Earning you back!

Part 2 : Facing him

Virat stayed in his room for all evening. He didn't want to go out and face everyone.. or say face Mahi Bhai.
It was finally dinner time when Rahul came to call Virat for dinner and somehow was able to drag Virat along himself.

Everyone was already settled around dining table on their seat and the normal banter was going on.

"Mahi Bhai, ask Jad to close his Jamnagar stories!" Ash said in disgust.

"That haunted fort is really there and the ghost looks exactly like you, Ashley!" Jaddu said convincingly.

"Yeah, we believe you, Jad!" Mahi Bhai said drily and everyone laughed out except Ash who was giving straight look to Jaddu.

Rohit noticed Virat and Rahul standing there and he discreetly gestured Rahul to come and sit beside him as there were only two chairs left, one beside Rohit and other beside Mahi Bhai.

Rahul got the cue and sat beside Rohit. Virat scanned the table to see if another empty was there but there wasn't.

Virat hesitantly walked to the empty seat beside Mahi Bhai. He looked at Mahi Bhai to see if he should leave but deciding against it, Virat sat on the chair.

You need to face him, Virat! You need to! Who else will apologize for you being absolute jerk to Bhai all the while? Virat ranted to himself in mind closing his eyes.

You need to tell him how sorry you are!

Mahi sighed. Cheeku was hesitant to even sit beside him?

"Should we start?" Rohit said and everyone started having their dinner.

"Please pass the rice?" Mahi said to no one in particular.

Rohit, who was sitting on other side of Mahi lifted his hand to get the bowl but Virat was quicker. Virat quickly picked the bowl of rice and passed it to Mahi. Mahi took the bowl without noticing who it was.

As he looked up to see who it was, he was amused to see Virat and before he could think anything, he started choking on his food.

Virat instantly passed his own glass of water to Mahi Bhai and himself made Mahi Bhai drink it carefully.

Mahi drank the water while his eyes were fixed on Virat. It sounds stupid but he was happy to see his Cheeku concerned for him!

Everyone else was looking at Virat too. It was after ages they were seeing Virat like this again. How badly they wished to get back the normal Virat!

"Is it fine Bha——" Virat asked in concern but stopped midway and quickly sat back on his seat as Mahi looked at him expectantly.

"I'm fine." Mahi said disappointedly.

Virat looked at Mahi Bhai from the corner of his eyes. He couldn't help but remember how he hadn't called Mahi Bhai 'Bhai' for so long in the course of past months.

Even he didn't know when it had become 'Captain' or formal 'MS' from Mahi Bhai. He probably didn't have a convo with Mahi Bhai in last few months at all!

How could I even call Bhai 'MS'?! Virat thought miserably. Now that he thinks about it, Jinks was right. If it's hurting him to even think about those incidents, how much it had must hurt Mahi Bhai himself.

You will always be my Mahi Bhai! And Virat made a mental note to always call him the same.

They completed rest of dinner in silence and soon everyone started leaving for their rooms. Virat purposely stayed back till end untill it was only Mahi Bhai and him left.