A Victory which Matters (Dedicated to 27 and 45)

Part 18

In the evening that day, Kohli said to Ashwin in a low voice, "It's good that they don't fight anymore--but will they never return to talking terms?"

"They will, but the problem is that they both think it was a dream."

"Maybe we should've brought them back when they were awake, after all," said Virat gloomily.

"And face Rohit's wrath? No, thank you," said Jaddu.

Rahane was sitting in a corner of the room with a dejected Pujara--who had got run out--beside him.

Rohit entered the room.

And under the astonished stares of everyone present in the room, he went and sat beside Rahane.

Rahane looked a bit thrown off- balance too.

"Jinks..." began Rohit, using the nickname after a long, long time. "I've been thinking... it's really stupid to make me play in these pitches ahead of you. It's quite clear that this move won't work. And you see..." Rohit stared at the ground and for once, swallowed all his pride and went on hastily, "It was awfully wrong of me to keep on trying to hurt you, saying silly and untrue things. So--so, if you could forgive me--we could go back to the way we used to be, earlier."

Before waiting for a reply, since he was determined to say everything he had wanted to, Rohit added, "They'll play you in the next match--and I want you to... play without pressure. It's meaningless if both of us keep fearing failure--and y'know failure puts a damp on everything. You deserve the spot. You'll get to keep it, Jinks. India needs you to play well in the next match. You will play without pressure, won't you?"

For some reason, it seemed to Rahane as if Rohit was still mocking him.

"I didn't know that I had to tell you what I will or will not do," he said coldly.

There was a brief silence.

"Jinks--I said I'm sorry." Rohit looked up at last, and Jinks noticed that he looked rather hurt.

"Oh... weren't you being sarcastic, then?" asked Rahane sheepishly.

"No!" cried Rohit vehemently. "Really, I wasn't. I wish you'd forgive me--please?"

Rohit looked quite ready to burst into tears if Rahane refused.

But Rahane had no intention of refusing either.

"Of course, of course," he said hastily. "I'm sorry as well, and I hope you'll forgive me too."

"Not a bit of it was your fault. But if you want to be forgiven for doing nothing wrong, I can forgive you," said Rohit, looking much brighter.

Rahane grinned at Rohit spontaneously, all the sadness and bitterness suddenly having vanished.

Rohit grinned back, feeling extremely relieved. Then, hesitating a little, as he could feel everyone's eyes on them, he hugged Jinks for a moment, who hugged him back at once.

There was an enthusiastic clapping heard in the room.

It was Hardik (no surprises there).

"My Real Virtuality worked!" he shouted gleefully. "See, Ash, I told you so, didn't I?"

"What worked?" asked Rohit suspiciously.

Before Kohli or Ashwin could say anything, Hardik began, "Sending you two into the Virtual world--"

Virat, Ashwin and Bhuvi groaned. Could anything teach that man tact?

"Please shut up, Hardik," said Bhuvi in a dangerously calm tone.

Abruptly Hardik realised that he shouldn't have said anything. But it was too late, of course.

Rohit and Jinks glanced at each other, both of them realising what had happened.

Rohit stood up. "So all of you were in the plan?"

They all shrank back slightly.

"It was Hardik's box!" called Jaddu, wickedly.

Rohit advanced towards Hardik, who backed away.

"You can't do anything to me, captain," said Hardik, his cocky grin back in place.

Rohit winked at Jinks, and before Hardik could realise, he darted forward and snatched up Hardik's Pepsi bottle, which he had kept on the table for a long time for it to warm up.

"My Pepsi!" wailed Hardik. He dashed to snatch it back.

Rohit threw the bottle high in the air, and though the throw wasn't very good, Rahane was ready, and he took a diving catch.

"Not fair!" cried Hardik, as the rest of the team started to laugh and Rahane drank half the bottle in seconds. Then he threw it back to Rohit, who emptied it in two swigs.

"THIEF! THIEF!" howled Hardik, overreacting as usual.

Choking with laughter, Rohit said triumphantly, "You can't win against Team Mumbai."

"Team Gujarat!" Hardik appealed to Jadeja, who jumped up at once. They looked around for a team to disturb, as did Team Mumbai.

All of their eyes ended on Dhawan, who had a samosa in his hand.

"Attack Team Delhi!" yelled Jaddu.

Team Mumbai and Team Gujarat closed in on Team Delhi. Virat, who was, of course, part of the latter, tried to defend Dhawan.

"Team Chennai, help us!" shouted Dhawan.

DK and Ashwin got up, the latter with a tolerant and amused grin on his face.

Soon a full fledged fight was going on in the room.

A most unwilling Team Kolkata (Saha and Shami) lost all their food and could steal nothing.

Team Mumbai took down an evenly matched Team Delhi. Team Gujarat defeated Team Chennai.

After the final fight between Team Mumbai and Team Gujarat, Hardik had Jinks pinned to the wall and Jadeja stood over Rohit, who was crouching on the floor.

Bhuvi, the referee, declared Team Gujarat as the final winner.

"No surprises there," said Rahane darkly, rubbing his arm, which had a scratch down it. "Animals, both of you."

"Disqualify them!" shouted Dhawan, which promptly led to a battle of words, interrupted with many shouts of uproarious laughter.

"We've got a match tomorrow," ventured Ashwin--once again, the only voice of reason. "Virat--tell them."

But Kohli was not listening to reason just then. All he could see was Team Mumbai--his best friends Rohit and Jinks standing together and laughing--and it was the best victory of all.