Being protective little brothers

A VIP captain and a very insufferable vice captain

Virat had barely put his foot into the dining hall the next morning when Jassi flew to him, took his arm and pulled him to the table with the nicest view, crying, "I ordered an ultra-healthy omelette for you, Virat bhaiya, sit down!"

A bemused Virat found himself seated at the head of the table, with Jassi pushing a breakfast plate towards him.

"Jassi, what—?"

Shreyas dashed in from somewhere, bearing a cup over a plate precariously.

"I got your sugarless coffee, Virat bhaiya—here—"

"I WAS BRINGING HIS COFFEE TOO," wailed Hardik, running in from the opposite direction, also bearing a cup and plate. "TAKE MINE, VIRAT!"

"I brought it first," said Shreyas fiercely, setting down his plate in front of Virat firmly.

"No, no," howled Hardik.

"Shut up, Harry, everyone's looking at us," hissed Jassi.

"What's going on, kids?" said Virat, wondering what on earth had brought this sudden change in the behavior of these three. "I'm quite capable of taking my breakfast alone, you know," he said with twinkling eyes.

"But we wanted to give you a surprise," said Jassi gravely.

"All right, thanks..." said Virat, reaching out to pat Jassi on the back, but before he could, Hardik wailed a little more and nudged his coffee mug at him violently, and obviously ended up spilling the scalding coffee over Virat's shirt.

"Hardik!" scolded Shreyas, outraged, as a resigned Virat jumped up and shook his shirt.

Jassi offered him a wad of napkins, apologizing for his teammate's stupidity. Hardik caught on and put in his own apologies which ran something like—

"Sorry Virat, sorry Virat, sorry Virat—"

"It's ok, it's ok, never mind," said Virat hastily. "Why don't you all sit down and eat while I go and change my shirt?"

"Will I come to wash that shirt?" offered Jassi anxiously.

Virat hid a smile and said, "No, Jass, I'll get a staff to do that. You eat."

He went away, feeling the warmth of three adoring gazes behind him like a talisman.

What had happened to them suddenly?

But Virat was certainly not complaining.

_________

In spite of Virat's protests, a tragic Shreyas insisted on washing his coffee stained shirt with much splashing of water.

"You just rest, Virat bhaiya, I'll be done in a minute," he kept reassuring from the bathroom.

Virat stood at the door, observing him.

"I'll do whatever you ever say, Virat, I'll always listen to you—"

"I'm very happy to hear it, Shreya," said Virat, grinning.

"You can call me Shreya or anything you like, I wouldn't complain, ever..."

"I get it, I get it—"

Shreyas finished washing the shirt and stood up and stared at Virat bashfully.

"Now what?" said Virat, half-laughing, half-wary.

"You're the best, Virat bhaiya," said Shreyas, giving him a sudden hug and pulling away just as quickly, because he wasn't much given to physical show of affection.