Until Forever (ICT OS)

The Circular Path Of Life

A resounding roar echoed within the curved enclosure, deafening sounds of whistles rampart throughout the stadium with incessant cheering. Ruturaj Gaikwad, a man bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders, finally let out a sigh of relief.

They had won , he reiterated the words to himself. One of MS's principle Rutu thrived by was to be detached from any thoughts of 'what ifs' but once the game ends , the epiphany of what was at stake sinks in. And with all honest that Rutu could muster, this particular campaign was less about winning the trophy, sure that is their goal but the force that drove the team was to give their forever leader, the adopted son of Tamil Nadu, their thala a send off just as grand as the man himself.

The young captain , all mature and grown up, still had a naive hope like anyother MS fan of hearing one more 'definetly not'. He knew the chances are exponentially low, especially the mega auction being scheduled next year. The path to an epic sign off was laid before them, they just had to pass the hurdles, the summit being the final in their den, Chepauk.

Rutu pulled himself out of his musings to fulfil his duties as the captain. He lead the way, congratulating the opposition , the team trailing behind their leader. The environment at Chepauk was strumming with unadulated excitement pouring out of everyone in the stands. The players gathered around to collect their medals for winning their 50th match at Chepauk, a fortress indeed. Rutu, standing last in que, watched his teammates receiving their medals, heard the fans applauding each one of them with vigour the loudest was obiviously for Mahi bhai. The look of astonishment on Shivam's face when he got a reception rivaling Sir Jadeja's brought an amused smile on his face. The Chennai crowd had Rutu's whole heart, their acceptance and warmth vanquished all his nervousness and doubts he harboured deep within.

He reminiscised the conversation he had with Mahi bhai on the eve of the day he announced the change in captaincy.

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"Are you sure I am the right person to carry this torch forward, bhai?" he had asked in soft voice perched at the edge of the in Mahi bahi's room while the man himself reclined against the headboard in a half lying position . Mahi bhai had given him an amused look, eyes sparkling and Rutu knew what was coming his way even before the words left his mouth "Why, yes Rutu. is the future captain already questioning the last standing act of his predecessor?"

Rutu's eyes widened a bit "No, that's not what I meant at all bhai!!" MS chuckled at the kid's frazzled look, "I know kiddo, I was just jesting and I expected you to be able to see through but someones got his nerves high, huh?" That's not fair bhai!! Cut me some slack today, I don't think I can't decipher your language right now" MS smiled at kid and straightened a bit and hid a wince at the slight discomfort in his back "Now now, Rutu you are my chosen successor, I believe that you are capable of holding this position but it matters not whether I believe you or not, the question is if you have faith on your capabilities, on me. Will you put your belief on my faith?"

Rutu hung on to every word MS uttered and the former captain found look of total concentration, frankly, adorable. He wondered to himself that old age had made him quite soft. CSK's new captain on the other hand pondered over the said words, not to say he wasn't excited to lead a great franchise like Chennai Super Kings rather, it was a great honour. Despite the confidence he emanated in front of the team, there was pressure, it was an undeniable fact and the only person who could relieve him from it was waiting for his reply calmly.

"Is that even a question worth asking bhai? Thank you for the prep talk captain, now this subordinate of yours is ready to lead your troop of loving misfits. And sorry for being unlike myself a night before our first game." Rutu's confident declaration got him a hair ruffle from MS, "Well, Rutu that's what I am here for, glad to have helped my captain. But i wonder what thoughts would the Katrina of our team have on your rare moment of anxiety." said MS, voice dripping of mischief. All he got as an answer was a look of pure horror on Rutu's face and a loud whine of "You wouldn't, bhai!!"

The sound of laughter could definetly be heard outside of the room though no one was there to hear it [n dead of the night. After all the the duo of mentor and mentee were following their unique pre-match routine.

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The memory brought a smile at the young man's face as he joined his teammates, preparing to go round the stadium. The 15-20 minutes that took them to cover the ground felt surreal, the deafening cheers, flags waving in the air, posters held high, huge banners hanging from the stands and most of all the onslaught of emotions, the feelings circulating within the enclosed area were overwhelming to say the least.

Rutu walked at the very end of the group, he knew what they desired because he was no better. His eyes locked onto Suresh Raina, as the man walked towards his best mate, he saw them embracing each other, the love shining in their eyes, the longing that hid behind them peeked out a bit as well. Thala and Chinna Thala together were definitely a sight to behold.

When the man walked his way towards him, his heart was filled with warmth. "Bhaiya, I missed you" Rutu mumbled into Suresh's shoulder, arms encircling the man's waist. "I missed you too baccha or should I say Captain now." Raina huffed out a laugh, voice sounding rough.

Rutu gave him a glare "Not you too Bhaiya, Mahi bhai and Deepak are more than enough to tease me. You guys should stop having fun at my expense." The visible pout on the kid's face elicited a chuckle from Raina "Well, if you really want them to stop you just have to show that adorable face of yours, mind you with the pout embellishing your features, to Mahi and no one would dare facing his wrath. Not that you actually want to, am I right Rutu?"

Rutu gave him exasperated smile "Okay, you got me there. The teasing is just their way of showing affection and the joyous dressing room is an added bonus." Raina chuckled and patted the kid's back, moving to get back to the broadcasters with a goodbye wave.

Barely a few steps after, he heard a mortified "Wait a minute Bhaiya, did you just called me adorable?" Without stopping he turned and gave a cheeky grin to the embarrassed kid.

Even with the loud cacophony of sounds surrounding him, Rutu felt at peace. His captain still stood tall in the face of adversities shielding others but with Rutu by his side now, what more could he ask for. And, sure the end was nearing, an inevitable truth to be faced but the upturn of those lips and those long sixes provided a short reprieve, assuring that everything would be fine.

The team's social media manager asked Rutu to take a picture with the fans in the background similar to that Mahi bhai took last year. His chest felt tight, emotions building up within. He raised his hand with a hope to never let them falter for they held a legacy now built from someone's sweat and blood, a long string of contributions from countless people holding it together.

He perked up when he heard MS's voice calling to him, he turned his head, searching for the man. He found him in front of the dugout conversing with the ground staff, beckoning him to come for a photo. With a spring in his steps, Rutu ran towards them. The captain on his knees and the former captain standing behind him with identical smiles lightening their faces.