A Tumbler Full of Tales - ICT and beyond (ON HOLD)

Taking the scenic route 4 (Ft. MSD, Virat Rohit. Mahirat and MahiRoRat)

Taking the scenic route 4 (Ft. MSD, Virat Rohit. Mahirat and MahiRoRat)

A/N - I don't think I have ever been this tired
Walking for 20 plus kms under scorching sun will do that to you.

Recent events have made me rather uncomfortable here at Wattpad but so many of you are really good people.

I cannot thank you all enough.

The silence continued till the dinner was done with and the fire banked for the night. Though there were three tents, the three players found themselves in MS's tent, each dragging out some form of entertainment for himself.

For Rohit it was a downloaded movie on his iPad, for Virat a book, and for MS, a piece of wood he was whittling away at. The minutes ticked by and the night deepened.

"Sir?"

The deep voice took them by surprise and it turned out to be Ashish, one of the two security people.

"Sir? Is there anything you need or may we turn in for the night?"

MS looked at Virat and Rohit, and with no reactions forthcoming from either of them, bid their security leave to rest.

"If needed, please do call us. Or use your alarm."

"Sure. Good night."

"Good night, sir."

Heals clicked and Ashish left, yet again rendering silence in the room. MS continued to carve out the little designs on the body of the figurine and after almost an half hour, he looked up and moved to remove the kinks from his tired out body.

The night had turned a lot colder and as MS reached out for the thicker pullover, the inflamed nerve of his back spasmed.

"Ahh." And he could not hold back his groan of pain.

"Your back?" And finally the silence was broken. "I will get the oil warmed up."

"Not required, Virat, and where are you even going?" MS asked as Virat moved to step out of the tent.

"The wood would be warm from the earlier fire." Virat's voice was tempered and even somewhat cold, but the gesture was not lost on MS.

"Let him go, Bhaiya." Rohit did not look up from the movie he was watching. "He needs something to do and sometime to come to terms with....with things."

"What things, Rohit?" MS's words twisted that bit and more. "I know that it is a little out of the blue but you cannot be all that surprised. My retirement, as it stands, is long overdue." Now irritation was stealing in over the older man. "And as much as I understand your sentiments and Virat's but I also know of your feelings towards my role in that last match." Rohit started to interrupt but MS raised his hand, putting a stop to it. "I am not saying this to place blame but just as the matter of the fact."

MS rubbed a hand down his face, rubbing his eyes with his heel of his palms.

"Just as the matter of the fact, Rohit," he repeated. "There is no place for me in the team anymore and this is how time plays on."

"How could you say that?" Virat was back and he had caught the last of MS's words; not that the man was doing anything to keep things on the down low. "Let the naysayers be; none of us would ever think that you are redundant for the team! How could you...?"

"Truth, Virat!" But MS looked away from the boy's piercing look and stared with more intensity than truly required at the half finished figurine in his hand. Using the small chisel he tried to carve the eyes of the crouching lad, trying hard to keep the expressions intact.