August 26th 2020

Another normal day in lockdown for the ICT players with respective IPL teams. 

Another day in boredom.

For once the great Rohit Sharma wasn't sleeping but instead was unusually active on Instagram. When he stumbled upon his best friend's post.

And no he was not stalking Virat's profile from his public account. Much to contrary beliefs, Rohit did follow his best friend from a private account. 

Virat had happened to post a picture that day. A picture that caused Rohit to yell on the top of his lungs and Ritika to glare at him.

"Can you keep it down Ro, or you come here and put Sam to sleep," Ritika shouted annoyed.

"I can't keep it down Ritsy! Come see this!" Rohit yelled back excited.

Knowing that Ro isn't going to shush until she go sees what he's on about, Ritsy walks over and takes a peek into his phone.

"OMG! Anu and Vi are expecting! I knew it, she seemed so different these days!" Ritika ranted equally as excited quite forgetting about Sam's sleep.

"Sam come here! Vi Chachu has a gift for you!" Rohit yelled at Samaira completely forgetting his daughter is only a year old.

Hearing the words 'gift' and 'Vi Chachu' Sam bobbled over to her parents happily and questioned "Vi Chu" in her baby voice.

"Yes baby your Vi Chu," Ritika said happily while picking up her daughter. 

"Wait wait but he didn't tell me! Right yeah who am I too him, I had to find out through Instagram!" Ro said sulkily making Ritika roll her eyes at her husband's stupidity.

"Ro call Vi right now." Not wanting to deal with an annoyed husband right now.

Ro obliged immediately, not that he didn't want to call his best friend too.

"Heyaaaa Roooo!!!" Vi yelled as soon as he picked up the video call.

"Vi you traitor! You didn't even tell me that you were expecting!" Ro ranted out quite annoyed.

"Technically it's Anu that's expecting and not me," Virat said cheekily causing Ritika, Rohit and Anushka to cringe.

"Ew Vi, that was cringe!" Rohit said scrunching his face in disgust.

"Agreed Ro!" Anushka laughed from behind.

"Ayyee Anu congratulations! I knew it all along you should've known you can't hide it from me!" Ritika scolded playfully.

At this point it Sam had started tugging onto Ritika's dress pointing towards the phone.

"Vi Chu," Sam babbled happily while clapping her hands

"Hi sammy boo! Look I got you a teddy bear" Virat babbled back in the same baby tone.

"Sammy, Vi Chu is gifting you and Aarya a playing partner," Ro piped in and Samaira clapped again not understanding anything her father was trying to tell her.

"We're so happy for you Anu and Vi! Anyways, you two talk and good luck handling this angry panda," Ritika said cheekily to Virat and Virat looked back in confusion.

Chuckling, she left from there leaving the two best friends to have a conversation they were both itching to have.

"I'm not talking to you!" Rohit whined childishly.

"Huh? What did I do now?" Virat asked quite confused.

"You told Instagram before you told me," Rohit said sulkily, pulling a pout.

"I told Instagram what? Ro what are you even saying," Virat chuckled at his Ro's typical way of speaking

"That you're becoming a dad, you didn't even tell me," Rohit continued sulking.

"Idiot you do realise I posted that on my personal account, not my offical one," Virat said holding in his laughter.

"I'm posting the news on my official account tomorrow. And anyways, you were unusually active and till now you're the only person who's seen it funnily enough so technically you were the first to know," Virat completed ranting and by now was in fits of laughter seeing a baffled Rohit.

"Oh-" Rohit managed to say "still doesn't mean you tell me 4 months late."

"You see it was Hardik's moment to shine and I didn't want to ruin that," Virat said throwing some random excuse.

"Cut the crap Virat, I know very well that you didn't want media attention. Don't try to fool me." Ro said in a very I-Know-you-too-well tone.

"Then why'd you ask?" Virat said laughing and that set the pair of into fits of laughter.

"This is not fair, when I was becoming a dad you teased me and now you're becoming a dad and you're not letting me tease you now either!" Rohit  complained annoyed at that incident.

"I'm special like that!" Virat gloated making Ro roll his eyes.

"Finally I'll have someone who's going to be on my team," Rohit shouted through the phone causing Ritika to glare.

"What makes you think that huh? My child, my side." Virat said in a matter of fact tone.

"Excuse me, I'm the uncle. She'll take my side just like Sammy takes yours," Rohit argued back.

"How are you so sure it's a girl?" Virat questioned despite knowing what the answer would be.

"Just the way you knew how my child would be a girl," Rohit said exactly what Virat expected with a satisfactory smile knowing that he won their mini argument

"Aah Ro, my phone's blowing up! Looks like the team found out too. Gosh Rahuliya's called me 39 times already!" Virat exclaimed slightly scared to be facing a fuming kiddo.

"Have fun dealing with that! I'm off to sleep!" Ro said laughing at his best friend's struggle and hung up leaving Virat mumble something along the lines of annoying best friend and went to deal with an angry kiddo.

                          *******

December 2020

Anushka's due date was getting closer and Rohit had been pampering his sister and niece (as he and the team claimed) far too much just as Virat had expected.

Him and Rahul took every opportunity to pamper their dear sister/bhabhi. From sending over homemade food, to new toys and clothes the two of them did everything. They definitely ticked off every box of a dotting uncle.

Ritika was over at Virat's more often than not and everything seemed ok until the disastrous 36 mishap happened in Adelaide.

The trolls had clearly not taken Virat's paternity leave well and this incident had triggered a whole lot more.

Virat was clearly tensed and Rohit knew that very well. He immediately called Virat knowing that he needed his support.

As soon as he picked up, Rohit was met by a sob.

"Virat listen to me! You go back without a worry and stay there with my sister and my precious niece. As much as the country is important your mental health and family is just as important. Don't overthink anything and go be with them happily. Everything will be fine back here," Rohit ranted hastily, calming an almost in tears Virat significantly.

"What would I do without you Ro?" Virat said with tears threatening to fall.

"Nothing, you're useless. Now let me sleep!" Rohit said changing the topic.

Virat laughed admiring his best friend's antics.

                          ******
11th January 2021

Virat and Anushka's daughter graced the world with her presence and nobody was more excited than her dotting father, and her hoard of dotting uncles.

Team India had already made a great start to the day by drawing the 3rd Test and this news was just the cherry on the top.

Virat's phone was buzzing non-stop. Calls from his kiddos, best friends, brothers. He was too overwhelmed to process anything in the first place.

Although Virat had restricted visitors from meeting his precious porcelain doll, that didn't mean he would stop his brothers from doing so.

Hardik, Shreyas and everyone else who was in Mumbai made it a point to go visit their little angel.

By this point, Rohit was getting impatient. The ones who had gone to visit were clearly boasting and the rest that were stuck in Australia were sulking badly.

After what felt like hours (literally was hours) Virat finally picked up Rohit's call.

"Finally you picked up! I have nothing to do with you, show me my niece." Rohit demanded immediately.

"No hi, nothing? Why should I?" Virat said just to spite Ro.

"Vi, don't you dare! Hardik's already annoyed me enough!" Rohit said grumpily.

Virat laughed and switched the camera around to show his daughter fast asleep to his best friend.

"She's perfect," Rohit whispered swallowing the lump in his throat, overwhelmed with emotions at seeing the precious doll he mentally vowed to protect.

"I told you it was going to be a girl," Rohit mumbled still trying to capture the sight completely causing Virat to him happily.

Just another thing his best friend was right about.

                           ******
It was a few days before the team had to leave to Chennai for the first two tests against England and Virat was still yet to name his daughter.

Confused with about three names, he called his brothers to help.

"Oyy Ro, help me out here. We're stuck between three names." Virat ranted.

"By we, he means himself Ro. Rah, and the others have made it very clear that they're calling her Viratee thanks to this man. And I've decided, he just can't decide," Anuskka ranted making Ro laugh.

"Anyways Anvi, Anshika or Vamika. Which one do you like most?" Virat questioned eagerly.

"Vamika," Rohit replied almost immediately. The name connected to him and now couldn't imagine his angel being called anything else.

"Right, Vamika it is!" Virat declared to the three people listening. The little one who's name was just decided seemed to like it too as she giggled happily.

"What would you do without me Vi?" Ro asked teasingly.

Anushka laughed, Rohit smirked and Virat pouted

                           ******
Ahmedabad 2021

"Why'd you not bring Anushka and Vami here earlier?" Rohit complained to Virat.

"Because she was too young to travel Ro!" Virat replied back sensibly for once.

"I wanted Sammy to meet her so badly!" Ro whined childishly

"You're acting as if she's never going to meet her in her life you know," Virat said, amused by Ro's sudden change in behavior. Causing Ro to pout.

Rohit took the sleeping child in his hands and rocked her gently as she stirred in her sleep.

"You'll be Sammy's best friend just like me and your father are. You, Sam and Aarya are our angels. Your Ro Chachu is going to protect you from everyone and everything out there little one." Ro chanted in a soft voice.

"And why is that?" Virat asked

"Because she's my princess." Rohit replied to his best friend with a serene smile before going back to admiring the sleeping child.

Virat gazed at his best friend holding his most precious gift - his daughter- so lovingly. He quickly took a picture of the beautiful scene without them knowing.

It was picture perfect.

                           ******
So I remembered that I had a similar shot written on RohiRat almost a year ago and I realised I wanted to write something like this from the other side - Rohit being the uncle. So here it is.

Look at me having two RohiRat shots back to back!

Anyways, do vote and comment and let me know if you have any requests because I'm clearly out of ideas right now.

-Ashu