

"Rohit has scored 3 double hundreds since then; Kohli doesn't have a single one!"  said the Rohit-fan.

"So? He has got 43 hundreds!" said Rohit in disgust.

"I feel sorry for Virat, having an unsporting, insecure jealous vice captain like Rohit," said the Virat-fan sorrowfully.

"SORRY FOR--" Virat began to shout, losing his temper, and Jinks clapped a hand over his mouth in horror.

The two guys looked back, and Jinks and Bhuvi quickly pulled the fuming Virat away.

The ICT looked after them in amusement, but Rohit ran after them.

"Insecure, he said. Jealous! He feels sorry for me? Sorry for me for having Rohit as my vice captain? I bet that in itself is better than his whole life, his--" Virat was muttering furiously.

Jinks and Bhuvi let Virat go when they were at a safe distance, and Rohit reached them as Virat was saying, "I'd have knocked him out then and there, if only you two hadn't grabbed me like that!"

"Our cover would've been blown, Virat," said Rohit, grinning.

Virat met Rohit's twinkling eyes and found himself grinning back.

"It would've been worth it," said Virat.

"You're a violent git," said Rohit.

"You're a stupid, thieving fool," said Virat, and before Jinks and Bhuvi could begin to feel apprehensive, Rohit and Virat were hugging each other and laughing, every sign of their annoyance with each other forgotten.

Their loving reunion didn't seem to be ending anytime soon, so Jinks felt compelled to say, "Er...could we go back to our shopping, then?"

"Yes!" said both of them enthusiastically, and straightaway the mood of the entire team got hugely uplifted, because everyone felt naturally subdued when the captain and the vice captain were fighting like idiots.

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They lugged back sackfuls of food that would undoubtedly outlast their trip. Everyone helped in carrying the stuff, everyone except Rohit and Virat, who were walking ahead by themselves, whispering together, and no one had the heart nor the guts to deny them that.