Part 9

A little planning

Next morning Virat got up with a heavy head and took him several minutes to realise where he was. "Mahi Bhai's room...how?" He shaked his head, but his last night memories were all hazy. He saw Kuldeep and Yuzi on the sofa playing fifa and pushing each other. Like normal. But nothing was normal yesterday. Just then, Hardik came out of the bathroom after bathing, "Feeling better?" Jassi asked looking from the book he was reading from the arm chair. "Much better" Hardik smiled "Good morning, Captain." He said spotting Virat. "Why are we all here? Where's Bhai?" Virat said. "You don't remember anything?" Hardik asked "me neither actually. When I woke up 10 minutes earlier with a terrible headache, these three were already having breakfast. Bhai was nowhere to be seen. They said he went out a little while ago before I woke up." "What happened last night?" Virat asked confused. "Well Hardik and you were almost unconscious for absolutely different reasons and I as usual had to babysit both of you." Said MS Dhoni walking in through the door. Virat was starting to hazily remember, of course he remembered Bhai feeding him soup and then he snuggled to him and slept. Bhai had cared for him even after he had done so much. He felt miserable again. "Bhai...wo..." Hardik started. "Bad mein" MS said "Pehle order some breakfast and eat. I don't know when you last ate and only thing Virat's ate since yesterday is half a bowl of soup. So talking later eating first." "Rohit bhai aur Bhuvi bhaiya bhi aa jayenge tab tak " Jassi said "wo log airport gaye thhe Nupur bhabi aur Ritu bhabi ko chhorne" "ok good." MS said, plopping down on the couch "Baitha Kya hai Virat, khana order karle." "Bhai main..." Virat said not daring to look up. MS's caring voice seemed to be even more painful than the cold voice yesterday. Hardik too looked fidgety as though trying to say something. "Virat" MS said firmly "Eat something then we can talk." Making it clear that he was not up for any conversation right now. Virat decided it would be the best to obey him. He quitely picked up the reciever and ordered food. By the time they were finished Rohit and Bhuvi had also come in. MS hadn't talk to them until they finished eating and had cleared the empty plates. He then went and gave the meds to Virat. "Le, medicines le le" he said, caringly rubbing his forehead to check the temperature. Virat took them silently as MS sat beside him with his back against the wall. Everyone settled themselves, on and around the bed, deliberately letting Hardik and Virat sit in either side of MS. "Let's get over with this" MS said "whatever happened in past few days was hurtful to say the least. And I had almost decided to call it quits. But after yesterday I want to know exactly what happened." "Bhai we are sorry" Hardik started. "Hum sachmein boht sharminda hain. Par uss Manjarekar ne trap he aise set Kiya ki..." After that Virat and Hardik explained whatever had happened. Virat also explained how Manjarekar ignoring him had made him frustrated and after that how he had manipulated and framed MS. "He made such henious plan" Virat said "Bhai I am giving no excuse for our mistake" "You shouldn't even try to give" MS said, though the anger was gone but the hurt still persisted. "We won't try Bhai." Hardik said "we are really bad brothers. We don't deserve you but the India does. Please never even think of retiring like this." He had bowed his head. "Bhai if you want, please punish us" Bhuvi said "Actually you should punish us." "Yes bhai" Rohit echoed "If you do atleast we will know we are still your brothers and you will discipline us when we are wrong." "Bhai, your calm tone is killing me even more." Virat said letting out a sob "I have done a unforgivable mistake. How will I ever atone fire it?" He held MS's hand very tightly. "Hush, all of you. I have forgiven you. Yes I am still hurt and it will take time for it to go away. But I will never leave you guys like this. You are my brothers." MS said opening his arms and all of them almost dashed to him. "There, there." He said "It's all going to be fine" After few moments all separated from him and settled on and around the bed. "Now, listen to me carefully, Hardik and Virat" MS said "What were you thinking last night? One drinks himself almost unconscious and the other is just out and about in the November cold hurting himself. Can you even imagine how scared I was last night?" They bowed their heads "We are really sorry Bhai." Virat said "It's just I saw your mail and I couldn't control myself, I felt I had lost everything." "I am sorry" MS said feeling bad. "No Bhai" Hardik protested "please don't apologise. We should be sorry. Bhai I promise I will never drink like that. I am sorry I scared you. I was feeling like I couldn't bear the pain. But now I know alcohol doesn't solve problems" "We are sorry Bhai" said Virat. "You scared all of us, not only me." MS said rubbing their backs. "I am sorry everyone" Hardik said. "I am Sorry Ro, Bhuvi." Virat said "also Yuzi, Kuli and Jas, I am sorry kiddos." All of them nodded. "Bhai" Rohit said "we all want to promise you that we will never ever let anyone break us like this." "We will trust in each other" Virat said "and never let our frustration and anger rule us." "And when we are in confusion" Hardik said "we will talk about it not bottle up." "We will always stick together" Jas completed. "Like family" Yuzi and Kuli said. MS beamed proudly at them. "And I promise to never leave you guys alone" MS said "even when I leave cricket, I will never stop bieng your brother no matter what." They found strength in each other's promises.

"Now that our misunderstandings are out of the way" MS said "let's deal with the guy who thought it was ok to touch our family." "Manjarekar" Virat spat the name out. "Yes, he should be out" Rohit said. "Never should come near us." Bhuvi said. "He will be" MS said "First tell me, we had camping trip planned to that forest in Hampshire two days later, is it cancelled?" "No we forgot do anything about it" Rohit said. "Good" MS said. "Bhuvi did you feed the media that I am going with you in the trip?" MS asked. "Yes, done" Bhuvi nodded. "Good" MS said "Jas you were in scouts right? You know how to make a noose trap?" MS asked. "Yes I do" Jas said. "What's the plan?" "Listen up carefully" MS said, and explained his plan. "It's crucial that you pose to him that you guys still hate me." "NOoo" Yuzi protested vehemently. "Yuzi don't be childish, that's the only way to ensure he comes with us." "Yuzi is right" Virat said "we can't do that anymore" "Do you think it will be easy for me?" MS asked "I have realised that I can bear everything is but not your hatred. But we have to pull this act, we have to do it." "How would you explain your not retiring? Won't he be suspicious?" Bhuvi asked. "Don't worry." MS said "He will recieve a mail from Dada and chief selector Prasad that will force him to ask me not to retire right now. He called me a manipulator, Hain na? Usse manipulation main sikhata him ab." "Where is he now?" Hardik asked "In another hotel, I am guessing he went to meet Jatin and Umesh. I know Umesh is staying there. He will return today evening about 8:30" "How do you know all this?" Kuldeep asked genuinely surprised. "Where do you think I went in the morning?" MS said "I went and chatted with chauffeur's of the hotel. Turns out he left in hotel's car and asked the driver to pick him at 8 from the other hotel." "How did you get so much out of the chauffeur's?" Ro asked genuinely intrigued. "Well I found an Indian guy there. Turned out to be my fan" MS smirked smugly. "You know you should have been in police bhai." Hardik said highly impressed. "Is it necessary to pose like we still hate you?" Jassi asked in a small voice. "It is bachcha" MS said. All of them looked crestfallen. "Stop looking like that all of you." MS said "come here." All of them dashed into him again, trying to calm themselves. After a few seconds everyone separated and settled back down except Virat who was still snuggled in MS's chest.

"Virat, let Bhai breath" Rohit said laughing "You were clinging to him whole night." "So what?" Virat said indignantly from MS's chest. "Nothing" Yuzi said "I just got your birthday pic clicked." "I don't care" Virat said, he felt so secured in that embrace that he didn't wanna leave at all. "You should have filmed Virat bhaiya when Mahi Bhai was feeding him" Jassi said. "Wow Jassi Sikh raha hai tu" said Kuldeep. "Says those three people who had to sleep in my room yesterday" said MS. "Bhai ab ap Virat bhaiya ki side mat lo" Yuzi said. And everybody laughed. "Mere Bhai hai" Virat said snuggling even deeper into his chest. MS smiled and stroked his hair. "Personal nahi hai apke" Hardik said laying his head in MS's shoulder "mere bhi Bhai Hain" MS patted his cheek with the other hand. "Sabka hi Bhai hun main" MS said "stop fighting now. Chalo nao go to your rooms." Nobody moved. Virat didn't even lift his head from MS's chest. "Achha thik hai" MS gave in "You can stay here till evening but go to your rooms before 8. Aur Virat please ab thhora chhor bachcha, my back's aching." Virat reluctantly parted from him. "Ek kam karte hain" Rohit said "Virat aaj tera cheat day hai na?" "Ha" Virat said. "Indian khana mangate Hain" Ro said "Room mein hi kha lenge." Everybody cheered. "Yes! butter chicken!" Yuzi said. "Mar ja tu butter chicken khake" Virat said exasperated. "Ab jo nahi kha sakte wo jalein" Yuzi teased. "It's my cheat day." Virat said "Mera bhi butter chicken karde." And after a few arguments Rohit successfully placed the order. As they waited for food, Hardik and Ro teamed up against MahiRat playing FiFA on the couch (which mostly resulted in Hardik continuously complaining how bad a FiFA player Rohit was). While Yuzi, Kuli played pubg. Bhuvi was curled on bed reading a thriller and shaking his head on the pubg squad. Bumrah was watching the FiFA game and cheering for Virat (and Rohit was accusing him of bieng utterly biased.) As MS saw his kids, bickering, teasing, bantering with each other, happy and safe and around him. He felt his heart warming up, these are the moments of solace he needed before he put his plan in action.

A/N: The story is very near it's end but my exams are starting from Monday. So updates will be slow. Please bear with me. Will try to update as fast as time permits. Pls keep showing your support for this story. Love you all ❣️