Tani and Kuldeep sat by the pool, the former taking the latter's interview
"You're a single child, aren't you?" asked Tani.
"Yes...how did you know?" said Kuldeep.
"I guessed you had a loving childhood...a protected one, which is where your childish nature could have stemmed from," said Tani thoughtfully.
Poor Kuldeep was always getting jibed at by Hardik for his 'childish nature', but he knew Tani didn't say it in a mean way like Hardik did.
"Maybe," said Kuldeep meekly.
Tani smiled fondly. Kuldeep had this bizarre ability to make everyone insanely fond of him. Tani decided to investigate on that later, too.
"Of course you remember the time you first came into the national team...any particular things you'd like to say about that?"
"Yes, the seniors' support," said Kuldeep at once. "Our team's seniors are plain amazing, you know, Tani."
"I know."
"Mahi bhai is the best mentor anyone can ask for, and his guidance from behind the stumps, and just his presence on the field was such a confidence booster. Like Mahendra Singh Dhoni is in my team...you get what I mean?"
"I absolutely do," said Tani, because she worshipped Mahi bhai as well; she always had.
"And Virat bhai," said Kuldeep. "The way he keeps supporting us on the field and you've seen how he celebrates at our successes, like it's his own. Virat bhai is..."
He couldn't find a word to describe his Virat bhai, so Tani suggested, "One of a kind?"
"Yes!" said Kuldeep wholeheartedly. "And then there's Rohit bhai too, and Shikhi bhai, the entire team actually..."
"And..." prompted Tani, knowing that the answer couldn't end without...
"Yuzi," said Kuldeep simply.
"You're assuming you don't have to elaborate on Yuzi," said Tani, her eyes twinkling. "And you're right. Everyone knows what KulCha mean to each other."
"I love that name," said Kuldeep, just like that.
"Who doesn't, Kuliya? Which reminds me, do you think it affects you emotionally when Yuzi isn't on the field with you?"
"I...I suppose it does," said Kuldeep. "Though I love Jaddu bhai too... There's no one quite like Yuzi."
Tani had to ask the tricky question then, for the sake of her survey, though she would've preferred not to.
"People say all the time that you and Yuzi replaced the Ash Jaddu spin pair," said Tani gently. "What do you feel about that?"
"It's not nice," said Kuldeep lamely. "Ash bhai and Jaddu bhai are legends, two of the very best spinners we've ever had in history. It feels awful when they say we've replaced them. Makes it seem like some sort of a crime."
Kuldeep sounded a little upset, and Tani moved closer to him and put an arm around his shoulders.
"It's definitely not a crime. And you know what, you're our spin twins 2.0, and most of the country already love you like hell, and we can't really help the remaining vicious vultures," said Tani, taking to Jaddu bhaiya's insult.
"The country is full of vultures," said Kuldeep.
"The entire world is full of vultures, feeding off misery and suffering," said Tani, and she sounded so philosophical that both of them laughed.
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When life happens
फैनफिक्शनThree girls, from different backgrounds, different life stories, but one same set of gods. The Indian cricket team. Millions of people worship the team, but few get the chance to meet them, and still fewer get the chance to be part of their family. ...
