Mahi was laying on the bed trying to get his thoughts under control when he heard urgent loud knocks on the door. "Bhai please darwaza kholo" Rohit's panicked voice spoke. His voice had such an urgent quality to it that MS couldn't resist. He immediately opened the door to find a panicking sweating Rohit. "Bhai Hardik...Virat..." Rohit said almost shaking "wo darwaza nahi khol Raha" "Kya?" MS asked not understanding "Rohit Kya bol raha hai?" "Wo..." Rohit was almost hyperventilating. MS grabbed both his shoulders and shaked him hard, forgetting all his anger seeing his state. "Calm down Rohit" he said in a firm.voice "Kya hua hai thik se bata." "Bhai shyam ko apke room se Jane ke baad se Hardik ne apne apko room mein lock Kar liya hai. Khol hi nhi Raha, koi awaz bhi nhi de Raha, abhi thori der pehle andar se kuchh tutne ki awaz aayi thhi. Mujhe nahi pata Kya Kar raha hai...Virat ka bhi koi ata pata nahi, phone nahi lag raha...pata nahi kaha chala Gaya." Rohit said in a go "Mujhe paata hai aap himse boht naraz ho, you should be. But please help us at least in this condition, we need you." he said folding his hands and crying. MS was shocked, he never thought his anger will have this result. He rubbed Rohit's arm and gently led him back to front of Hardik's room.

As soon as they saw MS coming with Rohit, his  around him, they almost breathed a sigh of relief. Yuzi immediately catapulted himself to hug MS as tight as he could breathing heavily half expecting MS to shove him him away. But MS rubbed his back "Yuzi everything will be fine." He said and  gently pushed him away. How could he stay angry on them for long when he knew that someone had deliberately created the misunderstanding and it wasn't entirely their fault. They had wronged him but their guilt had been so evident today and now that he was here they all seemed to find respite in that. Seeing them panicked and afraid like this, the big brother in him almost forgot everything else. He just thought he needed to make sure Hardik was ok, find Virat and calm the others. He knocked at the door of Hardik's room. "Hardik open the door." He said, no sound. "Hardik it's me open the door." He said again, no answer. "Harry" he said using the nickname "Are you directly disobeying your Mahi Bhai" He heard unsteady steps and then the door clicked open. Hardik stood swaying a little, eyes red , face swollen. "Mahi Bhai" he could only manage to utter before slumping forward almost falling down before Mahi caught him in his arms. "Harry what the hell were you doing?" Mahi asked. He smelt of alcohol. MS looked over his shoulder to see broken bottles in the room. Water was running in the bathroom, he had probably vomited once or twice. "Harry, what is all this?" MS asked holding Hardik. "The hurt, alcohol make it go away" he slurred. MS understood, he had been drinking to pacify himself. "Your hug makes it go away too." Hardik spoke again, clutching onto MS. Mahi's heart seemed ache on hearing that, the anger melting slowly. But he needed to get Hardik away from this. "Chal yaha se" he said almost dragging Hardik towards his room. "Please don't leave me." Hardik whimpered in a squeaky voice "I am not leaving you Harry." MS reassured.

Once they reached MS's room, MS changed Hardik's tee shirt and made him wear one of his own as there was alcohol stains on Hardik's. He then lay Hardik on the bed and pulled the cover on him and ran a hand through his hair. He still needed to find Virat. "Bhuvi" MS said "iske pas baith thori der, leaving him alone is not a good idea. Rohit mere saath chal Virat ko dhundna hai" His tone was stable and calm. It seemed to calm the others too. "Yuzi, Kuli, Bumrah tum bhi yahi ruko or else you will go to your rooms and keep panicking alone." MS said rubbing Bumrah's  arm. He looked like he was one of the worst hit and most lost. He and Rohit left.

MS got a self driven car from the hotel and seemed to driving with purpose. Rohit knew where they were going. There was only one place Virat went when he was upset. Allen Park. MS drove fast, he didn't know how long Virat had been out, it was really chilly outside. Parking the car outside Mahi almost ran towards Virat's usual spot. And momentarily almost stopped dead in his tracks. There was Virat on the ground near the foot of a bench curled up in a ball with his head against his knees. MS and Rohit rushed to him. There was dried blood on his hands and a deep gash and blood stains on the bench, he probably had hit the bench enough times to make his hands bleed. MS knelt beside him and tried to coax him up. "Virat" he said trying to lift his head from his knees "Virat dekh Meri taraf. Get up from here." His skin was cold to touch, he was shivering and apparently muttering something under his breath. As MS tried to pull him up he heard Virat's delirious mutterings he was saying "Bhai maaf Kar do mujhe, I am sorry, please don't leave us, don't give us such a big punishment, please" the same thing over and over. MS's heart clenched, even in a hypothermia induced dilerium, Kohli was apologizing, even when he had not been here. He pulled Virat's head into his chest "Bas Cheeku, I am here now. I am here." He said rubbing circle on Virat's back. He somehow stood Virat up and half dragged, half carried him to the car and put him in the back seat. "Bhai aap Virat ke saath baitho, I will drive." Rohit said. "Thik hai" MS said "Virat will be fine we just need to get him to a warm room, fast." He reassuringly patted Rohit's back knowing his worry for his friend. MS slipped in beside Virat and put his own jacket on him for some extra warmth and pulled him in a hug again, he was still shivering. Virat was still muttering unconsciously those almost incoherent apologies in scared, terrified tone, oblivious to the fact that he was in MSD's arms.  Rohit drove as fast as possible.

Once in MS's room, MS and Rohit got Virat changed into some warmer clothes got him under the covers beside Hardik as MS sat near him rubbing his chest and palms, trying to warm him up. "Rohit" MS said "Pls ek baar physio ko call kar. Bhuvi, pls reception ask the room service to get an hot pack." Bhuvi was sitting on the other side of the bed in a chair by Hardik, holding his hand. He picked up the intercom and called the reception. Hardik had fallen asleep by now, but he seemed to be flinching in his sleep as though in a night mare. Virat still kept muttering under his breath. MS looked around, Rohit red faced from crying and tension, Yuzi looking out of breath, Kuldeep clutching the bed post, Bumrah looking lost and at that moment he felt in his heart that they were his own, how can he be angry with them, how can he abandon them. Yes they had hurt him beyond everything, but it was someone else's doing, someone had played to their weak points, made a full proof plan to frame him. MS sighed. He reached out to pat Bumrah's cheek and Yuzi's back. These two looked very badly hit. "Bhai physio adhe ghante mein aa rahi hai" Rohit said. Just then the bell rang, the hotel boy had come with the hot pack. MS placed it on Virat's back. Hardik was still fidgeting, Bhuvi was trying to comfort him but to no avail. MS couldn't leave Virat's side, his delirious apologies were heart wrenching. And to think for God knows how long he had sat in that cold working himself into this state. The physio arrived. As she checked Virat, MS moved to Hardik's side carding his finger through Hardik's hair which almost immediately calmed Hardik. Dr. Tani checked Virat and said "Nothing to worry, it's just hypothermia, albiet a severe one. I am giving you the meds and just give him those. When did he eat last?" "Kisiko pata hai?" MS asked. "I don't think he has eaten anything since yesterday" Rohit said "he actually over heard you and Suresh yesterday and from then he has been almost locked up in his room." MS sighed again, "Of course not eating was solving all the problem" he said irritatedely. "In that case please try to get some food in him" She said "I am giving him an injection right now, hopefully he will get conscious within 10 minutes, make sure he eats something and give him the meds." "Ok, thank you so much" MS said. "Not a problem, he should be fine by tomorrow." And she left. "I will order some soup" Bumrah said.
Few minutes later, Virat started stirring, MS immediately went to his side, as soon as he opened his eyes and spotted MS he started to get visibly worked up. "It's ok Virat, it's ok" MS said "I am right here." He soothingly rubbed his arms. "Bhai, maaf Kar do mujhe" he mumbled out before almost jumping into MS's arms and snuggling his face into his chest. "Hush" MS said "Kal baat karenge inn sab ke bare me. Abhi saant ho ja." MS gently pushed him away. Jassi got the soup from the room boy and handed it to MS. "Drink this, take your meds and sleep." Virat's eyes still looked grudgy and vacant not registering half the things. He almost dropped the soup. MS took from him. "Chhor" he said, "Main khilata hun." He spoon fed some of it Virat, and then gave him the meds. As soon as MS sat down, Virat instinctively again snuggled in his chest. "Cheeku, chhor thhora sa hath" MS coaxed him up, understanding that Virat in his delirium wanted to feel his presence. He slipped between Virat and Hardik(thank God it's King size bed, he  thought.) He half laid with his back against the wall and let Virat snuggle into his chest. "Tum logon ne khana khaya hai?" He asked others suspiciously. They nodded. "Good" he said "kisiko pata hai aaj match ke baad se Manjarekar kaha hai?" "Nahi" Rohit said "woh kahi gaya phir hotel nhi Aya." "Achha" MS said thinking "Ek Kam karo. Abhi so Jao sab jaake. Kal subah ana. Important baat hai." "Bhai..." Rohit hesitated. "Kal subah" MS said  in a nonesense tone. "Now go and sleep we all need rest." None of them moved. "What's the matter kiddos?" MS asked. The term sounded like music to their ears. "Bhai wo actually" Bumrah said "that couch transforms into a queen size bed na?" "Yes" MS said. "So can me, Jassi and Kuli stay here for the night" "Jassi has been having kind of separation anxiety" Bhuvi explained "he has been in my room all day, but I am travelling with Nupur so..." "Of course" MS said reaching out to cup Bumrah's cheek. "Listen carefully" he said "Go and sleep now. Don't think about anything. Let's sort out things amongst ourselves tomorrow, we have let someone crack us from within and that should never happen. Let's talk tomorrow. Abhi jao, and sleep pls." Rohit and Bhuvi left. And Kuli, Yuzi and Jassi settled themselves in the couch cum bed. MS adjusted the pillow behind his back and carded Hardik's hair with one hand, Hardik in turn unconsciously leaned into the touch in his alcohol induced sleep. Virat was almost on him progressively snuggling more into his chest. How can he be angry on these two, when they visibly turned to him for comfort. He saw Jassi, Yuzi and Kuli sleeping on the queen bed peacefully, just because they knew he was here and Virat and Hardik were ok. He remebered the panicky Rohit and tired Bhuvi. How can be angry on any of them when he can see the incident had broken them too. He should be angry on Sanjay, he had not only tried to hurt him but hurt his brothers as well in the process. He has to call Dada and Yuvi tomorrow. Sanjay shall be out of the team at any cost, he thought as he tightened his grip slightly on Virat. Sanjay had touched the wrong people. Very wrong people. Sanjay had touched his people.

A/N: Yes, Dr. Tani is me shamelessly plugging in my character for no apparent reason. Secondly, some five star hotels do have suites with King size bed and a queen size sofa cum bed, in case anybody was wondering. 😅😅