budstarc
That One House In The Woods

That One House In The Woods

3,839 305 11

The story I started in "A Tumbler Full of Tales" but which demanded a longer length.And thus, a separate book. The first three Chapters are from the aforementioned book.SummaryA reunion planned.A much needed vacation.Though originally for the 2013 team, some additions and deletions were regular when it came to the Indian Cricket Team, past and present.However, what was not so regular was the beautiful yet sinister house in the woods.Surrounded by the beautiful mountains and yet no one can rest easy here.A glimpse of a mysterious child.The sound of music which travels through the ground An untimely snowstorm Cuts, bruises and illnessesAnd something is playing with their mindsFor once even MS Dhoni does not have the answers and Jadeja seems to be on the verge of losing his cheer.A ting of horror, a flicker of mystery. What awaits our motley group of boys?…

An interlude to Sunset

An interlude to Sunset

30,983 1,562 27

This is a Mahabharata Fanfiction mostly based on facts we see in Star Mahabharat. Mahabharat holds a lot of facts and is a complicated and marvelous creation, But this is just a fanfiction. This story is just meant as an entertainment and there is no intention to hurt anyone's feelings, religious or otherwise. I have just borrowing the characters to weave a storyline. Summary - What happens if on a random visit to Hastinapur a attack is made on Dushyala and in saving her Arjun gets severely injured? And from thereon the story unfolds... How will Arjun recover.. why does Yudhisthira feel kinship with Karan... How will the future unfold.…

A Tumbler Full of Tales - ICT and beyond

A Tumbler Full of Tales - ICT and beyond

62,121 3,053 53

Summary - One shots comprising of the Indian Cricket Team, their shenanigans and a few tidbits of their life. Sometimes, I am assailed by tidbits of ideas for which I cannot think of full length stories. And some, I would like for them to remain as bits and scraps. This will be the haven for those little glittery and flighty ideas which chirp by,…

Hot Chocolate and Cold Ice cream

Hot Chocolate and Cold Ice cream

1,113 82 3

Short tales to Very short talesIt will be ICT mostly but for a few. The only criteria - It will be Happy. I desperately need happiness even if it is just from my own imaginations. A tiny glimmer I search amidst life's conundrums.…

Warmth of Memories - ICT and More

Warmth of Memories - ICT and More

7,135 518 14

Conversations with the right people are priceless. I have always liked to imagine and write about conversations. And some situations just demand a good conversation. Just something I want to write because I would love to and share with all of you. With mostly be about our Cricket team, though there may be the odd general one.…

Snippets, Incorrect Quotes and More

Snippets, Incorrect Quotes and More

18,656 1,040 19

The small snippets, incorrect quotes, hilarity and moreTiny tales, small conversations and moreCharacters may be weird, characterisation different and yet this remains the tales of our beloved ITC…

A Warm Voice - A MSD and Jassi Ficlet

A Warm Voice - A MSD and Jassi Ficlet

524 29 1

A Warm Voice - A MSD and Jassi Ficlet (Friendship and Brotherhood)After the World Cup 23 Finals, Jassi receives a phone call. Unexpected but welcome, the warm voice and words were much treasured. Main Characters - MSD and Jassi. One-shot.…

The song is ended, but the melody lingers on

The song is ended, but the melody lingers on

2,497 104 2

Post the CWC Finals 2023Our ITC...People break differently, but breaking is needed to heal. The healing has to begin. I had to write... I cannot sleep and I need to get some thoughts off my mind. The heartbreak is very real. The situations are of my own making. Because none of us know what happened after and I am off of social media for now. It is not a good place now.…

Time, Distance and Silence - A Rahul and Hardik friendship Tale

Time, Distance and Silence - A Rahul and Hardik friendship Tale

4,881 390 8

The Indian Cricket Team had just won the T20 2024 World Cup and Rahul gets a surprise visitor. The Visitor who rattles some rather deeply buried emotions Rahul had held unto over the years but does he really have the time or the leeway to address them as Hardik seems to be going down a downward spiral without even realising that he was. Which was exactly like his overgrown yet infantile friend. But one promise Rahul makes to himself; he will make sure that the scars that Hardik held will be healed and not just allowed to scab over. And to do that, no sacrifice will be too little and no labor would be too hard.…

The Broken Leader

The Broken Leader

10,752 391 6

Summary - It was just after the South Africa wherein Virat had announced his decision to step down from the Test Captaincy. MS had lent his support and had tried to boost up the youngster's morale. Therefore, the 'message' came as a surprise. What was ailing this young protege of Dhoni's? Can the Captain lead the youngster to the right path again? Or will Virat take some drastic decision? How does the team, specially Rohit, Jinks, Hardik Pandya, and, Rahul have to do with this? Primarily - Mahirat. RohitMahiRat to some extent. May Include some other members of the ICT. Texts and calls and flashbacks are in bold.…

My Random Musings

My Random Musings

139 2 2

Just Random things I write ever so oftenPoems (mockery of one really) and et allJust things really. Across genres and fandoms and originals too.…

Batten down the hatches

Batten down the hatches

6,079 359 9

Summary - This goes AU from after MS Dhoni announces his retirement. They saw the post but the words had ceased to hold meaning. Rohit, Virat and Ravinder Jadeja. While the others could, somewhat, accept the inevitable, for the three of them, the post on 15th August 2020 has left them despairing and desolate. For Virat, it has also left behind a lot of anger.Anger, which he did not know how to deal with.Poor MS Dhoni - He does not have the first clue about how to deal with this trio of adult teenagers. Angst and shenanigans ensue A/N - I have officially lost itDeem me crazyShould I even try to write on this??Mehhh... Let me know 🥹 🥹Warning- Do not expect a lot of normalcy in this 🥹…

A Champion is made of Heart (ON HOLD)

A Champion is made of Heart (ON HOLD)

1,045 58 2

"these guys are better than we were" So commented Sourav Ganguly as India won against formidable England, lifting the Champions Trophy of 2013A team battles controversies, scandals, youth and races ahead to win the race Or they won despite it. Inspite it.In return , they were left with memories and little stories of their journey. It was a saga of bravery, of tragedies, of joy and of camaraderie An expressionless captain, a rising star, a boy coming into his own, an all rounder being born and so much more.…

A Campaign of Dreams (ON HOLD)

A Campaign of Dreams (ON HOLD)

744 41 2

ICTThe only thing that really matters in the end. And our Team goes in with Players battling trolls, personal issues, grief of being shunted to reserves, of not being selected and so much more.And yet, this Campaign remains a dream for us. After the CWC 2023, where we came to reaching distance of touching the cup, this time I will go in with all my support and will keep cheering the loudest. As we always say; We Bleed Blue.So, for the first time, I will try to keep a litany of short fics for this campaign. Of course, work or time will come in between but will try to. No more waiting for the result but just enjoying the process. More for myself than anything else.…

Time does not take away, nor does Separation

Time does not take away, nor does Separation

511 9 2

"The stadium stands breathless. There are no cheers, no calls. There is only the quiet flurry of anticipation and the beating of a million hearts in tandem. There is only the joined prayers of 2 billion people who are all awaiting a miracle.The dull thud of the blunt edge of the bat hitting the pitch. The scrap of a foot against the turf.The low beeps of a oscilloscope and the dragged in breathes of a life that has fought long and was now on the verge of giving upA tale of love, redemption and most importantly, of friendship ©️…

Will you stand by me?

Will you stand by me?

9,210 483 10

Summary - July 2017. A regular ODI series against New Zealand and a basic match in Ontago. Virat may have spoken a little out of turn during the match but it is what happened after the match which lit the proverbial fire. Did Virat have the mental maturity to take up the reins of captaincy with the ex-captain playing alongside him?Was he responsible for MS giving up his limited overs captaincy when he did?And what about the kids? How far was he responsible for Jassi's gloominess, the hint of accusation in Hardik's words and Rahul's outright censure?And when the pressure builds up, the outburst was directed at the person who deserved it the least; MS Dhoni. His ex-captain, his forever captain. His Mahi bhai. Could the damage control be done before it becomes too late?One ex-captain rethinking his decision to continue as a player and one captain whose dignity stops him from seeking the support he so desperately requires.And a Team in the throes of Doom.…

Responsibility

Responsibility

7,441 284 7

So dawn goes down to day.Nothing gold can stay.Responsibility makes you and it can also break you. At times it can chip away at you till little remains of the initial zeal you had started with. And so it happened with Virat. Virat Kohli couldn't have been happier when Rahul was named in the squad for the CWC 2019. It was past time that the player came back to the Team; to his second family. The team bonding retreat couldn't have come at a better moment but even as Virat impatiently awaited Rahul's arrival, he was dreading facing the boy after almost four months of little to no communication. He felt as responsible towards Rahul as he was sure that MS did towards him but why were so many misunderstandings cropping up between the veteran stalwart and the Team? Can Virat shoulder the responsibility of sorting out Rahul, taking care of the Team, and finding out what was happening with MS? Can he get MS to trust that he would always be Virat's captain? That he would always be the Team's Mahi bhai? It was time for the player to sit back and the leader to step forth.…

Be Wondrous Like Thunder

Be Wondrous Like Thunder

6,696 219 5

Season 6 - Episode 12... The episode which was eventually taken down...That infamous KWK incident nearly destroyed the budding careers of two young cricketers and didn't we give a sign of relief when things sorted out? Kind of?But the words remained, the comments, the hate and the lack of support. Hardik arrived for the rest of the New Zealand tour, his masks set in place and his attire downplayed to an extent that he was no longer recognisable. His eyes seldom looked up and when he was informed that MS Dhoni, that Mahi bhai, had said that he can share MS's room, as the hotel was otherwise completely booked out, whatever strength Hardik had painstakingly gathered around him was snapped away in one instant. How would face the one person whose opinion meant the world to him?What happened in that one night which helped Hardik to heal and to come back stronger from that incident which could have otherwise broken him? What exactly did MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli have to do with it?My Non Canon Take on the immediate aftermath of when Hardik rejoins the team after his ban got lifted.…

Bonds - Tried and Tested.

Bonds - Tried and Tested.

6,094 262 5

Summary - Virat will regret that Press Conference for days to come. For not being articulative enough and for hinting at things he shouldn't have. And he certainly should not have snapped at MS when his Captain came to talk to him. But Virat was just so tired and MS was not helping things any by being elusive as always. But he will still regret speaking those words. For even hinting that he had a problem with MS's captaincy. With his decision making. But was the mistake enough to drive a wedge in their friendship? Or will the trust and respect persevere? Set in approximately 2015. Primarily Mahirat. But will involve the Team in general.…

Homecoming

Homecoming

4,469 149 5

Summary - "The return makes one love the farewell." - Alfred de MussetFarewell. It is a simple word, holding behind it, a ton of feelings, of emotions, of what-ifs and maybes, of what was done, what could have been, what may have been. For a lone soul, even though the ache in his heart grew with every passing moment, Farewell strongly and strangely, felt like homecoming. Retired at long last, the parties, the laurels, the wishes and the celebration makes little sense to Virat. He has one destination in mind; one final promise to collect and to a few more to make. And he sets out for the same, not knowing that even simple moments can hold memories to light up a lifetime. Also, unknown to the player, more events are set in motion than what meets the eye.…