It was a fine winter morning in Ranchi. The sun was smiling down pleasantly on the members of the city and one Mahendra Singh Dhoni was sitting in his garden, enjoying the chirping of birds, the wintry smell in the air and his absolutely amazing morning cup of the tea with his better half. It was a good morning, a peaceful morning in the Dhoni family though they weren't used to this level of peace.
After all, some not so kid-kids of MSD doesn't bother much about time or anything like that before calling to MSD. But, today it was a peaceful morning with half of his kids playing, the other half most probably sleeping in their quarantine rooms. So, MSD was absolutely free and relaxing without having to deal with early morning whining sessions.
He had taken just another long sip of his tea when he heard his wife sigh gushingly over something. MS looked at her curiously thinking what made her gush so happily in the morning? Was it the pics her brother sent her again? He didn't know but she must have felt his curious gaze as she looked at him beaming.
"Mahi see isn't this just the cutest," She exclaimed with happiness clearly shining in her eyes as she passed the phone to him. Curious, MS looked down at her screen it was a video, a video posted by someone called hulratclub on instagram. A video in which Rahul was running and then almost throwing himself in Virat's arms, hiding his face in Virat's shoulder with Virat patting his back and ruffling his hair so fondly.
Mahi continued looking at the video in loop. It was just such a cute moment though it didn't feel so cute to him when it actually happened, at that moment he was in big dilemma , it was transition time again and with that it brought forth the feeling of his Cheeku drifting apart. Six years, Mahi can't believe, it has been six years already. It just felt like yesterday, when Yuvi and he were sitting in his home watching the match when this scene transpired on the screen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Awww...aren't you proud of the new kid, Mahiyaaa!!!" Yuvi had poked him, noticing him looking at the screen with absolute scrutiny; he just couldn't tear his gaze away.
"I'm!" He had answered passively eyes still stuck on the screen.
"Seems quite close to Cheeku, doesn't he?" Yuvi had remarked noticing the way Rahul held onto Virat and said something to him after breaking the hug, eyes gazing at Virat full of sincerity and love and the way Virat reciprocated the hug, holding onto the kid with absolute tenderness. It was something new. They had never seen Virat display such tenderness for someone on the field.
Yes, he encouraged and cheered but it was all fiery, not like this. They never saw him holding on to someone so caringly, consoling on the field. It was always them on whom he leeched onto. It was always him the emotional one seeking comfort in his brother's arms. They had never seen him quite like this ever. Even in Ranji matches and RCB matches Virat seemed totally clueless on how to deal with his juniors or guys looking at him with absolute admiration and devotion. They had never seen their Cheeku handle someone like this.
It was a strange phenomenon for Yuvi.
It felt just like yesterday, when the same guy was clinging quite like this to them. Grumbling about they not giving him enough time or complaining about he didn't know how to deal with people. It felt like yesterday, when he was complaining about insignificant things and following them around like an absolute kid. Suddenly, watching him handle someone so tenderly didn't fit well in Yuvi's mind. The guy on the screen and the Cheeku in his mind, quite didn't match. Still, he couldn't help but ask about the closeness of this two.
For then only it would make any sense to him. This lanky kid could be Cheeku's new friend. Cheeku could be tender with his friends. Well, it felt like the only logical answer to Yuvi at that moment.
"He is!!! He definitely is," Mahi had admitted feeling that spike of bitterness again and Yuvi had absolutely not missed that bitterness in Mahi's words. He turned to Mahi eyes questioning, worried and curious as he asked his bestie, "So, what's about the new kid?"
"I don't know...I didn't get to spend much time with him," Mahi had admitted to Yuvi, knowing his bestie would know without doubt what he was going through at this tour. The wounds from the tour of England hadn't yet healed and the repetitive defeats in Aus, wasn't helping his mental frame anyway. The critics, the injury, the failures, troubling his friend a lot. So, they didn't talk about it again.
Mahi and Yuvi were having dinner when Mahi's phone rang again. It was a call from Sonu, after the day. Sikhar, Rohit, Sonu, Ishant all were on the call telling him about everything that happened around and all Mahi could notice was his missing Cheeku. Where was Virat? Didn't he want to talk to him? Normally, he was the first person to call him but now...
Noticing, Mahi looking a little down and all but guessing the reason behind it, Yuvi queried about Virat's location.
"He went out with Rahul," Rohit provided sounding not that enthusiastic and Mahi looked more gloomy but he didn't let the kids know that as they continued whining to him. Mahi listened to them as always, laughed with them but Yuvi could feel something was troubling his bestie.
"What happened?" Yuvi couldn't help but ask Mahi worriedly, watching him look totally brooding.
"I knew, it was just a matter of time," Mahi began looking at Yuvi with sorrowful eyes.
"Matter of time for what?" Yuvi asked worried.
"Matter of time before I lost my Cheeku to him" Mahi finished, eyes full of misery. The whole tour he could feel his Cheeku drift away from him. His Cheeku who was always with him, following him around like a puppy wasn't around him. From the moment that lanky misty eyed kid walked in, something shifted in his Cheeku. It was his Cheeku but something felt different to Mahi.
He just didn't know what?
At first, he was happy with how far Virat was going to make the new kid feel at home in the ICT but then he could feel the shift in his Cheeku's demeanour. Rahul replaced Rohit in the squad and Virat didn't seem even half disappointed as he usually was whenever someone replaced Rohit. The night before Rahul's debut Virat was with him not Rohit. Even when Mahi gave the debut Cap to Rahul. He could see the proud glint in Virat's eyes. Virat's eyes which didn't stray even for a minute from Rahul's excited face.
He hadn't ever seen Virat like that, no he haven't ever seen Virat being like that. He had seen in his eyes the way his retirement hurt Virat, He had seen the way his decision to leave due to injury shattered something in Virat but Virat understood and respected his decision. Like the rest of them. They were hurting but they understood him better and Mahi could feel it every moment they stayed with him that day, not leaving him even for a moment.
All of them spending time in his room before dinner, Mahi was certain all of them had planned to stay in his room that night because his return flight was at 4 am, none of them wanted to miss it. After dinner, Mahi had seen how uncomfortable Rahul looked with them and the way he excused himself claiming to be sleepy. He retired to his room and for the first time in his life, Mahi had seen an expression of extreme crisis on Virat's face torn between following after the kid and staying in the room with his Mahi bhai.
Virat's eyes had brimmed with extreme pain as he stood up and excused himself from the gathering in Mahi's room. He looked in pain but he had walked away, hugging him one last time on that tour, Virat had followed behind that kid and at that moment Mahi knew somehow he had lost his Cheeku to that kid. His Cheeku had drifted away. For the Cheeku he knew wouldn't have left his room for anyone knowing it was his last night in Australia.
"I knew that moment, I lost my Cheeku to him," lamented Mahi to Yuvi, he didn't just know how his cheeku changed so much? He could see in his Cheeku's eyes he didn't really want to go away but he did. Why? Why did his Cheeku follow that kid out when he didn't want too? Why was that kid taking his Cheeku away from him?
"You are thinking too much, Mahiyaaa! It must be just for few days" Yuvi said reassuring his Mahiya that their Cheeku loved them the most. He might be trying to pull up something here but he'll be always there. In few days, he'll be back to his over whiny self.
And Mahi tried to make himself believe that, he tried, but he couldn't quite forget how Virat was sleeping in a sitting position with Rahul's head on his lap. His Cheeku had never done something like that for someone and it didn't help that when Virat called his Mahi bhai, all he could do was talk about only Rahul.
"Mahi bhaii, did you see how KL made a century? I said na he'll do good. Wasn't he just great? Mahi bhaiii!! Aren't you proud of him?"
Those were Virat's words and it felt strange for before that Virat always talked about himself. He always wanted to be praised by him but this time, Virat didn't mention his own century even once it was all Rahul and Rahul.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Though when he met Virat again during the world-cup campaign, Virat seemed to be back in his absolute childish form. It all felt the same like he hadn't seen something shift in Virat just a few months back and for a time being he made himself believe, Yuvi was right. His Cheeku was the same, he hadn't lost him to anyone.
But those hopes crashed again when the squads for India's tour of Bangladesh were declared with a certain KL Rahul in it and then Rahul couldn't join them because of dengue fever. The whole series Mahi had again spent hearing Virat talk and worry about his 'Moi' and Mahi really-really didn't want to comment anything on Virat's nicknaming abilities. He had never seen Virat worry like that for anyone.
It felt like it was Virat who was suffering when it was Rahul who had dengue. Mahi had seen Virat call or text Rahul everyday to check up on him. He even noted down Rahul's temperature and everything. Mahi had really never seen Virat care about someone so obviously and worriedly. It was a strange experience watching his Cheeku go to such lengths for someone and Mahi didn't know what was happening?
It just feel like his Cheeku was drifting away from them with his continues 'moi' chants and worries, which felt even more true watching them together during the WI tour. Virat was always with Rahul voicing out Rahul's choices and things that made Rahul uncomfortable. He was being Rahul's voice, taking Rahul out and Mahi again felt that his Cheeku was changing.
The night the Test series came to an end and his Cheeku was with Rahul again. Mahi bhai couldn't help but dial his dada and complain about the whole thing. Well, he hadn't even realized he had begun complaining about Cheeku and Rahul but he was and Dada with his laughter wasn't being at all helpful.
"Dada!!!"Mahi couldn't help but whine, here, he was in serious crisis of losing his Cheeku to a lanky starry eyed kid and his Dada was laughing. How was it even fair?
"Mahiyaa!!! Did I lose my Mahiya to Mahi bhai?" Dada asked him smiling and Mahi couldn't help but frown. Was Dada with Yuvi by any chance? Why will he ever lose his Mahiya?
"No!But.."
"But, nothing Mahiyaa! Your Cheeku is transiting into Virat bhaiya," Dada had laughed while saying this and Mahi couldn't, absolutely, couldn't imagine his Cheeku as someone's elder brother. He always was a younger brother.
"But that kid doesn't even call him bhaiyaa!!" Mahi had complained, grumbling thinking that all Virat could talk about these days was Rahul this or that like Rahul was some shiny new toy which he needed to show to everyone.
"Really! I think a certain Sharma also didn't call you bhaiya in starting, Mahiyaa!!" Dada reminded Mahi and Mahi just frowned.
Was his Cheeku really transiting in an elder brother? An elder brother Cheeku! The thought itself seemed absurd to Mahi but nonetheless, he gave in to Dada's words and then continued complaining to dada about headache inducing kids and their antics.
That night, after talking to Dada he for himself figured out his Cheeku turning into an older brother for the first time. When he tried to save a slightly tipsy Rahul from his wrath.
"Mahi bhaii! It wasn't his mistake I didn't know he'll get drunk on beer," Virat had said eyes wide in panic as he tried to support a totally tipsy looking Rahul on his shoulder.
Mahi just could look at Virat with eyebrows arched upwards questioningly, not believing the kid at all.
"Really bhaiya!!!" Virat said earnestly, while patting Rahul's hair as the lanky kid rested his head on Virat's shoulder looking at Mahi with big curious eyes.
"Bhaiyaaa...Why's there two MSD in front of me?" The guy asked absolutely innocently dabbing his eyes while Virat tried to sush him, not at all succeeding in doing so as Rahul continued to chatter.
"but there's two Mahi bhai na Vii!! You didn't tell me I've two jyesth bhaiyaa! Haaww...now, there are three, why didn't you tell me Kohlitoo? It's so unfair! Am not your fav brother even more than Yuz? How couldn't you tell me this?" Rahul pouted looking at Virat with wide frowning eyes, totally, not believing his Virat bhaiya didn't tell him there were two MSD on this planet.
"Because their aren't na kiddoliyaa" Virat tried to explain but Rahul nodded his head vehemently in negative, flopping down on the floor as he pointed and counted the three MSD's he could see and Virat looked totally helpless how to deal with him? If it was Jad, Ro or even Manish, Virat would have activated his prankster mode, collecting all the blackmail material for future use. But not now, not with his Rahul and when Virat threw Mahi a help me look.
Mahi couldn't help but help.
Shaking his head, Mahi helped pick up the kid behaving absolutely like a toddler from the floor and helped Virat take him back to his room. Mahi watched as Virat made Rahul sleep properly on the bed, took out his shoes and covered him with the duvet properly. Mahi watched as Virat closed all the lights besides the table lamp, adjusted the temp. of the room and walked out of the room with him, making excuses for Rahul.
So, that he doesn't get punished totally forgetting Rahul was just in test team and so totally under Virat.
That night, Mahi realized for the first time that his Cheeku was finally putting someone else before him and that dada wasn't wrong. He wasn't losing his Cheeku to Rahul. His Cheeku was actually turning to Virat bhaiya and watching Virat chatter non-stop about Rahul with that happy look shinning in his eyes. Mahi was certain if Dada could manage losing his Mahiya to Mahi bhai, so, could he.
He could certainly manage his Cheeku and Virat bhaiya too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'
"Umm...What are you thinking Mahi?" He heard Sakshi ask softly placing her arm on his shoulder and looked at her. His wife was looking at him very concernedly; even the phone in his hands had gone black,
"Well, how I lost my Cheeku for the first time to Rahul," Mahi bhai answered sighing softly and noticing, Sakshi looking at him all confused, he explained.
"Areey, My cheeku turned into Virat bhaiya for the first time for Rahul. I lost my Cheeku to Virat bhaiya to Rahul for the first time and now, their is a long list of people claiming Virat bhaiya as their own," Mahi explained grinning and watched as his dearest wife rolled her eyes at him.
"areey, I'm being truthful see first there was Virat, then he become my cheeku then he become Rahul's Virat bhaiya and now, he has his own hoard of absolute kids claiming his time every single moment. Every time he calls, he is all Mahi bhai did you see how well my Siri did or how well my Devu did?" Mahi bhai explained earnestly even going as far as intimating Virat's voice when he talked about his kids.
His, these efforts earned him just an eye roll and wave from his wife, who, clearly pointed it out to him that he was being over-dramatic and that Virat was Jaddu and Manisha's Veer before he become his Cheeku and even Rohit's Virat too while being his Cheeku and Mahi bhai tried and failed to explain to Sakshi how at that moment Virat was his kid. He didn't lose Virat to them. Virat wasn't all grown up or almost parent like that time around those idiots, the way, he was with Rahul.
So, he lost his Cheeku to Rahul first. His Cheeku transited into Virat bhaiaya in front of his eyes and what a transformation it was? And this way he lost his Cheeku to Virat bhaiya to Rahul for the first time and Sakshi gave him a look that spelled he had gone mad living with his mad gang and his words didn't actually make any sense.
Mahi attempted to explain it all, again, to Saks when his phone rang with an incoming call from Virat's kiddoliya.
"Hello!"
"Mahi Bhai!!! Tell Jammy bhai I'm fine na. Please, Please, I want to go visit Virat bhaiya and be there during the birth of little Viratee,"
"Hello to you to Rahul!" Mahi said dryly amused, how fast these kids started with their train.
"Mahi Bhai!!"
"What did Jammy bhai said?"
"He said I've to be here but it's fine na, I just want to surprise Virat. One day just one day won't matter, will it Mahi bhai?" Rahul almost begged him to say yes.
"Well..I'll see what I can do kiddo," Mahi said knowing that there wasn't any other way to make the kid stop begging him.
"Great! You know what bhai..." And just like Rahul had started talking about his Virat bhaiya and the things he was going to do with Virat bhaiya. It has been so for the last few years for Mahi, Virat talking about his kids and his kids talking about Virat always.
Nowadays, he finds himself thinking every now and then,was Dada facing the same with Virat? Did his Cheeku talk to Dada about him like this too? Do they make plans for him together too? Then remembering the things the duo had done together for him, he got his answer automatically, of course they did.
So, after disconnecting the call with Rahul, Mahi again looked at the hulrat video that Sakshi has shown him. His Cheeku turning in Virat bhaiaya in front of his eyes, he might not have find this video cute back then but now he does.
For Virat bhaiya's antics were also as cute as his Cheeku and Mahi loved all avatars of his Virat dearly.
~the end~
Okay, so just little thoughts on what Mahi bhai might have felt watching Virat change into Virat bhaiya? I mean. we always feel like Mahi bhai must know everything but then again he had never really seen the transition phase, when he got his Rohit, his first kid, Dada wasn't in team. And Dada retired before Vi entered the scenario, so dada, might not have really seen Mahiyaa's transformation closely but Mahi did Virat's and it's just kind of my thoughts on what Mahi bhai might have felt when out of nowhere his immature Cheeku turned into a mature Virat bhaia,
The slight confusion and then realization.
okay, so just an angle, you can share your thoughts and what else Mahi bhai might have felt too.
And did you enjoy this shot?