+There's nothing in the world as free relationships. Every single relationship is a responsibility and a pact of mutual love, efforts and understandings that breaks when the show becomes one-sided.
He was slumped on his seat fending off a massive headache and missing his travel partner quite thoroughly. Virat was ready to sleep for the rest of the flight. The last few days had been just too full of negativity for him and right now, he wanted to do nothing more than to sleep away the negativity. Plus, the fact that he wasn't quite sure how and what kind of perspective his kids formed about him, due to the recent events wasn't also kinda helping his consciousness and Virat was left in a state where he wanted to sleep to shut his mind.
But his mind wasn't shutting up, tired he decided to check on his brothers from his seat. Yeah, he wasn't going to roam around now. Kulcha were lost in their own world. Harry, Rah and Jassi were sitting together. Harry pestering both Rah and Jassi. Jad, Pujji, Jinks and Ash were busy handling their children. Monku was watching something with his wife. Shrey was sleeping. Sanju was also kinda sleeping. Miyaan and Washy were watching something and Nav.
Okay, where's Naviii boy? Virat wondered sitting a little straighter, rotating his head around to spot Navii.He found the guy after several tries beside a very blue looking Rishu and Prithvi. Both the boys were sitting looking like they wanted to drown in a bottle cap full of water. Yeah, that's actually impossible but the guys looked like they wanted just that and Virat couldn't help but eye both the gloomy souls warily. Okay, What's wrong with them? Why are they looking like his kids when they don't find chocolates?
Sighing, Virat got up from his seat and walked towards those idiots. Well, when your little brother looks gloomy, you need to help them. No matter if you're feeling equally gloomy or not. It's a rule in his rulebook. Virat could feel few players eye him but he ignored that for now and loomed over Rishab and Prithvi. He got ignored quite thoroughly, the two just didn't notice him. Nav did, when Virat's shadow fell over him.
"Bha.."Nav started but Virat's silence gesture stopped him from yelping Bhaiyaa like an excited puppy. Nav looked at Virat questioningly and Virat gestured Nav to exchange seats with him. Nav complied albeit a little unhappily. Why couldn't he sit with his Virat bhai? But again, Virat bhaiya was asking it's not like he could say no to his Virat bhaiya. Sulking, Nav got up and went to Virat's seat.
And Virat flopped himself between Rishab and Prithvi. Hoping, to get their attention now. But no, the two gloomy souls beside him still stayed totally oblivious to his presence. Sighing fed up, of the brooding souls Virat nudged both of them with his elbows muttering, "Hello to you tooo,"
Rishab and Prithvi finally registered Virat's presence beside them then for a moment, they could do nothing but stare at him totally transfixed. Virat grinned cheekily at both of them, snapping his fingers in front of their faces.
"ugh...hi, bhaiya"
"Hiii! when did you come?"
"When you both were lost in my thoughts summoning me," Virat replied cheekily maintaining the smile in his words. But he didn't get the desired effect instead of rolling their eyes at him, Rishab and Prithvi smiled at him. Virat felt those tiny warning bells in his mind ignite.
"Sooo, Hello again boys, you know, you can hug me right?" Virat asked both of them, a dubious expression on his face and it looked like all the encouragement both the boys needed, literally jumping in Virat's arms, burrowing their faces in Virat's shoulder. They let the plethora of emotions raging in their soul like cyclone out. Virat's hands automatically started rubbing the two's head and back reassuringly murmuring a series of sweet nothings.
Virat knew they needed it. So, he was silently soaking away their problems, lending them his warmth. Even though the elder bro in him seethed in anger thinking about the people hurting his kids and hurting him too but he was kinda more angry for his brothers. After, a little while both the boys just leaned on Virat resting their heads on Virat's shoulder like tired little kids.
Virat looked at them fondly, reassuring them once again.
"I'm proud of both of you. Don't let the world define you, kiddo. Don't let the world dictate who you should be, be who you want to be. You're not MSD, You won't ever be but you always will be Rishab Pant. You always will be our Rishu, so be, Rishab Pant only. Do what you do best, don't try being anyone's copy, not even when the world wants you to be, don't. Same for you, Prithvi. Don't try to be like Sachin paji or Viru paji. You're not them. Your name is Prithvi Shaw. Be Prithvi Shaw, go with your instincts, go with your guts. Don't let others define you kids. Never let others define you." Virat said looking way ahead of him.
He could feel the emotions of these two kids. He had plenty experience of failure, pressure and their lessons.
"But we failed bhai. We failed," Rishab and Prithvi, both mumbled together. This was their worst Ipl season, specially Prithvi. The captain of the star-studded U-19 Indian team, most of his team-mates are knocking on the doors of the national team now or people think they should, just like they think he shouldn't be in the team.
"You didn't fail, kiddos. You didn't fail. You tried. It just wasn't your season. You worked hard right? You tried to rectify your mistakes didn't you? you concentrated on the process. You didn't fail, the result just got a little delayed and I believe in you. I believe in both of you, just like I believe in RCB. I believe in you guys too. You'll prove every single person degrading you wrong. You'll be one of the bests of this country," Virat said firmly, it was a statement full of belief. Belief on his brothers.
Virat's reassuring, understanding gaze met Prithvi's first, trying to convey, he knew what Prithvi felt. He had gone through the same too. U-19 Captain of a talented, promising team, selected in the national team full of stars and bad days did knock on his door too. He understood, what the kid was going through, even though he wasn't trolled back then. He is being trolled enough for the whole national team, right now.So, Virat just told Prithvi, "I understand!" and maybe, that's all Prithvi needed to hear then, someone who understands his feelings.
For Rishab, Virat just had a single statement, "I love you!"
"I love you too, bhaiyaaa" Overwhelmed Rishab pounced on Virat, hugging him tightly from one side while Prithvi hugged him from another.
"okay, okay...now, you can have the rest of emotional sappy session with Mahi bhai after reaching Australia. I'm the fun guy, not the emotional one yrr. Don't spoil my image," Virat said playfully, as the guys gave him watery smiles.
"You're quite emotional Captain, bhaiyaaa" Rishab reassured his brother.
"Quite awesome Captain too," Prithvi added knowing Virat never considered himself a good Captain.
Virat just shakes his head smiling nonchalantly. He didn't think he is a good Captain and nothing, would change that, he never got angry if people called him bad Captain. He flared up when people called his team, bad team. They could attack him all they want but not his team, never his team. He won't stand for that ever.
"Cookies!!" Virat said instead, fetching two cookies packet out of his pocket, feeling a little uncertain when instead snatching the packets from his hand Rishab and Prithvi stared at him unblinking. Well, if RCB kids were here, Virat would have been robbed clean off cookies by now.
"They're Diet Cookies," Virat reassured.
Rishab and Prithvi didn't actually care whether it was really diet cookies or not? They were just clean bowled by the sight of their Captain, their Virat bhai giving cookies. A certain Zampa creature, who got tired from sitting in his seat for few hours and was out on a flight inspection tour, couldn't help but yell totally excited watching cookie in his Skipper's hand.
"Skip, you have cookies!!!! Gimme!! Gimme!!" Zampa demanded happily walking towards Virat's seat, watching Zampa prani coming towards them totally in a mood to steal cookies. Prithvi and Rishab were pushed to take immediate action. They snatched the cookies from Virat and put them in their mouths immediately. When Zampa reached them, Rishab and Prithvi were smiling at Zampa not at all sorrily with mouth full of cookies while handing him wrappers.
Zampa looked like someone killed his dog and Virat couldn't help but sigh. He just knew Yuzi or Zamps would be out of there seats first. Rolling his eyes at Zampa's overkill expression, Virat fetched another cookie out of his pocket and handed it to Zampa.
"You're the best, skipper" Zampa gushed, opening the packet and biting on his cookie while also teasingly showing someone the cookie in his hand. Virat hoped for the sake of his remaining one cookie that it wasn't RCB kids or a world war would soon break here.
"Btw where did you get the cookies? I asked Kaka, he said they were finished" Zampa asked Virat, while Prithvi and Rishab continued eyeing Zampa weirdly, they weren't sure why this creature was imposing on their time with their Virat bhai. The Australian players nearby were giving Zampa strange looks too. They were totally baffled by him addressing Virat as skipper repeatedly.
Zampa didn't care. Virat on the other hand was wondering, how the hell did he end up collecting such odd creatures as his brothers?
"Kaka packed them for me!" Virat still answered dutifully.
"OH! so kaka packed them away with you. Yeah, should have checked your bag first anyway," Zampa mused.
"Stealing my shirts, isn't enough right" Virat retorted.
"But its cookies, Virat. Even DD wanted them, we even searched the kitchen and we didn't steal, we just borrowed your shirt for infinity." Zampa said, putting special emphasis on the importance of cookies.
Virat mentally facepalmed. He got all the mad kids.
Prithvi and Rishab gaped at Vi-Zampa.
Zampa just shrugged uncaring.
"By the way skip, you're looking like Harry potter...do you reckon DD sorted you in Gryffindor because you look like Harry potter?" Zampa asked Virat conversationally, leaning against the head rest of a seat and biting on his cookie while eyeing Virat's pocket to analyze the quantity of remaining cookies.
"Harry Potter!!!" Rishu demanded.
"Gryffindor!" Prithvi repeated.
"Yeah, Devu sorted our team in Hogwarts houses" Virat said sighing tiredly. "And I don't look like Harry potter," He retorted.
"But you do, Skip" Zampa insisted. "Just a little more messy hair and the look is complete" Zampa mused messing Virat's hair.
Rishab and Prithvi drew the line at touching their Virat bhaiya. They didn't like Zampa touching their Virat bhaiya's hair. So, they themselves messed Virat bhaiya's hair a little more.
"Now, he looks like Harry Potter" Rishu said, quite proud of his hair messing powers.
"Just if I had a pen. I'll draw the lightening bolt scar and the look will be complete," Zampa said sighing using his fingers too draw imaginary scar on Virat's forehead. Virat slapped Zampa's hand away.
"No drawing on me" Virat warned, thinking his kids has officially gone mad.
The kids settled for messing his hair for the rest of the flight and trying to steal cookies from his of course. Virat was snapped at the airport with absolutely messy hairs. People didn't know the story behind the messy hairs. They didn't know it was the elder brother bro being pestered to maintain his styled Harry Potter looks by his kids and that's why he hadn't combed his hairs, neatly before escaping the flight.
After all, a big brother will always do such silly things to make his younger brother's happy.
And it's not like the world will really know what happened anyway, right.
~the end~
I want some more adorable elder bro Virat moments.
Do you?
If yes, with whom?
MY personal preference right now is Devrat and Mayurat.