What happens in the future

Ch-6 A bigger conspiracy?

Eshank came in the room after sometime.
Mahi saw him from beneath the bed as it was big enough for him to hide comfortably.
"Bhai you called?" Eshank asked the future mahi.
"I want to ask you something and i want an honest answer" future mahi said.
"Yeah?" Eshank asked.
"Had harry and yuzi really drowned you that day? And have they really been making you feel like an outsider?"
"Why....why are you asking me this suddenly?" Eshank asked.
"Answer me eshank is anything you have said true or is all of it just an exaggerated version?" Mahi said his voice rising a little.

"It....it's true" eshank tried but his voice told something else.
"You don't sound confident now do you? But if the same question i would ask them, they would sound confident."
"I am....am sorry bhai." Eshank asked his voice now starting to sound like he was about to cry.

"I can't believe it, i believed you over them, they are never going to forgive me and i am never going to forgive myself" mahi said to himself sounding devastated. But then he realized that eshank was still there and he tried to get a grip over his emotions.

"Tell me eshank why did you feel the need to lie to me, that too such a big allegation? And why did you try to convey to me that they are not treating you properly?"
"I am so sorry" eshank said now starting to cry.
"I was forced by my uncle."
Both future mahi and present mahi looked at him in disbelief.

"Uncle?" Future mahi asked "are you even hearing yourself eshank and please no more lies now for god's sake."

"No please listen to me, this time I swear i am not lying" eshank said as a few tears rolled out of his eyes.
Future mahi hesitated but then nodded.

"As i had told you earlier, my uncle has done much much for me. Sometimes even more than my parents, so i blindly trusted him. When I came in 2017 to play with you in the ipl, my uncle asked me to get close with you and spend as much time as possible because you were my favourite player and he also knew that so i thought that's why he's asking me like that. In 2018 when I was selected for csk, he again told me that and again i thought because he knew that you were my favourite player that's why he's asking. The shock came when my name was selected for indian team and he asked me something i had never expected. He asked me to make a crack between you and the others, he told me to try to make you hate them and when I asked him why he told me that someone will give money for that and also he will ensure that i will stay permanently in the team despite any bad performance as that someone is one of the selectors of the team. So my parents and uncle persuaded me to agree and my uncle said that as he has supported me so much i should just do this little task and it would benefit him as well and me because i would be in the team as long as possible."

Mahi stood shocked as he couldn't believe his ears. The present mahi was also shocked to hear this.
"What's the name of the selector and is he alone?" Future mahi asked not sure if he should believe him.
"My uncle didn't tell me that. And i don't think he's alone."
"It's a nice fictional story" mahi then said.
"It's not I swear" ekansh said trying to make him believe.
"You think i will trust you after all the lies you have told?" Mahi asked.
"I know i lied to you and i am sorry, i should have never done that, but please believe me this time."
"Even if i believe you, just tell me, why are you suddenly revealing everything? You could have made up one more lie like always."
"Staying with you all for some time has made me realize that you all share a bond that is beautiful beyond words. Even after the fights between you and virat, i have seen him looking concerned when at practice session the ball had hit you or you looking scared when a dangerous bouncer was thrown at virat in the match. Mahi bhai i am so sorry i know i am late and i shouldn't have done what I did in the first place but i really do hope you will forgive me. I didn't understand what I was doing and got persuaded by my uncle and parents and didn't realize that i was putting indian cricket in danger till now. Please forgive me."
Ekansh said all this while crying.
It looked to present mahi that ekansh was really guilty about what he had done.
"I will take any punishments you want to give anything but please forgive me."

"Ekansh i think you should go, i will tell you what I have decided later, but if you are really honest and are really guilty then just do one thing, don't tell any of your family members that you have told me everything."

"I won't, i promise" ekansh said and looking one last time at mahi with guilt in his eyes he went away.