ICT ONE-SHOTS (FRIENDSHIP)

Godfather

"Say hi to your uncles, Angad," cooed Sanjana.

Angad was deafened by a cacophony of 'HI!'s from his uncles that would have terrified him even if he had not just arrived to the world.

"HI, ANGAD," yelled Hardik once everyone had finished. "HI! I AM YOUR GODFATHER, HARDIK PANDYA!"

A dozen people coughed.

"What did you say, Harry?" asked Virat politely.

"You don't need to know," said Hardik. "It's between me and my godson."

"Godson?" scoffed Rohit. "You fancy yourself his godfather? The poor kid'll want to go right back into the womb if such a thing was allowed."

Hardik looked astonished.

"As for his godfather, of course I am his godfather," said Rohit.

"Says who?" demanded Virat.

"Says me," said Rohit with utmost confidence. "Jassi chose me."

"WHEN?"

"Didn't he, Sanjana?" asked Rohit.

"I am not entirely sure he had a godfather in mind, Rohit bhaiya," said Sanjana, chortling. "But if he told you, I am sure he decided on you."

"He didn't tell me yet," admitted Rohit. "But it is of course not a question."

"Excuse me right there, Rohit Sharma," said Virat. "Jassi has not told you because you are not to be Angad's godfather, I am going to be."

"He told you?" asked Bhuvi, jaw dropping. He sounded...disappointed.

"Don't say you're going to join in the fight, Bhuvi," said Jinks, lips twitching.

"If there is a fight, bring it on," shouted Hardik. "I will win at all costs."

"Against me, Hardik?" asked Jaddu smoothly.

"YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO COMPETE, YOU ARE TOO IRRESPONSIBLE, JADDU," cried Hardik.

There was a roar of laughter, which was what greeted Jassi as he slipped into the ward and found his wife on a video call with little Angad in her arms.

"What's going on?" asked Jassi, and smiled when he heard the familiar voices through the phone.

"Smile while you can," said Sanjana darkly. "You are in trouble."

Jassi was besieged by a dozen 'hello, Jassi, I am your son's godfather!'s and one 'how are you, kiddo?' (the last, of course, was from Jinks).

He wisely chose to ignore most of them. "I'm alright, Jinks bhaiya. More than that, actually. It's the happiest day of my life."

"I know, right!" said Rohit. "I became a father first amongst all these guys, you know, Jass, and I have the most experience in handling a child. And we all know Jassi is my first kid, so his first kid is also my first kid."

"What a blustering moron," commented Virat. "I became father the last amongst all these guys, Jassi--well--joint with Bhuvi--and I remember the whole experience the best. And we all know I am Jassi's favourite elder brother."

"Really?" asked Jinks, and hastily smothered it with a fit of coughs as Virat looked at him out of wide, betrayed eyes.

"Quiet," said Hardik. "Quiet, quiet, quiet. I am Jassi's best friend, I will obviously be the godfather."

"You," said Rohit, "are a disaster."

"He's not a disaster, Rohit," Bhuvi couldn't help saying. "He's a great father."