For no reason at all, utter chaos was ensuing in the team bus of ICT, going to their hotel in Chennai for the SA series, 2019.

Jaddu had picked up a couple of stray cats from the footpath outside the airport, and had taken his seat beside Rahul, who had recently been scratched by a cat and hence not fond of them at all.

"Should I throw them out of the window, Vi?" suddenly yelled Jaddu to Virat, who was sitting about ten seats ahead of them and trying to watch a movie.

"JADDU YOU DARE TRY THAT--"

"He won't really do it, Ro," said Jinks comfortingly, trying to pull Rohit down as he attempted to reach Jaddu over him and Shikhar.

Jaddu pushed the cat on to Rahul's lap.

"I'm going!" said Rahul, losing his composure for once, pushing the cat away and stepping on to the aisle.

"Give it to me! Rahul, give it to me!" yelled Rohit.

"I'm not touching that thing," said Rahul firmly, darting away and sitting down beside Hardik.

Hardik caught Jaddu's eyes.

Bhuvi, who was sitting on Hardik's other side noticed that look--a look which usually screamed danger--but before he could say anything, Hardik caught Rahul's arms and Jaddu threw the cat all the way to their seat, and Rahul couldn't even block himself from the attack.

The yowling cat landed on poor Rahul's shoulder and dug its claws into him.

The chaos trebled.

Rahul was howling so loudly he might've put Hardik to shame, Jaddu was running to high five Hardik, Bhuvi was trying to see how deep Rahul's wound was, and Rohit was trying to catch the cat which had bolted down the aisle.

"You ok, Rahuliya?" cried Virat, the elder brother in him fully alive.

"Don't you have any sense at all, Jad?" scolded Jinks.

Yuzi was wailing at the top of his voice that he should've captured this scene to launch in his channel, and Kuldeep was saying seriously, "But Rahul is hurt, Yuzi, he's bleeding..."

Jassi managed to produce a clean handkerchief from his bag and tossed it to Bhuvi who tied it around Rahul's slightly bleeding shoulder.

"You were overreacting," Hardik told Rahul.

Rahul stood up, his ears blowing steam.

Shreyas came up and quickly led him away to his peaceful corner, where he had been reading a book before this ride interruption occurred.

The tossed cat escaped Rohit's arms and dived out of the door of the bus.

"STOP THE BUS--STOP THE--" began Rohit.

"QUIET!" roared Virat.

Rohit (and everyone else) went quiet immediately.

Amidst the silence, Jaddu's second cat screeched.

Everyone except a sulky Rohit and a furious Rahul snorted with laughter.

"Silence!" said Virat.

Bhuvi and Jinks exchanged a glance and tried to straighten their faces.

Was Virat trying to copy Mahi bhai?

"Jaddu, throw that cat out of the bus or keep it with you silently, but no more chaos, or I throw you out of the bus," said Virat sternly.

"Ok," said Jaddu with suspicious meekness.

Virat knew that too-innocent expression of Jaddu's too well, since they had practically learnt it together in their U-19 days.

So he turned to Jinks and ordered, "Stay with him to ensure he doesn't get out of hand."

"Sure," said Jinks assuringly.

"Captain," said Hardik in a very audible whisper.

Virat turned his glare on Hardik, who subsided.

There was a blessed peace for a few minutes, and the bus driver, who had more than once considered stopping the bus and fleeing, even if it cost him his job, heaved a sigh of heartfelt relief.

"We should've stopped the bus," said Rohit obstinately. "The cat probably died!"

"It scratched Rahul, let it die!" snapped Virat.

Rohit glared at Virat. Virat glared right back at him.

Bhuvi's phone beeped.

The atmosphere in the bus was so grim that Bhuvi took even that message as a welcome one.

He cleared his throat and announced, slightly nervously, "Two friends of mine are coming to meet me at the hotel today. They want to meet you all, too, so shall I invite them to dinner?"

"Imagine what they'll think when they see an unruly team like this," grumbled Virat.

Well, it was usually Virat who made up 70% of the team's unruliness, but no one pointed it out, seeing that he was trying to step into Mahi bhai's shoes.

"I'm sure they'll all behave nicely in front of my friends," said Bhuvi, mainly to placate Virat. "Won't you?" he added, looking at Hardik.

"Why're you looking at me?" demanded Hardik.

Bhuvi rolled his eyes.

"Yes we will, Bhuvi bhaiya," said Jassi quickly.

Jassi always behaved nicely, but again no one pointed it out, considering Virat's frigid demeanor. Anything to calm him down.

"So invite them to dinner by all means, Bhuvi," said Virat, who had indeed started to thaw a little at Jassi's earnest voice.

Glad to see that Virat bhai seemed a bit normal again, Kuldeep leaned forward and asked Bhuvi, "What are their names, Bhuvi bhai?"

"Sunny and Payal," said Bhuvi.

Was it his imagination, or did Bhuvi bhaiya sound a little cold while saying those names? wondered Jassi.

No one else seemed to have noticed anything, though.

"Your shoulder feels ok now, Rahul?" Virat asked.

If he had been alone with Virat, he might have considered saying no, but in front of everyone, Rahul of course said, "Yes."

But he did send a baleful glance at Jaddu.

"I'll take you out for coffee tomorrow," said Jaddu as a peace offering.

"Catch me going anywhere with you again," muttered Rahul.

It made everyone laugh again, though not as boisterously as before, and Virat joined in, much to everyone's relief.

Jinks studied Virat with a twinkle in his eyes.

Scolding a little, caring a little, and not holding on to a temper...

Mahi bhai would be proud.

A/N: I'm finally back, and I'm rusty and out of touch. But this time I'll update pretty quickly, I promise.