23rd December, 2012

When Virat arrived at the team hotel in Bangalore for the 1st T20 against Pakistan, he was annoyed to see that they had got double rooms and his roommate wasn't Rohit. Not only was it not Rohit, it was someone he didn't even know.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Must be the debutant.

Virat ran down to the reception with purpose.

"Mahi bhai!"

Dhoni, who was talking with the receptionist, turned.

"Rohit hasn't arrived yet, but he can stay with me, can't he? My roommate and his can stay in the other room."

"I deliberately set you two in different rooms," said Mahi bhai drily.

"Why?"

"Well, Bhuvneshwar is new in the team. I think you should try to--"

"I don't even know him! Rohit has got Jaddu, make Jaddu my roommate if you don't want me and Ro together."

"It's not like I don't want you and Rohit together. I want you and the new guy together."

"I don't understand half the things you say, Mahi bhai," grumbled Virat.

Mahi bhai caught sight of someone suddenly. "There he is," he said happily.

Virat looked around. There was no one in the reception--at least, no one who could be a senior team player, anyway.

The only one in sight was a ridiculously thin child with eyes and expression that would have suited a 10-year-old kid better than his tall profile.

Mahi bhai strode forward.

Surely this couldn't be Bhuvneshwar!

Virat followed his captain uncertainly. Mahi bhai shook hands with the awed kid and said, "Welcome to the team, Bhuvneshwar. Most of the guys haven't arrived yet, but he's going to be your roommate in this hotel--you'll have heard of Virat, of course."

Bhuvneshwar looked at Virat before quickly looking away. "Yes..." he said in a scared sort of voice.

Mahi bhai looked at Virat expectantly.

Virat sighed and decided that as Rohit hadn't come yet, he might as well do what Mahi bhai wanted him to.

"Well, I'll take you up to our room then," he told the kid, his voice coming out rather loud and aggressive.

"Thanks," said Bhuvneshwar, still not quite meeting Virat's eyes, and sounding even more scared.

Virat grabbed one of the suitcases from him and lugged it to the lift. Bhuvneshwar followed behind with the other.

Virat wasn't fond of silences, so, in the lift, he decided to formally introduce himself.

"Virat," he said, extending his hand.

"Bhuvneshwar," said his companion shaking his hand timidly.

Virat wrinkled his nose. "What kind of a name is Bhuvneshwar? How do people call you by a name like Bhuvneshwar? Suppose you take a wicket. We'll say, 'Well done, Bhuvneshwar?' ...'Nice catch, Bhuvneshwar?' Seriously?"

Bhuvneshwar was smiling by now, admittedly a little nervously, but Virat considered it a major achievement to have made the frightened kid smile.

"They don't always call me by my full name," he said.

His voice was so gentle. How uncommon in fast bowlers!

"What kind of short form could we use? Bhuvnesh...?" speculated Virat, as the lift reached their floor. "No...Bhuv--Bhuvi?"

Bhuvneshwar was looking at Virat with almost no fear now.

"Bhuvi is a nice name, isn't it! Isn't it?" shouted Virat, turning to him enthusiastically.

"Yes, it's quite nice," said Bhuvi mildly.

Virat clapped him on the shoulder as he opened their room.

"That's your bed, Bhuvi," said Virat, grinning delightedly as he said the name.

As Bhuvi went over to his bed, Virat murmured absentmindedly, "Well done, Bhuvi...nice ball, Bhuvi...go to fine leg, Bhuvi..."

Then he suddenly noticed Bhuvi staring at him, smiling in the rather shy manner that Virat soon discovered was his nature.

"You're really proud of that name," observed Bhuvi un-sarcastically.

"I am," said Virat, laughing.

___________

Bhuvi's unnaturally childish looks intrigued Virat. He reclined on his bed and observed owlishly as Bhuvi was unpacking.

Halfway through, Bhuvi caught sight of him and asked nervously, "What?"

"I'm waiting for the teddy bear to come out," snorted Virat.

"Teddy bear?" asked Bhuvi, looking confused.

Virat slapped his forehead. "Never mind, go on with your unpacking."

Bhuvi obediently bent over again.

"Tomorrow is Christmas Eve," said Virat suddenly. "I bet Santa Claus comes to give you presents every year, doesn't he?"

"But Santa Claus isn't real, Virat," said Bhuvi earnestly.

"He is, for people like you," said Virat with a snigger.

"People like me?" Bhuvi scrunched his nose in confusion.

Bhuvi was so gullible.

"You know...the good kids...the angelic kids..." said Virat, his voice trembling with supressed laughter.

"Oh! You're just messing around with me," sighed Bhuvi unhappily, realization dawning on his face.

"You're dense," Virat told him. "Really, really dense."

"Do you mean stupid?" enquired Bhuvi in all seriousness.

Virat properly observed Bhuvi's wide brown eyes for the first time. The look of childish innocence in them made him regret teasing the kid.

"No, no," said Virat painfully. "I don't mean stupid." He loped over to Bhuvi's bed. "D'you need help with the unpacking? 'Cause you're slow, too."

Bhuvi looked embarrassed and Virat hastened to say remorsefully, "No, you're not slow, but I'm free. Need any help?"

"Thanks," Bhuvi accepted happily.

That teasing Bhuvi brought on immediate regret was a lesson Virat learnt the very first day they met.