The Broken Leader

Chapter 3 - Where Patience holds the key

WHAT A MATCH TODAY!!!! LOVED IT!!!! HAD TO POST!!!! TEAM INDIA ROCKS!!!

Disclaimer - This is a fan fiction. A little tribute/my version of what may have happened to lead to or after these events. Other than the general outline of the events (which actually took place) everything else is made up. Some events are taken from interviews etc but the rest remains a head canon of mine. It is probably not what happened (more than probably) and should not be taken as any modicum of truth.

The incident in this fanfic is probably one of the most controversial we have had in recent times. I have just written about my head canon, which is in no manner related to the truth.

There is no intention to hurt or malign anybody. All members of ICT are most respected by me and this is just a fictional point of view. No incident have any resemblance to what actually may have happened.

Summary - It was just after the South Africa wherein Virat had announced his decision to step down from the Test Captaincy. MS had lent his support and had tried to boost up the youngster's morale. Therefore, the 'message' came as a surprise. What was ailing this young protege of Dhoni's? Can the Captain lead the youngster to the right path again? Or will Virat take some drastic decision? How does the team, specially Rohit, Jinks, Hardik Pandya, and, Rahul have to do with this?

Primarily – Mahirat. RohitMahiRat to some extent. May Include some other members of the ICT. Texts and calls and flashbacks are in bold.

There is some bad language - Swear Words

Patience.

Patience was the first lesson that cricket had forced him to learn.

Patience on the field, Patience off the field.

Not just having the ability to wait but to keep a good attitude too. Not letting anyone having a glimpse of the turmoil running just underneath the facade.

Looking steady and taking on the world even as you crumble from within.

Patience

MS was hard pressed to find that patience today. He was beleaguered; Virat's words were just not registering. He had heard them, he understood their meaning but all for their worth, they only sounded like gibberish at the moment.

Retire? Did Virat just talk about Retirement? He is even younger than what MS had been when he had retired from Tests.

Wait... Did Virat just talk of Retiring?

Snapping back to his conscious self, MS reached out, chucked Virat under the chin and forced the younger man to meet his eyes.

"Repeat." Low, dark and intense, MS's voice was ominous.

"Ma..MS..?" Virat stammered. He sniffed and tried to wipe away at the tears falling almost involuntarily.

"Leave that!" MS snapped and held onto Virat's hands. "Repeat what you just said to me."

"I...I..."

"Stop stammering and repeat!"  MS was in no mood to moderate his voice or tone; he was expending his whole energy and more just to hold onto the thin threads of patience.

Virat sniffed again and finally, "I wish-wish to retire, MS. I-I...It i-s...I..I t-think...I mean... I mean..."

"Stop." MS's voice lost some of its edge and he looked intently at Virat. "Please stop." He ran a hand absently through the youngster's hair in a manner of placation.

"You cannot even speak of it without your tongue tying and you stammering away, then how, Virat? Not a month back, you told me that you admired the way in which I retired. I can assure you, Virat, that I was clear, at least to myself, that it was exactly what I wanted to do. Can you say the same for yourself?"