A Tumbler Full of Tales - ICT and beyond

Away Shall Fade - After the dust settles (MS, Virat, Rohit and Jaddu)

Away Shall Fade - After the dust settles

A/N - Yes it is just the T20I. And yes, I have expected and anticipated their retirements. But it does not make it any easier. And with my personal life in chaos, the consecutive retirements blindsided me.

Or did they?

And again writing abode the train. So please excuse any stupidity and errors.

Mainly for DilSeRe_ and @Atifsvocalchords   itsjj18
who understands my Jaddu MS Virat and Rohit bonds and how much I relate to them

It has been a couple of weeks and the elation has not lessened a bit. The celebrations, parties, roadshows, and then some more. The welcome home had been a thing they would not easily forget and yet, when things started quietening down, a weird feeling of melancholy dusted their thoughts.

Their thoughts. Rohit, Virat and Jaddu's. Though each had had their plans after the end of the World Cup campaign, they did not feel like doing much at all. Initially the hurricane Beryl stopped them from returning and once they were finally back home, the usual lethargy crept in.

Yes, there were interviews. There were ads to be shot and more. There were official formalities to be completed and time to be spent with family.

Especially by Virat, as Anu had been unable to accompany him during this World Cup campaign. He had missed having his family around, but there was no way that baby Akaay could have been brought to the World Cup.

But then he, and, probably the others, had pensiveness walk in unto them, and it was probably what landed them all in this situation.

Staring at each other in some surprise and feeling yet more astounded.

"You here? Tu kya kar rha hain idhar?" Rohit asked a laid-back Virat Kohli, who was lazing on the couch, looking rather at home, clad in a faded t-shirt and frayed shorts.

Virat smirked. "It is one of my homes too, Rohitolo. Kinda. Mahi Bhai ne humesha bola hain that I am welcome here, any day." He sat up straight. "But what are the two of you doing here? And together at that?"

"He" Ravinder Jadeja, aka Jaddu, also aka Rockstar, jabbed his thumb at Rohit. "He has always been my travel partner. So, when he said that he was coming to Ranchi, I hitched a ride."

"Hitched a ride?" Virat raised an eyebrow.

"He made me fly to Jamnagar and then we came out here; he insisted that I needed to accompany him."

Virat guffawed. "Of course he did. But then again, what are you doing here? And mujhe kyun nahi bola?"

"Tera woh kidhar hain? Kitte baar call kiya tujhe! Now you are telling me that I did not tell you!"

"Oh." At Rohit's words, Virat looked around for his phone and gave up in a while, finding it conspicuously missing. "Dunno kahaan rakh diya."

"Bhaiya kahaan hain?" Rohit asked flinging his backpack onto one of the couches and taking off his shoes. "And Bhabhi? Ziva?"

"Bhaiya is yet to return from wherever he has been to; I have been here since yesterday. Sakshi Bhabhi left this morning for Tauji's appointment and tests and Ziva is off to some school camp." Virat narrated and then swirled his gaze to take in his friends. "Jaddu? Kya hua mere Rajput?"

"What?" Rohit looked around and found Jaddu almost tucked into an armchair, intently staring at his hands. "Kya hua, Jads?"

With a click of his tongue Jaddu shook his head. "Mujhe kya hoga? Kuch nhi! Bas I am hungry. Kuch khila de, Veere!"