Mohommad Shami and Umesh Yadav, two absolutely different people, from two absolutely different part of the country. The former, a fast bowler turned farmer's son the later a coal mine worker's son, the former who had worked hard to be a fast bowler from the beginning, the later who turned to cricket in desperation in his late teens to make the ends meet but now, here they are united.
Sitting beside each other in the indoor gym of the ICT, watching as the younger boys worked out. Every now and then Shami will shoot annoyed glances towards his plastered wrist and Umesh will shake his head at his annoyed friend. The injury wasn't in his control and Virat had already ranted enough about shitty protective gears and stupid people, for all of them.
Umesh doesn't think he needs to repeat all that again but yes, right now sitting beside each other with their own demons and worries eating them from inside, they were feeling scared.
Umesh won't lie. He was feeling as nervous as his debut day. Tomorrow, they'll be playing without Ishu, Bhuvi, Shami. The unofficial leaders of their pace attack group. The whole responsibility will be on him, Jassi and Siri and Umi feels, he need to take on the role of the motivator. The one handling those kids if things went south. He needs to shield them. For it was his responsibility as the elder brother.
Even though Jassi was the best bowler in the squad and Siri just a youngster.
Both of them were same to Umesh. Both of them were his younger brothers.
And he won't let them feel all down in the match, for that's the least he could do.
"Bhaiyaaaa!"
"Bhaiyaa!!"
"Bhaiyaaa!!!"
The yells of Siri, Navi, Kartik broke the stance of Umesh looking up he found all of them looking at them expectantly.
Jassi looked all resigned.
Washy looked all contemplating.
Nattu was looking at Washy thoughtfully.
"Ha! kya hua? (what happened?)" asked Umesh,for he had absolutely not heard anything they might have asked before.
"Do you have any idea...how the interviews in regional languages were brought to the scheme of things?" Kartik asked flopping beside Umesh, resting his head on Umesh's shoulder.
Umesh shared a knowing look with Shami and then turned to the kids.
"No but why are you all asking?" He asked.
"Aise hi," They shrugged, changing the topic back to dinner and random stuff not at all related to cricket. The world was talking enough cricket for them. These moments were for them to relax. It was for them being themselves.
So, they debated about the DJ position of their team. Virat had gone back. So, now who'll take up on the resident Dj position of the team? The song choices. Dinner and Breakfast menus. Virat's baby and what they were going to call the child? So, it was the random things as they made their way to the dinning table with the kids in front bickering as usual.
Umesh and Shami flanking Jassi on both side with their arms around the kid.
"So, what really happened?" Shami asked Jassi softly, not missing his resigned look.
"Really!" Umi asked.
"Really, just nerves" Jassi said giving his best innocent smile and his both brothers gave in, rubbing his shoulder reassuringly.
In the dinning room, the environment was as merry and as positive as always. Prithvi was pulled in between Jinks and Pujji, Jaddu was cracking absolutely rubbish jokes and Washy was laughing on them for the sake of laughing. Rahul was whispering something to Mayu and Mayu was totally checking out the food. It was the normal dinner environment for the team with people being insane.
Complaining about random things as usual.
Washy acting as a translator between Miyaan, Navi and Nattu narrating some thrilling story which made the other boys giggle after every few minutes. Their laughter was contagious and so were their words.
"Areey ab utni hi English aati thi toh kya karu mein?"Nav was literally laughing while saying so lightly punching Washy on the shoulder as the boys continued teasing and speaking about some moment, which Umesh and Shami missed.
But the laughs, the teasing reminded them of their own tales. English!!! ugh...the terror that language held over their consciousness. How can a language terrify people? Well, ask them, they would tell in detail what kind of terror it held over them. Presentation ceremonies...ugh...they dreaded that place and they dreaded speaking their with broken words, making an absolute fools out of themselves.
Yes! They didn't know that language, they never got the chance to learn it. Their backgrounds not allowing them to held any kind of mastery over that language. It was humiliating speaking to the anchors, trying to search words in their mind trying to convey what they wanted to say. It was embarrassing. It pinched their hearts having been put at the end of many jokes. It hurt yet they couldn't do anything.
They couldn't tell anyone that all these things sometime pinched their hearts.
It hurt them.
And yet, they were absolutely helpless to do anything about it.
The teasing words from their own team irked them sometimes but they couldn't retort. After all, they were right and they had actually spelled something wrong or pronounced something wrong. They could just smile that sad smile when you've got nothing under your control. It was an odd feeling, a sad feeling.
An incident from last year, fresh, in Shami's mind. It was in NZ, he was the man of the match and even he knew how bad his English was coming off, standing there, he was just waiting for the things to wrap up quickly. It was embarrassing. He was searching things in his mind frantically with Virat standing beside him like an ice monk, calm, composed and not at all laughing. It was kinda surprise for Shami, he himself knew how bad his english sounded but Virat was still not laughing. It was kinda surprising for Shami for Virat always was the first to crack up on everything. He just couldn't control his laughter.
The commentator's laughing dig of "Tumhari English bohot acchi!" pinched. Even though Shami was really very self-aware of his English standards. He just laughed it off along with Virat who was patting his back in a reassuring manner. His eyes screaming "You alright, buddy!"
Shami just nodded at that time. After, wrapping the post match ceremony when they were walking back towards the dressing room. Shami asked Virat the question irking him from long.
"Hassi kaise control ki?" Shami asked nonchalantly. He wouldn't have really minded if Virat laughed yeah it would have pinched his heart very badly but he would have understood.
Hearing, Shami's question Virat looked at him like he couldn't believe he was really asking this.
"Really Mi! Yeh kaisa behuda sawal hai? Mazzak krte hai mtlb kisi ko mazzak banane ka mauka de! Yeh toh rule hi bakwas hai! Change kyu ni krte isse? Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Telugu commentary rakh li itna ni aaya ki interviewer bhi rkh le, Akal hi nhi logo mein, ulte fulte rules sochte rhte hai kaam ki cheeze sochi ni jati, khudk players ka hi morale down krne mein lage rhte hai, gadhe log!"
"Shant Bhai! Samajh aa gaya mujhe...puri duniya pagal hai tuhi samajhdar hai!" Shami laughed, feeling a lot better.
of course, how silly of him to think his brother's wasn't pissed at his embarrassment? How crazy to think that these immature guys who couldn't stay a day without teasing each other becomes so considerate suddenly? of course, as brother's they had all rights to make fun of him but it didn't mean they will let anyone else.
Shami couldn't help but smile watching Virat pout and Virat continued pouting some more exhaling sulkily.
"So, firse Ro k sath sleeping competition krna hai kya aaj?"
Shami couldn't help but roll his eyes. Yups, there comes his brother all right.
"Nhi! biryani banane ki soch rha hu" He replied shrugging as Virat's eyes literally sparkled from beside him.
"knsi wali"
"Knsi wali"
The guy literally hopped around following after him like a puppy.
_____________________________________________________________
"Shami"" The yell from Jaddu disturbed the trance of Shami's thought and he looked at the guy questioningly.
"Salad" Jaddu said pointing towards the bowl in front of Shami and Shami passed it smiling sheepishly at Jaddu. God, he was so lost at the memories of the day.
"Kya soch rhe the bhai" Umesh couldn't help but whisper ask.
"kuch nhi bs Kartik ka sawal aur Cheeku!" Shami said smiling.
Both of them remembering quite well, how eagerly Virat had explained the changed rules to them. How excited he looked while telling them that they didn't need to give interview in English from now on! No need to feel embarrassed over not knowing a language.
They've seen the relief of all this on Navi, Miyaan, and even Nattu. The relaxation at not being thrown towards the vultures to fumble over words and look like complete fools. They were happy that the new kids won't have to face this sting of embarrassment and shame. They were really happy and proud for this change though they really didn't know what led to this change.
Umesh nodded knowing all about the train of Shami's thought after all, he had gone through the same harassment once too. Well, it kinda felt like harassment back then but now, they were kinda used to it.
"Sambhal lena!" Shami mumbled to Umesh looking at Siraj and Jassi bantering with Rahul over something Virat said once upon a time. It was actually beyond them how this kids remembered even the most silliest words spoken by Virat.
"Hmm..." Umesh hummed in agreement. He might not have been involved with cricket all his life. He might be just a rookie making it to the big world. He might just have raw space and a workhorse attitude keeping him going. He might not be economical with the ball. He might even not be much help with the strategies.
But he'll keep on boosting the morale.
He'll not let this kids over-burden themselves.
He'll keep on encouraging them.
He'll keep on supporting them.
And make sure, they don't give up.
After all, that's what he is doing all of his life- not giving up and for the rest of it all, they're a team. They're brothers. They're a family and they don't say it all just for saying it, they meant it. So, no matter what the dawn brings for them.
They'll keep on going. They'll keep on fighting. They won't give up.
For they're a team like that and their brother's expect just that for them.
Well, maybe along with checking on the team kids for like about a hundred times.
But then again there was no remedy for "mother henning" syndrome.
~the end~
Just something totally random.
ignore the title, really couldn't think of something better.