When life happens

The media problem

Neha, Tani, Siri and Sonali watched the Ahmedabad match together from the clubhouse, but unexpectedly India lost that day, following a whole scale batting collapse.

While bidding goodbye to Sonali, Siri asked, "Will you visit the team again soon?"

"Yes, after my CA exams get over, I'll come," said Sonali.

Jassi went to drop her back home again, because there are some things you keep on doing with your best friend irrespective of boyfriends.

A loss to Sri Lanka wasn't desirable at all, so when the team were going to the airport the next day, no one was in the best of moods.

The media was thronging around annoyingly as usual, and led by Virat, the team ignored their questions.

A particular group kept following Shikhar, who had been scoring poorly for quite a few matches, and Tani whispered to Neha and Siri, "I always knew the media was obnoxious, but I hadn't believed it could be this bad."

"Exactly," agreed the others.

"Can we do something? We're not under the scanner like them all the time, so can't we?" asked Neha, casting a distasteful glance at the person still hounding Shikhar.

Tani and Siri contemplated on it carefully, which itself surprised Neha, because usually neither of them liked this sort of unruliness.

Then the reporter took a dig at Shikhar about to lose his spot to Rahul, and Tani suddenly made up her mind and pushed her way to the front.

"Can't you stop bothering them?" she demanded in her special dignified tone. "You're denying them a basic private space, which is against the rules, I'm sure."

Neha and Siri caught on to it and followed her.

"Can we file a case against them Siri?" asked Neha, half laughing.

The media started to scram.

"I bet Virat bhaiya has all the contacts," offered Siri.

For once Tani didn't disapprove, but Rohit and Bhuvi came and led them away, saying, "It's ok, kids, come on now."

So they went into the waiting room, kind of relieved that their brothers didn't seem angry at their reaction.

Few minutes later, Siri was asleep, slumped against Jaddu, who was carefully trying not to move, which was difficult for a restless person like him, but he was doing a good job.

Tani was trying to read one of the novels she had bought the other day, but the noise of the airport was getting to her, and Virat noticed the slight frown on her face and knew the reason at once.

So he took off his own sound-cancelling earphones and put them on Tani's head and took out an ordinary pair to continue watching his show. Tani smiled at him and immediately returned to her book; everyone was getting used to this obsessive addiction by now.

Siri and Neha had taken some readings at the Ahmedabad stadium (only a few hours) and since Siri was sleeping, Neha was trying to tabulate and analyse them herself. Rohit was half asleep next to her.

After a while, Virat stood up and said, "I'm going to get some green tea, do you girls want anything?"

"Coffee," said Tani.

"Chocolate shake," said Neha.

"Frooti," mumbled Siri in the sleep.

"Ok," said Virat, amused at they diverse choices, and he pulled Rohit up with a jerk.

"What?" protested Rohit sleepily. "Why d'you want me to come with you?"

"Because I don't have four hands, you fool," hissed Virat. "And if I take Jaddu Siri will wake up!"