Virat was sitting with the boys with an expression of utter helplessness on his face. They had been sitting like that for past few minutes, exchanging ideas and theories of what might have happened with them? They have gone through what was their last clear memory before waking up in the past? They have watched every movie made on time travel and read all the books on that subject too but till now they couldn't find anything that could explain their situation? And time was slipping away from their hands.

Just a few minutes ago, the national team for India Vs NZ test series was declared and Virat's name was in the team though even the prospect of playing with Sachin paji, VVS Lakshman again couldn't uplift Virat's mood. Virat was sulking and Bhuvi was oscillating between endearment and annoyances regarding one Virat Kohli.

Rahul, Kul and Jassi were enjoying their bickering and sulking with popcorn while they themselves whined about the upcoming months. Rahul still couldn't get over the fact that he had to do B.com again. He was drowning in gloom and misery every time his college was mentioned or brought up during conversation. So, they were sitting together again discussing theories and trying to come to some conclusion or find a way back in their time.

 Because according to Harry potter "Awful things happen to wizard who meddle with time," and Bhuvi had really hit Virat with the Harry potter and POA book when Virat mumbled "Thankfully we aren't wizards. So we can meddle with time and no, awful thing will happen to us or are we wizards?? Are we secret Wizards Bhoovy? Now, this just sounds like moony"

Rahul, Jassi and Kul just cackled madly watching Bhuvi's miffed expression and Virat's "geez, I was joking. No, need to get touchy Bhuviii"

It was only the ringing of Virat's phone that saved him from Bhuvi's ire. Grinning goofy at Bhuvi, Virat answered the call and immediately pulled the phone as far as possible from his ear. Still, all of them could clearly hear the caller from the other end yelling on the top of his voice.

"Virat Prem Kohli!!!! How can you betray me like this? Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Not even a little. I'm so disappointed on you. How can you? Oh god, I can't believe you will do something like that without me?" The mixture of whiny, annoyed, angry tones coming from his phone could belong to only one person. Virat thought highly amused as he looked around him. Rahuliya was trying yet failing spectacularly trying to hide his grin so was Jass. Kul was hiding behind a book laughing, no doubt. And Bhuvi looked stuck between groaning and grinning.

"What did I do now Jad?" Virat couldn't help but ask as innocently as possible and Jad blasted again from the other end of the call.

"What did you do? You Bloody idiot, you went in a gang war without me? How can you do this to me??? How will I show my Rajput warrior skills if you go to wars without even telling me? Aren't you ashamed of jumping in war without your general? I thought I was your bestie Viii, you wounded me greatly by your actions..." Virat didn't know whether to laugh or cry hearing Jaddu's words. God time travel or no time travel, Jaddu was same in all universes.

"Gang war? What gang war? I was in no gang war. It was just a mild scuffle, trying to teach lessons to some bullies. And you weren't even here" Virat accused Jaddu as he continued with his questions "How was I supposed to involve you? And how do you know about this?"

"I would have managed somehow and I have my ways" Jaddu spoke mystically as if he was the wizard of oz himself and Virat snorted.

"Yeah, the players being of Saurashtra didn't have anything to do with it right" Virat questioned Jaddu innocently smirking as he noticed Bhuvi looking like he was itching to scold both of them for being such immature beings.

"No, absolutely, not though I might have scolded some people" Jaddu answered sagely then again went being his usual Jaddu self as he taunted Virat "BTW you know, no one gave me a special exclusive tour of Delhi and didn't even take me to the famous parathe wali gali. I'm craving a paratha right now,"

"So, what should I do parcel it to you?"

"Absolutely"

"You know, I'm really not a wizard, right Jad. I can't do instant delivery"

"But I can"

"You're, you" Virat said as if it explained everything quite clearly, which it did in his language. Jad was Jad, no one else can be Jad.

"Why...Thank you" Jad spoke in a totally obnoxiously arrogantly Jad manner and Bhuvi looked all but ready to reprimand Jad in a totally unmildly Bhuvi manner and yes, Virat is quite aware that unmildly isn't a word. But it suited Bhuvi anyway. So, Virat and Jad talked in a very highly mature language for the next couple of minutes infuriating Bhuvi to high-heavens and making Rah-Kul-Jass laugh till they were out of breath. Huffing-puffing rolling on the ground like someone was continuously tickling them.

After disconnecting the call,Virat looked at Bhuvi and spoke very sincerely "Black magic"

Bhuvi awarded Virat with a pillow smacking him directly on his face for the brilliant suggestion. Virat continued grinning at him nonetheless and that's how Virat's mom found them when she came to call them for dinner. The boys were all laughing and teasing each other. The room was full of a merry atmosphere.

Mrs. Saroj Kohli's heart swelled with happiness at the sight of her laughing and truly happy son. After his father's demise, Virat had shrivelled and only a mother noticed that; he was happy no doubt. He was chasing after his career but he wasn't the same Virat. He wasn't the same. There was a cloud of gloom around him and worries; he won't just share with anyone. He had even stopped inviting friends over. So, watching him finally laughing so freely and happily Mrs. Kohli was finally at peace. A mother never stops worrying about her child and if his this friends could make him so happy. If they could freely give her glimpse of her Virat, they're always welcomed in her home.

Beaming at the boys, she ushered all of them on the dining table and totally turned a blind eye on the boys' antics. The way Virat and Bhuvi's plate was slowly loaded with veggies the younger boys didn't like. She didn't say anything but she noticed how the proportion of carrots, bell pepper, capsicums and brinjals were varying in different plates. The half-hearted glares exchange, they reminded her of little children thinking no one found how they got rid of their least favourite veggies.

The dinner was a happening event like all the other eating events with the boys laughing and chatting and telling her behind the scene stories. After the dinner, she accompanied the boys on a light night stroll around the area. Laughing and talking, she felt like a mother of five boys going on a stroll with her boys. A very proud mother of four boys, she amended as she felt herself being gently pulled away from the track of a bike by Rahul. Who made sure she walked on the footpath, safe as he glared daggers at the wayward biker. Grumbling about how this isn't a race track and housing area. While Virat yelled something very rude at the biker and she didn't have the heart to admonish him for it. But Bhuvi did so in her stead and she couldn't help but smile. She liked his friends very much and won't at all mind if they keep on visiting them like this.

Flanked by the boys from all sides, she couldn't help but think how soon children grow up. Few years prior, she used to make sure Virat was always on the corner holding his hand and keeping him safe from the moving vehicles on the road and now, Virat was doing the same for her. Protecting his old mother from the mean vehicles and people, she couldn't help but smile. The time she actually gets to spend with her son is becoming scarce with the passing them. A few days with her and then he'll go again to do his duty and play for his nation. So, she has learned to enjoy every little moment with him.

After coming back from their fun filled night stroll, all the boys wished her goodnight and returned to their aka Virat's room. The mattresses were again spread on the floor, bed sheets spread over it and pillows rained around in an impromptu game of catch-catch.

"So, Black magic" Virat asked Bhuvi, grinning madly.

"Absolutely, who performed it? Jad??" Bhuvi couldn't help but question back Vi pointedly.

"Could be true," Vi replied sagely

Bhuvi groaned. Rahul handed Virat his phone motioning at the screen showing 5 missed calls from one Rohit Sharma. Virat's grin widened more while Rahul, Jass and Kul looked all amused by their brother's antics.

Virat called back Rohit and Rohit picked up the call after the second ring.

"Hello" Rohit's sleepy voice greeted Virat and Virat looked absolutely like Diwali came early for him.

"HEYAA!!!! DEAREST ROOOOO!! MISSED ME, DARLING"

Virat screamed as he shook with silent laughter while the boys around him looked somewhere stuck between total amusement and despair.

"Firstly, Don't scream and secondly, why do you hate my sleep?" Rohit couldn't help but demand from Virat. After reading the news and then the team declaration for NZ tour of India, Rohit had made up his mind to call Virat. When he called first Virat seemed to be talking to someone else and then no, one picked up his call. And now, this monkey is disturbing his sleep. God, why did he have such a horrible timing?

"I'm screaming because I missed you, my dearest brother from another mother and for your second question uhmm...maybe I don't like my best friend loving something else more than me." Virat answered in his perfectly charming voice but all Ro could think was Vi called me his bestie.

Virat missed me too. He wasn't the only one. And in a second all the bitter feeling and jealousy swirling in him from morning disappeared. He was just so happy and touched. He didn't even mind Virat disturbed his sleep.

"Your bestie," Rohit repeated dumbly, still having a little hard time believing it. Virat was the rising star, every news channel, every newspaper printed about him. They stalked him and called him for interviews while he was the setting star. Why will Virat want to be friends with him? Not just friends, best friends? He hadn't even done anything special for Virat then why?

"Of course dumbo" Virat drawled.

"I'm not a dumbo that's you," Rohit snapped without thinking and then froze with panic. God, he must have offended Virat with his senseless words. God, why is he so stupid. Now, Virat had completely gone silent.

"Naah, I'm still smarter and mature than you, Ro darling" Virat replied in a sing-song voice after few minutes, calming Rohit's over thinking mind.

"In your dreams Kohli" Rohit snickered trying to gauge what will be Virat's next words. Will Virat really don't mind? Does he not have any ego? He is the vice-captain and Rohit doesn't know whether he will be part of the next series or not?

"Well, My dreams are very wonderful, Ro dear. No need to be jealous of them," Vi spoke in a chiding voice

"As if," Ro snorted again momentarily forgetting all about his fear and worries as he just bantered with Virat.

"Well, I'm a good, sophisticated gentleman. So, obviously my dreams are good too" Virat announced in a totally fake sophisticated accent.

"You're an overgrown child on a sugar rush, that's what you're Virat" Ro informed Virat very-very gravely as if breaking Virat's disillusion about himself.

"Haaw!! How dare you Rohit Gurunath Sharma? How can you say something so mean to me?" Virat accused Ro in a totally high-pitched dramatically wounded tone.

Rohit just laughed off Virat's accusation, uncaring.

"Btw Laxman sir took retirement" Ro said letting his shock and astonishment show.

"Yeah," Virat said not that affected by the news. From his point of view, Laxman paji had taken retirement ages ago. So, he wasn't as shocked as by everyone else. On the contrary, he was waiting for the retirements quite anxiously.

And he absolutely didn't tell Ro his thoughts about this. He just patiently listened to Ro's wallows and then reassured him how this world cup, they will play together. No one, in their right mind will reject Ro from the T20 world cup squad. He repeated the same to this blabbering fool till he was sure that Ro believed him somehow.

After chatting for what felt like eternity they both disconnected the call. Wishing each other goodnight and Virat turned to find his brother's watching him as he was the only source of their entertainment.

"What?" He demanded from them

"Well, Rohirat are going to be same in every universe too" Rahul announced sagely as Jass and Kul hid under the sheets shaking with silent laughter.

Virat shoved them away from his side. And Bhuvi tauntingly told him to behave in his mature, sophisticated, gentlemanly manner. They were all being mean. He decided lying down on his spot grumpily. The others continued cackling around him and he couldn't help but smile with him.

Deciding, He may not be able to change everything for better but he will try his damn best to do it anyway. He will try and try to make sure this laughter, this togetherness, this family never shattered.

~to be continued~

So, how are you people???????