Our Captain

His kids

Jassi and Kuldeep would have liked to keep their plan a secret from everyone, but of course no plan could be kept secret if Hardik knew about it.

Thankfully, he had enough sense to hide it from Virat, but he told Rohit, who approved of their idea wholeheartedly. Rohit told Jinks, Bhuvi and Jaddu and soon everyone knew about it except the captain.

India had won the second Test easily and the mood in the camp was great, and the kids grew fearfully excited as 5th September drew near.

Everything was set, and the night before, when they were gathered in Bhuvi's room, Rohit said, "Wake him up at midnight to wish him!"

Jassi was about to agree when he realised Rohit's intention. "You're saying this just because you want him to be annoyed, right?"

"He's done it plenty of times with me," Rohit defended.

Hardik smirked. "No one sleeps like you, Ro, so you deserve it. But let's wake Virat up anyway."

Kuldeep and Jassi rebelled. "We mean it to be good surprise."

Rohit glanced at Jinks. "What magic has Virat worked on these kids, d'you think?"

"Beats me," said Jinks.

_____________

Rohit and Hardik's insistence won out, and the kids slunk to Virat's room with their cake and card in the dead of night.

Hardik hammered on the door, as Rohit had begged them to. Then Hardik slipped behind the other two with the cake and Jassi and Kuldeep sighed heavily as hurried footsteps came to the door and the door was thrown open.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY--" began Virat, but seeing Jassi and Kuldeep, he stopped shouting. "What's wrong?" he asked anxiously.

One more reason why they loved Virat. How he switched from Rohit's childish best friend to their caring elder brother within moments.

"Nothing," said Kuldeep hastily. He flung his arms around Virat bhai and said, "We just wanted to wish you happy teachers' day."

Virat put his arms around Kuldeep in a confused state and said, "Why would you wish me at this time of the night? In fact, why would you wish me happy teachers' day at all?"

"Let us come in, Virat, it's rude to keep us standing outside," said Hardik.

Virat snorted and pulled them in.

"Because you're our best captain and teacher," said Jassi earnestly, holding out their card.

Virat studied it silently, still feeling a bit confused.

"You taught us to never give up

Yoi taught us to win from the worst situations

You taught us to not accept criticism and sledging wordlessly

You taught us to feel happier at our teammates' success than our own

You taught us what a 'team' means

You taught us everything

You're our best teacher, Virat bhai, and we love you💙"

Virat looked up and saw his three youngest brothers looking at him, and suddenly his eyes grew dim.

For once, Virat Kohli was at a complete loss of words.

The expression on their faces was the one he felt on his face every time he looked at Mahi bhai. It was the one he saw on Rohit or Bhuvi or Jaddu's face every time they looked at Mahi bhai.

"Well, this was completely unexpected," said Virat at last. "Thanks a lot, Jass, Harry, Kuliya...it means a lot to me. What brought this on, though?"

"We heard you telling Bhuvi bhaiya that you think you're not a good captain," admitted Jassi. "It sounded really stupid, Virat bhaiya. You're the best captain ever."

"I'm not," said Virat, but he was smiling. "Mahi bhai is."

"I think you're as good as Mahi bhai," said Kuldeep with straight-from-the-heart stubbornness.

"Yeah, you're different, but you're not any worse, really," assured Hardik, sounding unusually serious for him.

"I never imagined anyone would ever say I'm as good as Mahi bhai," said Virat frankly.

"They're all morons," declared Hardik.

"Yes, and you're the only non-moron in the world, Harry," said Virat gravely.

Hardik grinned arrogantly. "I know!"

"Mahi bhai is your captain, but you are our captain, Virat bhai," said Kuldeep simply.

Virat held out his arms and the three of them threw themselves in them promptly, and Virat hugged his kids.

"We love you, Virat bhaiya," said Jassi and Hardik cringed and said, "Stop it, Jass!"

"We shouldn't have brought you at all!" said Kuldeep indignantly.

Virat laughed as he let them go.

"No smearing today," he said, as Jassi pulled the cake up to them.

The door banged open and Rohit, Bhuvi, Jaddu and Jinks thundered in.

"You haven't started the cake without us, have you?" asked Rohit.

Virat groaned. "We should've finished this first!"

Jaddu cuffed Virat on the head as he cut the cake into decent slices.

Rohit and Jaddu reached over to grab a piece each to smear on Virat, but Kuldeep pulled the cake out of the way.

"Kuldeep!" yelled Jaddu in protest.

Kuldeep ducked Jaddu's arm and ran away, shouting, "We're on your side, Virat bhai!"

"Yeah, you show them, Kuliya!" cried Virat encouragingly.

As Rohit and Jaddu tried to chase Kuldeep, and Jassi and Hardik (sane for once) tried to pull them back, Virat, Bhuvi and Jinks sat back and laughed.

"My kids fighting my battle for me," said Virat fondly, his eyes misted over.

"Just like you fight for Mahi bhai," said Jinks softly.

A thing said by Mahi bhai long ago suddenly flashed in his mind.

"To the kids in your team, you're a figure to idolize too, just like I was."

Had Mahi bhai been correct? Really?

After today, Virat could quite believe it, and it was the most beautiful feeling in the world.

A/N: So what do you think of the story? <I love captain Virat>