MS dropped Ishan and Rutu at their homes before driving to their house. Throughout the drive, Sakshi was the only one who was trying to make conversations. MS was too angry to speak anything and Rishabh was too anxious about what's coming next.
As soon as they reached home, Rishabh rushed to Virat's room, without waiting for a second. To his surprise, Virat was sleeping, at this hour. He jumped over him to wake him up "bhai utho, aapko mujhe lene school nahi jana kya? "
Virat looked around the room confused, where was he? And what was Rishabh doing here when he should have been at school? Then he looked at his iPad, he had started reading a book and he slept in between. What a boring book, he yawned. He looked at the time, there were still 30 minutes for Rishabh's school to get over, he wasn't that late!
"Aap so kyu rahe ho iss time pe? Pahle toh nahi sote the aap din mein? " Rishabh asked.
"Tu yaha kya kar raha hai? " Virat asked sleepily.
"Aapka toh koi plan dikh nahi raha tha mujhe lene jane ka, toh mai khud aa gya " Rishabh said non-chalantly.
Virat narrowed his eyes, "Time nahi hua na abhi school ka, kaise aaya tu? "
"Wo- woh I bunked the school" Rishabh said.
Virat whacked him, "kya akal ka maara bhai mila hai bhagwan, bunk karke ghar kaun aata hai? "
Rishabh told him the whole story, by the time he was done, Virat was smirking evilly "bola tha na subah chup-chap school ja, nahi suni na, ab bhugat "
Rishabh showed him his puppy eyes and spoke innocently "Bhaiya boht gusse mein hain. Batao na kya karu? Aap chahte toh aapke iss chhote bhai ko maar pade ek chhote se bunk ke liye ? "
Virat pulled him closer, " Jitne kaand tune kare hain na aaj, even God can't save you, mai kaun hoon? "
"Darao mat mujhe, mai already dar rha hoon " Rishabh said snuggling into Virat's chest.
Virat ruffled Rishabh's hair, " I wish I could save you kiddo, but alas, you have dug your graves too deep"
"Change your clothes and rest for now. I'm sure Mahi bhai abhi koi baat nahi karne wale terese. You have practice first right, uske baad hi he is gonna talk" Virat advised.
As Virat said, MS did not talk about it at all till evening. Even in the practice, he was normal, like all other days. Rishabh was relieved, atleast he didn't have to run extra miles, he was just anticipating those runs.
Virat sat besides Rishabh on the coffee table in the evening, MS was sitting just in front of them, minding his own business. Virat had just told him what was coming, he had prepared Rishabh in all capacities but Rishabh was still nervous.
"Rishabh come to the study, within 10 minutes" MS ordered Rishabh. Rishabh shook his head ever so slightly, while Virat gave him a 'I told you so' smile.
"Bhai aap sath chalo na, mereko akele dhak-dhak ho raha hai" Rishabh pleaded Virat.
"Mere wahaan jaane ke din gaye bachcha. Bunk akele akele kiya na, mai kyun jaun sath? " Virat asked.
"Bhai please na. Chalo mere sath, I promise roz morning jogs pe jaunga aapke sath" Rishabh requested.
"Pakka? " Virat asked.
"Haan pakka" Rishabh replied.
"Chal toh fir " Virat held his hand and guided him to the lion's den.
Rishabh stopped at the entrance and peeked his eyes in. He stepped back as he saw MSD's intense face. Virat squeezed his hand in assurance and guided him in.
They both went and stood in front of MSD's table. MS smiled looking at Virat there, he knew he will come alongside him.
"I didn't call you Virat. Did I? " MS asked and Virat fidgeted his hands.
"Haan toh? Mai aise hi nahi aa sakta? " Virat asked gathering courage. With Rishabh he was feeling like he had also bunked the school alongside him.
"Aa sakta hai, par ja bhi sakta hai, haina. Get out. " MS spoke.
"This is not fair" Virat whined.
"Get out Virat, right now" MS spoke in a stern tone and Virat obliged. He squeezed Rishabh's hand one last time and went out. He knew Mahi bhai wouldn't do anything which he shouldn't, but the kid needed assurances.
MS shut his laptop down and looked at Rishabh. One glare and Rishabh looked down, it had been more than two months of them living together, but he still didn't know how to stand up to his glares. It was like one glare from MS and he was un-done.
"Rishabh" MS spoke, "so you and I both know why you are called here, right"
Rishabh nodded. MS handed a paper and pen to him, "Can you list what all things you did today, which you shouldn't have done? "
Rishabh sat down on the opposite chair and started writing, "1. Bunked the school. 2. 4 of us rode on one bike. "
Rishabh wrote and handed the paper back to MS.
"Ho gya? Bas itna hi? " MS asked.
Rishabh looked at MS blankly, what else had he done? "Yaad karo, yaad ayega. Kyunki mujhe yaad hai" MS insisted.
"Aaj hi ke din bhaiya? " Rishabh asked.
"Aisi harkate roz karta hai tu? I don't mind, likhde kal-parso-jab tak ka bhi tereko man kare" MS spoke.
Rishabh shook his head, "nahi bhaiya, maine sach mein aur kuchh nahin kiya "
MS got up from the chair, Rishabh squirmed into his seat. "Mai yaad dilata hoon" MS said leaning back on the table "Didn't you jump the gates? What height was it?"
Rishabh flustered. "What height was it Rishabh? " MS asked again, his voice rising a bit at the end.
"6 feet or so" Rishabh answered.
"And you jumped from that height, without caring a bit just because you hadn't completed an assignment. Is it true? " MS asked.
Rishabh nodded in yes.
"Words" MS pressed.
"Yes bhaiya" As Rishabh uttered those words, he felt a sharp sting on his left cheek. He closed his eyes at the impact. Tears brimmed into his eyes as he realised what just happened.
"Do you people realise the consequences? You jump from gates, you drive carelessly on roads, violate the traffic rules, all for what? One damned assignment? You could have got seriously injured, the police could have caught you. Idiots, all four of you" MS scolded.
Rishabh looked down, with each word MS spoke he was realising the gravity of his actions. "I'm sorry bhaiya" Rishabh spoke, his voice getting weak with crying.
"Whose idea was it btw? To bunk the school? " MS asked.
Rishabh stayed silent. It was his idea, he dared not lie and he dared not utter the truth. "Yours right? " MS asked again.
Rishabh nodded again. "Great. And all four of you didn't submit your assignment? "
Rishabh shook his head in no.
"It's getting even better" MS fake clapped, "all four are ready to risk their lives for an assignment and some thrill"
"It's not just about bunking the school Rishabh, that's a completely different issue, I'll come to that later, but how dare you risk your life like that? Your bike wasn't at a speed less than 80 and you were overtaking my car with that speed. What if something happened to you, to any of you?" MS said, in a gentler tone now. A line of fresh tears made way through Rishabh's eyes.
"Sorry bhaiya, I just wasn't thinking. I'll not do that again" Rishabh apologized again, this time for scaring him.
"I know" MS said as he kneeled before him and wiped his tears "I'll make sure you aren't pulling any such stunts again"
MS got up and handed him a notebook "Write an essay about why teenagers shouldn't take the bikes out at roads and why traffic rules like 4 people can't sit on one bike are in place. Why should your speed shouldn't exceed a certain limit and how sneaking out by climbing walls and gates is dangerous"
"It should be atleast 5 page long Rishu. Complete this and then we'll talk about the rest of your punishment"
Rishabh looked at MS horrified. "Iske baad bhi punishment bachi hai? " He asked meekly.
MS ruffled his hair, "I haven't even talked about all the things you have done today, kiddo. A lot is left to discuss. Start writing now"
Rishabh let his head hang loose and started writing. MS sat there to accompany him. Three pages and he was out of ideas, out of will to write. "Bhaiya, bhookh lagi hai. Dinner ka time ho gya"
"Teri bhabhi bula legi dinner ready hoga tab, it's still time, tab tak continue writing" MS replied.
Rishabh wanted to whine but couldn't gather enough courage seeing MSD's no-nonsense look, so he resolved to writing again.
" Huff! Done, ye lo bhaiya" Rishabh huffed, handing MS his 5 page long essay.
"Good" MS said as he read some of the essay from the middle, "Go for dinner now, Meet me after dinner"
Rishabh rushed out of the study as fast as his feet could take him, it had been 2 hours since he was in Mahi bhai's study and he planned to not go there ever again after today. The place was called lion's den for a reason.
"Zinda nikal ke aa gya tu? " Virat asked as he sat for dinner.
"Abhi kahaan ? Bhaiya ne waapas bulaya hai dinner ke baad" Rishabh replied.
"Fir se kyun? " Virat asked, even he was unfamiliar to this concept of being called back again in the study.
"Pata nahi, bol rahe hain ki a lot is left to discuss" Rishabh replied innocently.
"Aisa kya kar diya tune? " Virat asked.
"Tumhara bhai hai, bilkul tumpe gya hai Cheeks, wahaan jana parampara (ritual) ban gyi hai" Sakshi replied, who had just come back with a bowl of salad.
"Mereko mat blame karo bhabhi aap iss baar, maine mana kiya tha isko bunk maarne se" Virat uttered.
The table fell silent as MS entered the scene, they didn't wish to disclose any more to MS than he had already known. Rishabh was already in mud.
Rishabh started eating as slow as he could. MS noticed that, he was literally taking 2 rice strands in one spoon. "Rishu, bookh lagi thi na bachcha tujhe? " MS asked.
"Hmm? " Rishabh flustered at the sudden question.
"Jaise tu kha rha hai na, lag nahi rha ki tereko thodi der pahle bhookh lagi thi" MS spoke.
Rishabh increased his speed, now taking 4 rice strands instead of 2. "I can wait whole night beta, bas fir tujhe sone ka time nahi milega" MS warned Rishabh.
Virat kicked his leg from under the table and made him look at him. "Let him get done with this" Virat eyed Rishabh.
Rishabh agreed with the idea, it was better to get done than to die with anticipation. So he started eating faster, all ready to face the lion one more time.
Rishabh sat on the couch, waiting for MS to arrive. He thought and thought about what it might be, but he couldn't think of anything else that he might have done to upset Mahi bhai.
"Yaad aaya kuchh aur rishu? " MS asked Rishabh once he entered the study.
Rishabh shook his head in no. "Yaad aayega bhi nahi, aisa lag rha tha ki kaafi purani aadat hai" MS said.
"Kya? " Rishabh asked. What was Mahi bhai talking about? Which habit?
"You cuss? Casually?" MS asked.
"No" Rishabh replied, shaking his head vigorously, but stopped once he saw MSD's stern glare " I mean.. it gets out of my mouth, sometimes"
"And it shouldn't get out of your mouth again, got it? " MS said.
"Aapne kab suna par? " Rishabh asked. He had been careful enough to not swear in front of MS, then when did it slip off his tongue?
"Doesn't matter. Bas dobara nahi sunna chahiye" MS warned. Rishabh shook his head like an obedient child.
"You had maths assignment to submit today? " MS asked.
Rishabh hummed. "You didn't complete it? I wonder if you have even touched it" MS said disappointedly.
"I have just gotten an email from your school. Your internal exams are starting in two weeks" MS told him.
"But.. But they didn't tell us anything about this in school"
"Because, you bunked the school beta, kaise pata hoga? " MS taunted.
"Now that you have exams, the best punishment for you will be.. " MS said "Yeah, hand me your phone"
Rishabh gulped, how would he survive without his phone?
"Hand me your phone Rishabh" MS asked again. And Rishabh sulked, but handed him his phone.
"You are grounded for a month, no screen time, no going out except for school and academy" MS said "No screen time means no phone, no tv and no playstation, don't try to find loopholes in my statement"
"Bhaiyaaa ye boht jyada hai. Kaise rahunga mai itne din? " Rishabh whined.
"I am not done yet" MS said.
"Abhi bhi kuchh bacha hai? " Rishabh asked blankly.
"Take out your maths book and start doing assignment. You will submit it tomorrow"
"Par bhaiya ek raat mein kaise hoga? "
"I'm sure you would have been given more than the time of one day, but if you don't touch it till day, I don't think you deserve the luxury of that time" MS stated "I need it completed today, got it?"
Rishabh hummed. "Got it? " MS asked again.
"Ji bhaiya" Rishabh spoke.
"Good. Start doing it then. Ask me if you get stuck somewhere, but try doing it yourself" MS told.
"Apne room mein kar lu bhaiya? " Rishabh asked to which MS hummed in affirmation. Rishabh rushed back to his room, it was going to be a haunted night. Maths always haunted him and maths assignments even more.
Here's the update. I hope it was okay!