A/n
This is the last part, guys. Please do lots of inline comments. It always makes my day!
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Virat didn't know why but he just wanted to stay in that position for as long as he could. He was still trying to assure himself that he hadn't lost his Mahi Bhai.

Mahi was constantly rubbing Virat's back as he tried to reassure Virat and himself as well.

None of them could be blamed.

After a while, Virat's sobs died down.

Virat slowly straightened himself. He stared down, not meeting Mahi Bhai's eyes as he tried to find words to convey his inner emotions.

"Bhai—" Virat was still trying to avoid his eyes.

Now that he knew Mahi Bhai forgave him, he was feeling even more guilty for everything. Apologising to Bhai for everything that happened seemed to be recalling a very hurtful memory which won't ever fade away from Virat's heart.

How will he forgive himself? And most importantly how will he forget his own actions?

Mahi noticed Virat's red eyes due to crying and he was still breathing fast. Mahi quickly grabbed the glass of water beside his bed.

"Virat, have water." Mahi said, almost making a reluctant Virat drink water. "Are you okay?"

Virat nodded slowly. Mahi sighed.

Cheeku can never leave his stubbornness, can he?

"Did you still not forgive me?" Virat asked in dejected voice, lowering his eyes.

Mahi slowly cupped his cheeks and said softly, "I wasn't ever angry with you, kiddo so that's not even an question to ask."

Virat looked up. Did he actually hear Bhai say that he wasn't angry?

"I was hurt. Hurt and disappointed from your behaviour. I felt I had failed not only as a captain but as an elder brother too. If you had come and talked it out with me, I would have been proud of you for prioritising country over anything else. But things didn't go that way. You pushed me out and-"

"Bhai, please, don't." Virat said fearfully, burying his face in Mahi Bhai's shoulder. "I'll never do that. I promise. I can never do that."

Worst.

Virat mentally cursed himself for being an absolute fool and talking to Mahi Bhai.

He made Bhai feel that he was pushing him out??!

Virat could literally write a whole book on why he could never do that.

Mahi sighed. He caressed Virat's cheek and said softly, "I know."
He knew Virat was on the verge of tears again.

"Bhai, I didn't know what came over me. I couldn't see beyond myself. I just shut myself from everyone but I can never push you out." Virat said the last bit almost as a whisper.

"You will let me come back to you, right?" Virat asked, not even trying to keep the desperation out of his voice.

"I never asked you to go away." Mahi replied with a soft smile.

Virat didn't lift his head from Mahi's shoulder. He didn't want to leave Mahi Bhai at the moment. He just wanted to cling to him no matter what. He buried his face even more as an attempt to convey the same to Mahi Bhai.

Mahi's neck had started paining as he had bandage on his head and Virat was pulling hard on his shoulder but he didn't budge or pushed Virat. His heart was in solace after holding Cheeku after so long.

After a while, Virat slowly slipped down and kept his head on Mahi's lap. He tentatively looked up at Bhai. Can I?

Mahi nodded with a smile. He suddenly felt as if it was the same Virat who had debuted under him and had terrible headache on the very first day. That day also Virat had looked up to him with the same innocent eyes to ask him if he could sleep there.

Though things changed over years. Vira had stopped asking for permission long back but today, Virat brought back the voice inside Mahi which always said that this kid is always going to be very special to him.

"You know Mahi Bhai," Virat started gently. "the day you announced—that day—i went to my room and slept. I couldn't think anything that day."

Virat shifted uncomfortably as he said this. He was telling Mahi Bhai everything he had in his heart.

"Then, second day when you left for India—even I was there at the airport." Virat tilted his head a little to see Bhai's reaction.

Mahi waited for Virat to complete. He knew Virat was being truthful.

"I didn't come with others." Virat went back. "I just kept looking at you guys from a distance but couldn't approach you guys. When you left, I stayed back for two hours at the airport, not having the courage to go back and face the team."

"Bhai, I stared in the dark space, sitting locked up in my room for hours." Virat said weakly. "I didn't know what exactly it was but I just felt so numb from inside—there was that hollowness inside me which I didn't know how to deal with."

"I searched for you and—and realised that you're gone. I missed you, Bhai. I craved for you every moment. All I wanted to do was to rush to you and tell you how sorry I'm and how lonely I felt without you. But I couldn't even do that."

Mahi's heart ached listening to Virat. How could he still be hurt listening to Cheeku speaking his heart out?!

"After you left, I actually realised what I had lost. That proctetiveness, that care and concern, that love and that one person whom I always looked up to. I missed you, Bhai. I missed you so damn much."

It was only when Mahi wiped Virat's face with his thumb, he realised tears flowing down his cheeks. Virat looked at Mahi with teary eyes.

"I thought you must be so angry with me that you won't talk." Virat said turning his face.

"That was the worst conclusion you ever came to!" Mahi stated, stroking Virat's hair.

Virat silently agreed.

"Look at me now," Mahi said finally, making Virat sit up. "The problem wasn't you behaving strange with me. I was disappointed from your behaviour towards the team. I know you wanted the best for team and everyone wanted the same but your decision should never be autocratic. You were being arrogant and that's not how you are. I already told you that if you had come and talked it out with me, I would have been proud of you but you chose other way."

"Hadn't I already told you that I wanted you to lead the team after me? It was your demeanor which hurt me." Mahi looked at Virat who was apparently ready to go into his apologizing mode and continued hastily. "But now I know you realised where you were wrong and you won't repeat it, right?"

"I won't, Bhai. I promise, I won't." Virat nodded frantically like an obedient child being lectured by his elder brother.

Mahi smiled at him complacently. He extended his arms and Virat dashed into him making Mahi chuckle as he ruffled his hairs.

Virat figured out he would give up on literally anything just to make sure he never breaks his promise.

"You're not upset anymore na?" Virat asked, breaking the hug.

"No, Virat, of course not." Mahi said.

Virat frowned.

"Why are you calling me Virat?" Virat demanded.

MS hid his smile. Looks like Cheeku was back!

"Aren't you Virat?" Mahi asked simply.

"I am but—you call me Cheeku!" Virat reminded.

MS laughed out a little. "Yeah, at times." He admitted. "But Virat is your name, right?"

"Yeah but—" Virat protested. "Okay, then let's make a deal, Bhai. Actually-"

Suddenly something came into Virat's mind and the look on his face very much conveyed it to Mahi Bhai.

"Bhai, not a deal, let's make few promises?" Virat suggested eagerly.

"Promises?" Mahi asked amusedly.

"Yeah, promises." Virat confirmed.

"First one, I promise even after I get all the success in the world or make the most stupid mistakes, I'll still come back to you." Virat said straight from heart.

Mahi looked at him with all the love in the world.

"Next one, you've to promise that you will always call me Cheeku even when I go mad and ask you not to call me that. Just give me a nice punishment and I'll be back to myself." Virat said the last bit with sulky expression.

"Now you will decide my promises too?" Mahi asked with a chuckle.

"Bhai, bolo na" Virat whined.

"Okay, okay. I promise I'll always call you Cheeku." Mahi said making Virat grin.

Years later, when each and every child in India started knowing Virat Kohli as Cheeku, Virat understood Mahi Bhai actually never breaks the promise even if it means calling him Cheeku on stump mic which was heard on national television. Virat wasn't complaining though!

"Next one, promise me no matter how big of jerk I behave like, you won't leave me? As I said, scold me, punish me, do whatever you want but never leave me alone?" Virat said innocently.

"I promise. I'll always be there for you, Cheeku, no matter what." Mahi said, wiping out the bit of insecurity from Virat's heart.

"I promise you'll have all the rights on me, Mahi Bhai and I'll never forget that. I'll always be your little brother to you." Virat said sincerely.

Virat looked so cute saying that Mahi couldn't resist patting his cheeks.

"Bhai, let's promise that before teammates, captain or anything else, we will be brothers." Virat added. "You will always be my Mahi Bhai and—"

"—you will always be my Cheeku." Mahi completed.

"Promise!" Both promised together.

Virat again threw himself in Mahi Bhai's arms. Mahi hugged him back and lovingly kissed him at the top of his head, ruffling his hair.

Virat didn't realise when he fell asleep there only. Mahi slowly shifted him a bit, being careful enough to not break his sleep.

"He looked so tired. Careless about himself as always." Mahi sighed to himself as he pulled over the comforter and slept with Cheeku holding him as if his life depended on him.
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"Mahi Bhai?" Virat called out as he came in the dining area.

"Haan, Cheeku?" Mahi replied.

Almost each one of them stared at Mahi and Virat, then at each other.

Rohit turned to Mahi Bhai and Jinks turned to Virat with questioning eyes and both got positive nods in reply.

"I knew you would not disown this stupid, Mahi Bhai. Who will adopt him anyway?" Jaddu said delightfully.

Everyone threw him straight look. But as if Ravindra Jadeja cares!

As everyone started having their breakfast, Mahi noticed Virat staring at his plate.

"Cheeku, why aren't you eating?" Mahi asked.

"Kuch nhi, Bhai, wo—"

"What happened to your hand?" Mahi asked noticing cuts on his hand.

"Nothing, Bhai, thora sa hai bas" Virat tried to cover.

"Show me!" Mahi took his hands and saw the cuts between all his fingers and then understood why wasn't he eating.

"Cheeku, can't you be a bit careful? See it's all over your palm and fingers. Heights of your carelessness!" Mahi chided.

Virat was smiling all the while. Mahi Bhai scolding him was normal. He would whole heartedly have all the scolding rather than the silence. So, Mahi Bhai scolding him felt nice and normal. Absolutely normal!

And he suddenly realised why was Virat smiling. He hid his own smile.

"Take care from next time, okay?" Mahi said strictly and Virat nodded quietly, looking down with a smile.

"Now you will eat or not?" Mahi asked.

"Bhai, it hurts—" Virat started but as he looked up, Mahi Bhai had already forwarded the morsel of food towards him.

Virat smiled broadly and promptly ate the food.

Later on, when Rohit asked Virat how did he convince Mahi Bhai, Virat replied, "I just told him tha I'll never trouble him like you and now he won't even have to bear you as I won't be leaving him alone at all and he got so happy to get rid of you that he forgave me."

Rohit's jaw dropped at the unfairness made to him.

Virat couldn't stop laughing.
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After the practice, Virat randomly slumped against Mahi Bhai resting his head on Bhai's shoulder.

"Tired?" Mahi asked tenderly.

Virat shook his head.

"I love you, Bhai!" Virat said.

Mahi affectionately ruffled his hair muttering, "Me too, kiddo!"

From that day onwards, it always stayed the same. The love, trust and respect they had for each other was always spoken without hesitation from Cheeku's end and reciprocated to from Mahi Bhai's end silently.

They fulfilled the promises they made to each other and even showed it to the world.

Be it MS calling Virat 'Cheeku' in the stump mic or Virat calling him 'Mahi Bhai' even on field and everywhere apparently reflected the kind of bond they shared.

Be it MS letting Virat finish the match or Virat saying for umpteenth time 'Mahi Bhai, you will always be my captain', they confessed to whole world that they were brothers before being MS Dhoni or Virat Kohli.

"I'll always be your Cheeku!" Virat whispered with a smile.

"I know, kiddo. You will always be!" Mahi Bhai admitted.

Their heart remembered each promise they made. Promises for life!
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A/n

After veryyyyy long, I've finally finished up this story! This story is very special to me as it's based on one of the incidents which gave us the beginning of MahiRat.

Do tell me you guys liked it or not?

I really hope it was up to the mark.

Also, sitting with fingers crossed for India's victory! India deserves the win after Ro's century! We MUST have double celebration!

Do vote and comment!

Love ❤️