I Don't Need A Babysitter
IPL 2020. After months of uncertainty and confusion, the Indian Premier League was finally happening in Dubai. Covid had wreaked havoc in all plans and with the severe quarantine rules all around, the teams hardly had any time for a pre- tournament camp. So it was from the online quarantine huddles, that the initial introductions were done. Once everyone was done with their introductions, Zubin announced the mentors. They had a lot of youngsters joining the team this year and the last thing they wanted was the boys getting frustrated with quarantine and doing something stupid.
Sanju Samson's mentee was Yashasvi Jaiswal. "Kya Zubin sir, aap baby sitting karwa rahe ho mujhse."Sanju complained."Kya matlab. Yash is not a child. He is 18. Don't forget ki tu bhi yahi age pe aaya tha RR mein"Zubin replied. "Haan.. But he looks so innocent. Usko dhang se daant bhi nahi paaunga agar kuch gadbad kiya toh", Sanju quipped."Don't be fooled by his pretty face. He is a monster on the field. And off a field he is quite a handful too- had seen a bit of him at the high performance center", Zubin said.
Day 2 of quarantine
"Yashasvi, abhi tak uthe nahi kya? You were supposed to partner me in our online work out. Fresh hokar breakfast karle. I am giving you 15 mins" shouted Sanju on the phone
"Arre first day kaun itna chillatha hai? Anyway ready ho jata hu. I don't want to get in his bad books even before I start playing" Yashasvi set off on his morning routine. He called Sanju exactly after 15 mins and they worked out on the routine prepared by their trainer. Thankfully Yash didn't give a chance to Sanju to complain again. The rest of the day went on with chats with family, movies and occasional jogs and stretches in the room. Sanju made sure to call Yash every four hours to ensure that he was doing fine.
Day 5
Yashasvi woke up feeling very cold. He touched his forehead and it felt a bit hot. He called the reception and requested for a thermometer. Though the temperature was a measly 99 degrees, he felt very weak. As per advised protocol he informed the team manager and the doctor and went back to sleep. He was woken up by the phone, with Sanju getting angry at him, "Bataya kyu nahi ke fever hai tujhe. I would have done the informing and co-ordination part na.Mujhe Zubin sir se kyu pata chal raha hai. Mentor maane exercise karwana aur cheer up karna hi nahi hai. You also need to tell me if you are unwell na Yash." "Sorry bhaiyya. I didn't want to wake you up unnecessarily. I am feeling weak. Fever utna nahi hai. I am just worried ke covid na ho" Yash said with concern. "Arre kuch nahi hoga. We all had taken precautions before travelling. Acche se rest kar. And keep drinking lots of fluids. I will call you in a couple of hours. I am sure you would feel better by then", Sanju consoled his mentee. It took more than a few hours for Yashasvi to get better but thankfully it wasn't Covid and the whole team sighed in relief.
Day 10
Yashasvi had recovered and had started with some warm ups. Today he aimed to finish his full routine with Sanju, but his mentor was having none of it,"Tujhe doctor ne OK nahi diya hai Yashu. You still have to continue with the warm ups only. No, you can't show your puppy face and get your way with me. Agar tera weakness aur badh jayega to Sanga Sir meri kaan pakdenge, for not taking care if you. Maan ja na yaar" Yashasvi was not stupid. He understood that Sanju was only saying it for his own good. He needed to survive 4 more days in this room. After that they would be allowed to meet people and that would be more than enough to get him back on his feet, physically and mentally.
Day 14
They were supposed to get their test reports by 11 and if all clear, they could move to their allotted rooms. Since most of them were not traveling with family, they were sharing room with a teammate. It was almost lunch time when he finally got settled in his room. Though initially he was assigned a room with Riyan, it was then decided that they would continue with their mentor-mentee set up for the new boys. So here he was, sharing a room with Sanju Samson, whom he had started respecting and liking over the last two weeks.
No he didn't have a crush on his mentor- but calling him bhaiyya seemed tortuous now. It was fortuitous that he learnt the Malayalam word "chetta" from eavesdropping on his mentor's video calls. Sanju had told him that the word meant elder brother but it was also used by Malayali women to address their husbands- it didn't necessarily connote a brotherly relationship. Which was perfectly fine for Yash. So Sanju chetta is what he started calling his mentor. He in turn started calling Yashasvi, mone (baccha), chekka (boy) and Yashu.
Sanju was highly protective of his mentee. They batted together most sessions and even when he had his keeping sessions going on, he had an eye on Yash. He wasn't very appreciative of other teammates getting too touchy with his Yashu. Woah.. Wait, "his" Yashu, when did that happen? Yashasvi was a child who trusted him to guide him better on and off the field. He shouldn't be having such feelings for the kid. He should nip these thoughts in the bud- he is almost a decade older than his mentee. On the other side Yashasvi was getting restless away from his crush. "Beta dekh lo apna- keeping pratice ke naam pe Jos bhai thoda zyada nahi chipak rahe hai Sanju bhai se?", Yuzi did his bit of chugli for the day. If Yash decided to stay close to Sanju for the rest of the day, it was nobody's business.
Matchday RCB vs RR
Rajasthan was batting first and had lost Jos and Smith in quick succession. Siraj was spitting fire and ably egged on by aggressive Virat and Maxwell. Yashasvi didn't want to back down and was trying to play aggressively. He got hit a few times but he had Sanju at the other end encouraging him to keep fighting. He had a catch dropped off a mishit pull shot- the glare that Sanju gave him literally was 'if looks could kill". The next ball he stupidly sprinted for a non-existent single and almost got his mentor run out. He thanked the gods that he didn't understand Malayalam coz whatever Sanju said from the other end had nothing parliamentary about it for sure. He expected to hear the Hindi translation of the same during the over break, but was surprised when Sanju told him calmly, "Yashu, baccha, heart attack mat diya kar aise mujhe. I have been telling you to calm down since last two overs, but you are getting even more affected by their banter. Just focus on each ball and just look at me when you feel like you are getting affected by the chatter, I will guide you. Stay with me till the 15th, baaki main sambhaal loonga."
Yashasvi got out on the final ball of the 15th over and he walked back, disappointed to miss his maiden fifty by 2 runs. He was more upset that Sanju didn't even look at him when he walked by. By the end of their innings they had managed to score 160 which was par for the pitch and Sanju had stayed not out at 70. He came and asked the coach, "Where is Yashu?". Sanga indicated towards the change rooms and said,"Your kid is upset. Don't be harsh on him". Sanju walked into the changing rooms and found Yashasvi staring at the wall."15 over rukne ko bola tha toh exactly 15 over rukke out ho gaya. Enthoru anusarana (what an obedience)". That's when the waterworks started."I didn't do it on purpose. I wanted to stay till the end with you, but it was just a lapse in concentration. I am so sorry that I disappointed you" Yash cried. "Abey paagal ho kya? Nobody's disappointed. You did so well baccha. Even Virat bhai was clapping for you. I was just sad for you as you missed your fifty. Did you feel bad that I didn't say anything when you got out?" Sanju asked. Seeing the younger man nod morosely, Sanju sat in front of him and held his hand. "You will never disappoint me baby."
"Why do you keep calling me baby or baccha. I am a big guy. Yash bulao na mujhe. I feel like you are seeing me as a child", Yashasvi pouted. "You are so much younger than me Yash, I should be treating you like my child", Sanju tried to explain."I don't need a babysitter, I need a boyfriend", Yashasvi mumbled just loud enough for his mentor to hear. Sanju didn't expect Yashasvi to have the same feelings as he did. So he asked,"Did I hear it right or was it my mind playing tricks? Did you ask me to be your boyfriend?" At the risk of getting his heart broken of rejection, Yashasvi mumbled a silent yes. Next thing he knew, he was standing and Sanju was sitting on the bench and asking him to sit on his lap. "I also have feelings for you Yashu. I don't want to give it a name yet. Let's just see how it goes. Par haan, please don't allow the boys to be all touchy around you. I might end up doing unholy things to you in jealousy" said Sanju, accepting his feelings for the first time. "Aap bhi Jos bhai se door rehna-keeping ke bahane itna time spend karte ho unke sath. I will try my best to keep touchy hands away from me, but thoda sa aap jealous ho gaye toh theek hi hai. I can't wait for you to do unholy things to me" Yash teased. "Babe, mat bhoolna- I am your babysitter first - tujhe line me rakhna aata hai abhi mujhe. Keep that in mind before making me jealous", said Sanju.
"Guys, we need to get back on the field in 5 mins. Freshen up and come out fast", shouted someone. "How about I wash up fast? You go and eat something. And keep that silly grin off your face. The whole world doesn't need to know already" Sanju advised his newly acquired boyfriend. "How about you give me a kiss as a motivation to go out, when I have a chance to join you in the shower?"Yashasvi knew he was being too bold now, but seeing Sanju flustered by his audacity, was worth it. In the end he was kicked out of the changing area, but not before he got a well-earned kiss from his babysitter aka boyfriend.
