"You are strong..." (A Rohit-Jaddu Friendship Fanfiction)

Epilogue

While India was touring West Indies later that year, Jadeja was awarded the Arjuna award, and his friends were bursting with pride and delight.

After patiently listening to all the congratulations, Jaddu said in his familiar droll voice, "It's such a great honour... I'm privileged!"

Rohit rolled his eyes.

Jaddu and his wicked sense of humour were inseparable. All his efforts had gone to waste.

But Rohit knew he didn't really want him to change, because he wouldn't be Jaddu without it, and anyway a cheerful presence in the dressing room could never hurt.

Then Jaddu automatically turned to Rohit as they were dispersing, and Rohit realized with a warm feeling that he could no longer think of Virat and Jinks as his best friends without including Jaddu as well.

The semi final still felt like a terrible memory, but it had done a little bit of good, at least--it had bought him and Jaddu so close, thought Rohit. Then it dawned on him with a shock that he was thinking of that day positively.

"You're rubbing off on me, Jad," he told Jaddu drily. "I'm starting to see good in the worst sort of stuff."

"And I'm starting to feel quite emotional about the Arjuna award," lamented Jaddu. "You're rubbing off on me, too."

Rohit laughed and thumped Jaddu on the back and Jaddu retaliated in kind, with both the laughter and the thump harder than Rohit's.

Extreme and mad as always.

Winning a World Cup with the people you love more than anyone else in the world is the best thing that can happen to you. But losing that dream together brings you closer than anything ever could.