A Tumbler Full of Tales - ICT and beyond (ON HOLD)

Taking the scenic route - 1 (Ft. MSD, Virat, Rohit. Mahirat and MahiRoRat)

Taking the scenic route - 1 (Ft. MS Dhoni, Virat and Rohit. Mahirat and MahiRoRat)

A/N - This one is for @ AadeezTrashLuv

You wanted a road trip and I wanted to explore post 2019 WC. And This came forth. Weird writing, I know.

Take the timelines and happenings with a grain of salt. I have changed them up a bit for the story.

"Keep your bags ready for about a week's trip. Pack in essentials and some dry food."

The message had come within hours of Virat having returned home after that utter fiasco of the World Cup Semi Finals. They were set to tour West Indies within a couple of weeks and the message came as quite the shocker.

Virat dialled the familiar number and to his surprise the call was disconnected immediately. A moment and then,

"Message me. At a meeting."

Would wonders ever cease? Virat rolled his eyes to himself and moved his fingers over the keypad.

"What trip? Just the two of us? Where to? You did not take your connecting flight?"

Sent... Virat watched as the message travelled away.

"Hey! Anything serious?"  Anushka had come up and wrapped her arm around Virat's neck.

"Nah. Just this." The message shown, Virat dropped a kiss on Anu's hand. "Very unexpected, isn't it?"

"A little, but he has always been a man of few words. Your bag is already packed; should I get together some food and stuff?"

Virat looked at Anu and frowned. "We just came back and.... and there is stuff going on. If I leave again..."

"I will be fine." Anushka held Virat's face and kissed his cheek. "You need this. Maybe he knows that."

"But, I don't even have any details!" Virat wailed and tried to wave his phone around; Anu held onto his hand before he could do too much damage. "I don't want to go anywhere! I just want to sit and sulk!"

A barely held back chuckle and Anushka cuddled closer to her husband. "You will be okay with him. Sit and sulk is the last thing you need to do."

"But yaar.."

"No." Looking straight at Virat, Anushka tousled his loose hairs. "And it does not matter either way, my stupid husband. You can never say no to Mahi bhai."

Virat dropped his lips into a pout and shrugged. "Yeah, there's that." He murmured. "No point in even trying to."

"Good to see that you have regained your temporarily lost brains." With a final ruffle of Virat's hair, Anushka flounced away to assemble what she could.

And another message lighted up Virat's phone.

"Just a road trip. Pack woollens. Details when we meet. Airport in 2 hours."

"Anu, pack my jackets please." Virat yelled and started grabbing the little odds and ends, keeping them on the table. "And my camera, my turtle necks and... Let it be! I will do it."

"Good!" The reply came back at once.

And just three days after that Semi Final fiasco, Virat Kohli finally smiled. And rushed off to pack his bags.

Or rather to irritate Anushka while she tried to pack his bags, but either way, it was something fun and dragged him right out of the funk he had been pulled into. 

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It had been only ten minutes of waiting at the airport before his security clearance was completed and Virat was escorted to the boarding gates that led to a small charter flight, which could not have seated too many people and when he entered the gate, there were only two.