"Ooooh Virat giving ultimatums, sounds scary." Sikhar laughed hearing the title of the chapter.

"I am giving an ultimate now" Mahi said "To not interrupt me" And he genuinely sounded scary.

"The Indian team had defeated SL in the 1st Test before tea on the 3rd day. The 2nd Test was scheduled at the same venue 7 days later, so the entire team was in a highly relaxed mood that evening." Mahi Bhai read "Somehow Rohit had got the biggest room in the hotel, so practically the entire team was squished into it. Yuzi was conducting his biggest ever 'Chahal. TV' episode. The rest were all trying to annoy him, but except during early mornings, it was always impossible to annoy Yuzi, the most good tempered member in the team."

"This sounds uncannily familiar" Mahi bhai said looking around the whole team squished into one room.

"It does" Jinks agreed.

"She called me good tempered" Yuzi said gleefully "See how much fans like me."

"Haa thora aur le" Rohit said, while others snickered.

"Why does she think Ro has the biggest room?" Jaddu said.

"Because the story is about him" Jinks said giving a what's your point look.

"Virat, Rahul and Hardik were sitting in a corner on the floor, fooling around about something, when the intercom phone near them rang.

"ROHIT! YOUR PHONE!" yelled Virat across the room.

Yuzi, who was interviewing Rohit and Shikhar, shushed Virat.

Virat answered the phone himself." Mahi bhai read on.

"See how you are shouting even in the story Vi." Rohit said gleefully "Even fans know you."

Vi was about say something when Hardik cut in "Also see how even she doesn't care for Chahal's bekaar TV."

"You should wait till you see your own character in the story Hardik" Kuldeep said trying to defend Yuzi.

Hardik looked suspiciousy at Kuldeep, what about his character.

And Mahi bhai grabbed that momentary silence to start the story again.

"Who's this?"

"Rohit... it's me," said the voice in a--rather inappropriate tone, Virat thought, because it obviously wasn't Ritika.

"Who are you?" demanded Virat.

"Who is it?" shouted Rohit over the din in the room, making his way towards Virat.

"I'm, as you very well know, Sofia Hayat," said the voice finally.

Virat froze.

Not that witch."

"She called that bat a witch" Rohit said "I love this writer."

And Virat for once agreed and so did everyone

Mahi bhai on the other hand agreed.

If she was calling on the intercom, it must mean that she was staying at their hotel too.

Rohit had reached Virat.

"Sofia who?" said Virat in a deliberately loud voice.

"You're not Rohit!" she said accusingly."

"I know I am not" Virat said laughing almost simultaneously as Mahi bhai read " 'I know I am not.' Said Virat."

"That's some bang on characterization" Jinks said.

"Almost uncannily perfect" Bhuvi said "Who are these people who are writing these?"

"No idea" Yuzi said "But yeah they hit pretty close to our characters."

"Are one of you..." Mahi started pointedly "No none of you have enough patience to write so muvh except may be Jinks and Ash who won't write."

"But what do we do to Sofia?" Jassi said urging MS to read on.

"Tell Rohit it's Sofia Hayat!"

"Rohit, do you know any Sofia Hayat?" shouted Virat, though Rohit was standing right next to him.

The entire room fell silent at once.

Rohit looked horrified.

Pretend you don't know her, Virat mimed at Rohit.

Rohit obliged.

"Who the hell is Sofia Hayat?" he asked loudly near the mouthpiece of the phone."

"Look how awesomely see wrote me." Rohit said.

"Well it was my idea in the story." Vi said "So technically I am awesome

"How many times do you bet they will fight during this story?" Sikhar whispered.

"I think 40" Jaddu said

"I think 35" Sikhar replied

"If people here don't stop betting on nonsense soething unpleasant might happen to them" Mahi bhai said pointedly.

And they immediately fell silent.

""Tell him to meet me at the reception immediately!" shouted the voice, finally losing its cool.

"Meet her at the reception immediately!" yelled Virat, and banged down the phone.

"Have you gone mad?" demanded Rohit in a low, fierce voice. "I'm not going to meet that witch!"

Virat pushed Rohit down to make him sit on the bed and stood up himself, his eyes flashing.

"I've had enough of Sofia Hayat," he said coolly. He looked around at Yuzi, Kuldeep, Jassi, Hardik and Rahul, who were all relatively new to the team. "Do you know the entire issue?"

They shook their heads.

"Tell them, Rohit," said Virat.

"Can't we just ignore her?" asked Rohit in a pleading voice."

"Of course you can" Jinks said "But Virat wont"

"She seems to know all of us" Rishabh sounded a little uneasy "I mean atleast about the ones she has written till now.

Lets read on" Bhuvi said.

""We can, but we won't," said Virat firmly. "Tell them at once!"

Rohit looked down at his feet, his cheeks burning, because he knew everyone in the room was well aware of what the media had cooked up about him and Sofia Hayat. The seniors knew his side of the story, of course, but the kids didn't.

Virat nudged Rohit.

"In 2009, she met the team at a hotel," began Rohit. "She came up to me, told me she's a big fan of mine, and could we have a photo together? You've all seen that photo...how clingy she was--and that's the only photo we have together. The media obviously blew it up into something big, but honestly, I've never even spoken to her since that day."

Rohit looked up at his junior teammates, who were all staring at him in awe.

"And she's been saying such a lot of crap about you all these years, Rohit bhai!" said Kuldeep, suddenly feeling indignant on Rohit's behalf."

"Aww Kuliya was indignant on my behalf" Rohit said indulgently poking Kuliya.

"In the story" Hardik pointed out.

"Yeah but he would be indignant in real life too. Wouldn't you?" Rohit said.

"Of course I would be Rohit Bhaiya." Kuldeep said, lazily laying down against Mahi bhai.

And Mahi who had previously warned people not to climb on him, didn't seem to mind at all.

""You're right, Kuliya. Not just normal crap, she's made up more and more innovative crap every single damn time," said Virat, clenching his fists. "The only thing I know about Sofia Hayat is that she wants Rohit really bad. And when she realised she couldn't have him, she started trying to defame Rohit--and Ritika bhabi too," added Virat, which drew a smile from everyone, including Rohit. "She has made lots of idiots believe in a fake persona of our Rohit--and I, personally, have had enough of her crap."

"What d'you plan to do, Virat?" asked Jinks, and his voice held a surprising amount of hatred for that woman too."

"Well I don't consider myself a hateful person." Jinks said "But the writer is right, I do hate that lady."

"She is a bat" Jaddu corrected, hell bent on making everyone call her a bat.

"Well truth to be told I even I hate that lady, or bat as Jaddu says." Mahi bhai said, genuinely hating the person who at one time had tried ruin his kids reputation "Though I don't think I am in the story."

"Why is there no Mahi bhai in the story?" Vi said injured.

"May be she hates Mahi bhai" Jaddu said darkly.

"No one can hate Mahi bhai" Kuliya said with conviction.

"Well..." Jaddu was about say something again.

"Because it's the test team idiots" Mahi said in an obvious tone "Don't go off like this on every other line."

"I plan to teach her a lesson she'll never forget," said Virat, his face lighting up with a truly evil grin. He set his hand on the table, palm upwards, and asked, "Who's going to help me?"

Every single person in the room dashed towards Virat to put their hands on top of each other's; the only exception was Rohit himself, who was looking at them in confusion.

"Are you going to help us, Rohit?" asked Virat politely.

"See...fans think I am polite" Virat said triumphantly.

"How can they?" Rohit said aghast.

"She also thinks you are evil" Jinks pointed out.

"I am not evil" Vi said "Am I Mahi bhai?" making the most innocent face he could manage.

"Of course not Cheeku, you are as innocent as Hardik right here." Mahi said sarcastically.

Everyone burst out laughing, while Vi sulked causing Mahi bhai to reach out and ruffle his hair.

"Yeah--yes, of course," said Rohit, grinning suddenly, as he slapped his hand on top of the pile of hands.

"You touch one of us--" began Virat.

"--you touch all of us," finished Jinks.

"Sofia Hayat won't know what's hit her," said Hardik gleefully."

"Wow That sounded pretty badass." Rishabh said.

"I know I am badass" Hardik flashed a cheeky grin.

"He meant the 'You touch one of us, you touch all of us bit.'" Bhuvi said.

"Well doesn't matter, she ended the chapter with me" Hardik said oddly proud of this fact.

Mahi looked at the craziness around him, and wondered who had so accurately penned down this mad house.