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Advent Series - MS-Rishabh (with Virat) - Relic Love

Advent Series - MS-Rishabh (with Virat)

Relic Love

"Virat? Virat!"

MS's call boomed around the corridor of their floor, and it made Rohit poke his head out of his blanket, Jadeja grumble in annoyance, Hardik try to enact a wobble, and actually fall on the carpeted floor.

There were more reactions, but Virat made an appearance before too much notice to be laid on them.

"Mahi bhai? Orders, Sir?" He grinned, protein bar in one hand and a game controller in another.

"Orders? Yeah, I do have one! Why don't you go and talk to that silly young lad? Huh? He has been sulking ever since you scolded him on the field."

"Silly young lad? Which one?" And Virat actually looked confused.

"How many do we have?" The words were out before MS had thought them through, and he backtracked immediately. "Well, be that as it may, just talk to Rishabh!"

"Rishabh? What's up with him?"

MS sighed. The frustration building up in him, unusual as it was, was not unheard of. He was a human being too, though they did hold debate councils to argue about that.

Well, he was frustrated but not annoyed. No, sir! He was frustrated about how, despite wanting to, he was grossly unable to stop caring about his gang of misfits.

And that gang grew larger every other day with more misfits joining in.

"You tell me," he finally said. "You were the one shouting like he had brought about the end of the world simply because he missed a stumping."

Virat blinked. Took a bite out of his protein bar, chewed on it, and then blinked again. "Er, Bhai, he missed three stumpings. Three. Not one."

MS crossed his arms and took a moment to throw a glare at Hardik, who was trying to listen in, his chin resting quite comfortably on top of Kuldeep's curly head of hair.

It was somewhat difficult to deny Hardik at times; MS knew that he needed to talk to Kuldeep again. Or probably, he would have to ask Jadeja to have a talk with Hardik about manipulating the young spinner.

"Mahi bhai?"

"What?" MS snapped and then groaned. "Yaar, they were just stumpings."

"The last one went for a four, Bhai! He literally threw the ball back towards the boundary. Even the commentators were laughing," Virat whined.

"And?" MS lowered his voice. "You got out on a golden duck. You want me to yell at you?"

"You can. You should. Smith and Maxi are taking the mickey out of me, and Patty Cakes is strutting with an attitude!" But Virat nodded, happily enough. "Be that as it may, Bhai, Rishabh was joking with me not an hour back? You sure he is sulking?"

MS shrugged. He could not begin to understand the kids of this generation. "He must have imagined a whole betrayal arc with you as the hero....villain; whatever. Come on now. Sort it out."

Virat screwed up his face, stuck his tongue out at a giggling Rohit, but nodded dutifully. "Lead the way, Bhai. At your service. Always. Even if it is to be the emotional support....captain?"

They fell into step, and by the time they had reached the thankfully empty lounge, Rishabh had asserted his right over the fireside corner and was dramatically hunched over his knees, chin on raised knees, staring at his gloves as though they held the answers to the secrets of the universe.

And if MS Dhoni casually slipped behind the bookcase before Rishabh could see him, Virat was not one to bring notice to that action, weird as it was.

MS Dhoni did as he wished, and you did not question it or him.