Your Efflorescence

Part 2

A moonlit evening in Delhi.

Gauti is playing cricket in his house's premises. His all time attendant is bowling for him. As usual Gauti hitting good fours and sixes again and again. He's away from team for a long time but his skill never decreased a bit.

Suddenly he hits as six but unfortunately the ball falls on a little boy who just rushed in the premises. Soon he started crying holding his forehead.

"Rickey! How many times I told you don't come around when I'm practicing ? Seedhi baat samajh nahi aata tumhe ?"

"Sir, Rickey baba is hurted, upar se aap ise daant rahe ho ?" His attendant said.

"Kya karu Umesh iss badmash ka ? Jao iske papa ke paas de ke aao. Nahi ruko, main hi jaata hun"

Gambhir lifted the crying baby up and checked his forehead before going to room. Not a big hit, but the brat child crying like hell to complaint against Gauti.

"Ok ok, I'm sorry. Maaf kijiye janab. Don't made me scolded by your papa."  He patted the baby's back gently.

"What happened Rickey ? Ro kiun rahe ho ?" A worried Sonu came out from bedroom. Seeing him the baby increased his volume in the highest scale.

"Pappaaaaa....."

"Yes baby, kua hua ?"

"Dad hit me with ball"

Gauti's eyes rolled,  "kitna badmash hai tu Rickey! Maine jaan bujh kar maara kya ?"

"Oh God! Dijiye mujhe."  Sonu snatched him from Gauti. Quickly brought icepack and soothed his baby taking on bed.

"Ss... Sonu maine jaan bujhke nahi maara, wo aagya bich mein, kya karu sunta hi nahi hai mera..." Gauti made puppy eyes.

"Ohff, idhar bachcha ro raha hai aur aap apni safai gaa rahein hain! Arey mujhe kya nahi pata ki aap jaan bujhke nahi marenge ? Isse (showing Rickey) jyada childish to aap ho!"

Gambhir smiled like fool while rubbing his head. He likes Sonu's cute scolding. Silently a punch showed to Rickey when the brat grinned on his situation.

"Oye badmash! Has raha hai ? Abhi to ro raha tha" Sonu glared at little munchkin.

"Khud hi dekh lo, mujhe daant khilane ke liye kaise nautanki karta hai! Rickey, main tere kitne janmo ka dushman hun re ?" Gauti pouted.

Rickey muttered in his bratty way,  "saaat danmo kaa...."  and showed seven fingers uprising.

"Saat hi kiun ?"

"Bas karo aap dono" Sonu yelled. "Aur tu Rickey, maana karne ke baad bhi kiun jaata hai dad ke practice ke time pe ?"

"Kiu kiii muje bhi cickett patand hai...." Rickey said proudly.

"Haan tumhe to pasand hoga hi"  Gauti sat beside them,  "cricket is in your blood after all. So tumhe jyada kya pasand hai ? Batting or bowling ?"

"Keeping"

Rickey's answer made Gauti and Sonu look at eachother. Dry smile iccured in Sonu's pale face when Gauti gently smiled to him and probably said something through eyes.

"Chaliye, dinner time ho gaya hai"

"Please Sonu, ek over aur khelke aayun..."

"Nooo"  Sonu glared,  "aap nahi khayenge to mummy ji bhi nahi khayengi, unhe medicine bhi to leni hai."

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The Gambhir family is happy enough getting munchkin like Rickey. Full day his giggles and mutterings echo in the house. Though he's not much restless child but cool in nature. Gauti's parents love him a lot. He eats only in grandma's hand at night, with tales of kings, demons and animals. Sonu eats after feeding everyone, then makes his baby sleep. Gauti too falls asleep till then, but today he's waiting for Sonu laying beside Rickey. Feeble lullaby is echoing in Sonu's voce. After making sure that Rickey has gone in deep slumber he came to off the lights.

"Wait Sonu"  Gauti got up, "I have to say something"

"Haan bataiye na"

"Today afternoon I got something"

Gauti took out two cards from his drawer and gave them to Sonu. Two same invitation cards, one in Gautam's name another in Sonu's name. Sonu took them out from envelope and saw it's invitation on Mahi and Priyanka's engagement. He looked at Gauti in blank eyes.

"They don't know we're together so sent two different cards"

"But how they knew that I'm in Delhi ?"

"Yuvi se puchha hoga..... sirf card bhejne ki liye"

Sonu shut his mouth, he looked still on the cards. Slightly tears came in his eyes. Gauti noticed that...

"Don't lament Sonu. Ye to hona hi tha"

"Kya lagta hai aapko ? Hume jaana chahiye ?"

"It's upto you. Jaisa tumhe sahi lage"

Raina hushed for a few seconds. Then said, "yeah we should go. Kab tak hide and seek khelenge ? Aur aap bhi team join kar lijiye, they need star player like you. Kab tak humare liye apna career barbaad karte rahenge ?"

"What you mean by 'humare liye' ? Rickey mera beta nahi hai ? Sonu apne bachche ke aage career bada nahi hota hai. Rickey ke liye jitna sacrifice tum kar rahe ho mai usse jyada nahi kar raha. But I had promised you...you remember naa, apne bete par main koi aanch nahi aane dunga. Chahe uske liye hume zindagi bhar underground kiun na rehni pade"

Gauti held Sonu's hand with full of trust. The cute cricketer smiled in greatfullness.

"I'm so lucky to have you...... but I can't let you destroy your career. I know we have to tackle with so many questions but we can handle. Can't we ?"

"I can Sonu, mujhe dar hai tumhe aur Rickey ko le kar."

"Don't worry, ab mujhe aur koi dar nahi raha"  he gestured at the cards,  "it's time to rejoin ICT"

Gauti became proud seeing confidence in Sonu's face. He nodded then both laid down two different sides of Rickey. Both kissed their son's head before sleeping or pretending to sleep as none of them could sleep that night.

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No hate for anyone. All incidents are fictional and added for entertaining purpose only.