The Memory Keepers

4 ✍️

Anushka was waiting outside Virat's ward moving to and fro.
Shubman was sitting on the bench lying there.

"Mrs. Kohli, I hope you have assimilated the news." Doctor came and asked her.

Anushka replied in a plain nod.

"Mr. Gill, as I told you yesterday, and as the scans suggest there is a serious concussion in Mr. Kohli's limbic system." Doctor informed them.

"And.. what would it imply?" Shubman asked.

"He will be fine right?" Anushka interwined.

"That is one thing we cannot comment on, we will have to observe patient's behaviour and understand. What is important right now is that whenever he regains consciousness, you should react with extreme care. Any sort of trauma can worsen what already looks very serious."

Shubman and Anushka nodded.
It was after some 6 hours, Virat finally regained consciousness.

The nurse told them to rush in as he was constantly calling out for someone.

"Shub, sun na." Virat said struggling with his speech.

"Haa Virat bhai." Shubman said holding his hand.

"Rohit ko rok le, vo kuchh ulta seedha..." Virat stopped.
"Nush, tum, tum samjhao usse."

"Virat, what are you saying?" Anushka just whispered.

"Virat bhai, Rohit bhaiya, kaha hai, kaha roku?" Shubman asked confused.

"Vo match... We lost.. the press conference, usko bura lagega bohot.. I didn't mean it. Ahh, it hurts." Virat exclaimed holding his head.

"Don't stress out Virat bhai, you need to calm down." Shubman said.

"Match, press conference, Rohit." Anushka said to herself. It took her just a minute to put two and two together and figure out.
"Concussion, he has lost his memory." saying this, she got dizzy.

Fortunately the nurse was their right on time and handled the situation.
She even asked Shubman to let Virat sleep.

Shubman came out, and the memory of that night flashed in his mind.
The invincible Indian side, lost the final quest to Australia.
19 November 2023 is a day any Indian would want to erase.
But a trauma so strong cannot leave so easily, even Virat's memory loss couldn't erase the scars of that night.
One match, one press conference, one statement ruined it all.

The happiest 15 men on earth broke up in two groups.

"It's been three years since that day, Shubman." Shreyas finally gave up the ice between them.
"It's been three years since they left. And I agree a lot has changed and we have got these new responsibilities."

Shubman just listened to him crossing his arms.

"A lot of them have left, and now we have new lot of guys, and I think, me as a captain, and you as the vice captain, we rebuild the environment again. We need to unite them, we need to act maturely." Shreyas said calmly.

"There is nothing called Unity left in Indian cricket team, Mr. Shreyas Iyer." Shubman said coldly.

"Atleast we can pretend and he professional here."
Shubman responded in a nod.

After a minute of silence, Shubman said with a small mouth.
"He misses Rohit Bhai."

"He should have thought before speaking." This time Shreyas decided to not be courteous.

A tear escaped Shubman's eye, he realised how shallow it was every time him and Shreyas argued in all these years defending Virat and Rohit when they needed to stand together.

"I need to bring them back, we need to bring them back. Together." Shubman affirmed to himself.

"The doctor said, we need to be very careful." Anushka came and sat besides him.
"I know Virat and only thing that will calm him down is talking to Rohit."

"But-" Shubman started to say something but went silent again.

"I know he won't come, Rohit Sharma the Indian captain won't. Virat's Roo may or may not come.
But Vami's Roo chachu will not decline her request." Anushka looked at him with hopeful eyes.
"My brother won't turn me down.
I will go to Mumbai, Shub."

"But you need to be here with Virat bhai, with Vamika, she need atleast her mother right now." Shubman requested.
Some how he was being protective about his Virat Bhai's family. He knew Rohit's reaction would be nothing calm and for Anushka to face it amidst this crisis was the last thing he wanted.

"She will be fine, Shub, her dadi is here." Anushka assured.
"Just for a day, please Shubman, be with Virat, take care of him."

"Bhabhi I can't let you go there alone." Shubman finally said.

"Why not?"

"He won't come. Every thing has ended."

"Shubman, life is giving you guys a second chance. A chance to revert it all. A chance to reunite. You all are really lucky. This is your chance, you and me have seen Virat suffer. Rohit must have suffered too. Let's end this."

Shubman didn't say anything for a while.
"Don't you miss Ishan?"

Listening this Shubman leaned back on the bench.
He closed his eyes. "Ofcourse I do."

"This is yours and Ishan's chance too."

Shubman nodded.

"You know bhabhi, you are really strong, a normal person would have broken down seeing there partner go through so much and here you are just thinking about how to calm him down."

"Dramatic Indian wives you know." Anushka chuckled but her eyes welled up.
"Pati parmeshwar ke liye duniya se lad jaaungi. I need to be strong if I want Virat back. If not him, I will be only left with memories, but sadly he doesn't have them either."

Anushka flew to Mumbai that evening, and luckily Shubman knew Shreyas' address.
And the only guy who would know where Rohit lives was Shreyas.

She rang the doorbell, and was received by a lady she had only seen closely once in her life.

"Hello!" Anushka waved awkwardly.
"Can I meet Shreyas?"

~

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