We are Forever ft. Us

Jaddu wins over divine judgement

December, 2012

Bhuvi was not a hypocrite.

He admitted he was a judgemental sort of person. So he didn't judge when other people judged. Him, or anyone else. He was quite sympathetic with the whole business of judging.

When he first came into the team, sharing a room with Virat, it turned out, had integrated him into the mainstream. Rohit, of a calmer disposition than Virat and with an inherent kindness in his stance that Bhuvi hadn't seen in many people their age, hit off instantly with him. Ash, with his quiet voice of reason, even if he did intimidate Bhuvi quite a bit, felt to him a kindred spirit. 

The only one among Virat's friends who truly scared him was Ravindra Jadeja.

Which brought him back to the matter of judgements: almost everyone in the team was to be found giving him judgmental looks 80% of the time.

He'd burst out laughing like a raving lunatic in the midst of team meetings or practice sessions, he'd not stop at filling even Yuvi pa's suitcase with shaving cream twice a day, he'd talk about drowning lizards and drowning humans in such tones that Bhuvi had difficulty believing he was joking even as the others laughed.

"HEY, BHUVI," was how Jaddu first addressed him. "HOW'D YOU LIKE TO GO HUNTING CATS?"

Bhuvi shrank back, and unknown to himself, wrinkled his nose.

"No, thanks," he said faintly. "I don't--I don't like--hunting cats."

"There," said Rohit smugly. "We'd put PETA on your tail one day, Jaddu, you'll see."

"Hunting cats is fun, though." Jaddu winked at Bhuvi, who frowned.

"Hunting any sort of animal isn't very kind," he protested.

"Lizards, then," coaxed Jaddu. "Let's burn a lizard."

Bhuvi backed away further. Rohit hit Jaddu on the head.

"Stop it. Stop scaring people away, Jad!"

Bhuvi took the opportunity to slip away cautiously. Virat caught him as he sprinted down the corridor.

"Who are you running from?" asked Virat.

"I'm not--I'm not running from anyone," said Bhuvi, embarrassed, and resolved never to give Jaddu the chance to talk to him at all, to avoid situations like these.

***

Jaddu was never to be deterred, however.

The more Bhuvi tried to avoid him, the more persistent he became, the gleam in his eye getting wickeder by the day. 

Bhuvi was glad he was sharing a room with Virat; otherwise he'd not have been able to sleep at night, fearing a prank of Jaddu's targeting him. However, presently, he seemed to have developed a firm faith that Virat wouldn't let anything happen to him.

Jaddu would offer him to take part in all sort of crazy escapades; then he would offer him all sorts of crazy, brightly-coloured drinks that sent off alarm bells in Bhuvi's head; he would tell him the most outrageous jokes that would've been very offensive indeed to the ones being targeted. Alongside, Jaddu made Mahi bhai and the hotel staff's life hell by constantly keeping them on tenterhooks because no one knew what he'd next do, and what was worse, he seemed unlikely to stop at anything.

Which led to Bhuvi giving him more and more judgmental looks by the day, which, unfortunately, only seemed to encourage Jaddu.

***