ICT One Shots- Friendship and Brotherhood

Mahi-Raina: Through Thick and Thin

MSD didn't like asking for help. Stupid, he knew, but he always felt it made him look vulnerable, something he was not at all comfortable with. So no matter what it was, he would go on to do by himself, whatsoever it takes. Like he had been limping after the matches since the last season but not for a single time he asked for anyone's help even though his knee was killing him.

Raina though, was a different deal. The man had seen him in his most vulnerable moments, without making him feel embarassed. He knew he was someone he could always fall back upon. So while leaving from the stadium today when he met Suresh, he gave his hand to him before he could even take it himself. And his friend graciously held it, made him walk through the stairs, helped him get to the bus and left like he never came.

MS looked outside from the window seat, he was leaving towards his car. He closed his eyes, how much he was itching to have him sit besides him. He dearly missed his Sonu. For the most part of his cricketing journey, he had hardly made any friends, those he had, drifted apart with time. Uthappa, RP, he could hardly play any cricket with them after 2007. Raina was the only one who he could stay connected for the most part, and now he was losing him too.

MS had almost slept when he heard a knock on his door. He clenched his eyes shut, not wanting to go and open it. Today was one of those rare days when Mahi bhai's door wasn't open.

The knocks on the door got louder. MS got up reluctantly, may be some kid has something really urgent!

"Hi Mahi bhai. Now that you aren't the skipper your door isn't open anymore?"

MS blinked his eyes twice, "what are you doing here? "

"So I'm not allowed to come here anymore? " Raina asked, keeping a stoic expression.

"Kuchh bhi bolta hai, andar aa" MS grabbed an arm and pulled his friend in.

Both of them sat there in silence before Raina intervened, "How is your knee? Dikhana zara " He tried to pull down the blanket from his legs but MS pulled it tighter, "It's alright Sonu. Don't worry about it"

"So the great MSD now doesn't want to let us know about his injuries? " Raina barked after directing a brief but strong glare at MS.

"Raina chup kar please" MS snapped as he removed the blanket and exposed his knee. Raina visibly gasped, it was so badly inflamed. How the hell was the man even walking, let alone running on the field and keeping wickets for twenty overs?

"It's nothing, it resolves after a day's rest" MS spoke in a gentler voice to his friend who looked too taken aback.

"Ofcourse" Sonu chuckled sarcastically, "Your fans started calling you miraculous, superhero and God and things like that and you started taking it seriously? You have a brain or it's all just nuts?"

"Daant mat yaar Sonu, it's paining" MS used the one thing that he knew would hundred percent work.

"You deserve something more than just scoldings actually to fix the screws of your brain. Wait a minute, I'll bring an ice pack"

Sonu was just about to go when he heard Mahi's voice, "You were singing praises of my genius in commentary. I heard that"

Sonu shook his head as he walked out, "Galti ho gyi maharaj, not again"

MS closed his eyes with a relaxed smile. He didn't know if Sonu had any idea how relieved and happy he was to have him here. Raina came and sat on the bed without disturbing Mahi, applied ice pack to the inflamed knee and started massaging the other leg. MS protested immdiately, but was silenced by a glare from Raina. In the end he could only mumble, "Y'all worry too much for nothing"

"How's your back? " Raina asked.

MS sighed. His back, his another nemesis. Lately it was getting hard squatting for twenty overs while wicketkeeping when both his knees and his back weren't cooperating. He was thankful to the gap in between the games that had increased in the past two years due to the addition of the new teams. That way he could get some rest between the matches.

"It's alright. Not too bad" He replied.

"Not too bad" Raina repeated and Mahi found himself looking away. He had confided in Raina for so long that it felt wrong to lie to him now, even when this was one lie he had learnt to tell everyone, including himself.

To Mahi's surprise, Raina took his hand in his and kissed the back of it. "You've no idea how much you mean to everyone Mahi. Please take care of yourself"

Mahi binked his eyes to clear the moisture out of them. "I thought you had left? "

Raina smiled, "I was missing you, so came back to meet"

Mahi smiled back, "I missed you as well"

Raina smiled wider this time, "I know"

"Ofcourse you knew" Mahi spoke, "How do you know everything? "

"You are my best friend, stupid" Raina replied, grinning slightly which made Mahi smile as well.

"Rukega subah tak? "

"You want me to? "

Mahi nodded eagerly. He would keep Raina with them for the whole time if it was upto him.

"Okay then I'm staying till morning"

Mahi sat up straighter, "here, come here", he said, indicating towards the space besides him as he sat the pillows.

Raina, who was massaging his legs gave a dismissive look, "Sleep Mahi or you'll get sick"

"Aa na. I'm not feeling like sleeping"

Raina couldn't deny the request. He got up and sat besides MS. MS looked at his friend, "Take clothes from my almirah and change. Mai chai banata hu tab tak"

"Don't you dare get up now. " Raina scolded immediately. "We can just order tea you know? You should be resting" He gentled his voice when he saw Mahi getting upset.

"Stop getting upset Bhai. Bachche nahi ho aap. Your leg is inflamed and it needs rest" Sonu scolded again when he saw Mahi's pout.

"What got into you today? Itna gussa kyun kar rha hai? " Mahi asked.

Sonu stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking. "Sorry. Jyada ho gya? "

Mahi shook his head in no. He just wanted to sit and talk to Sonu, not get scolded in every two minutes. Especially about his knee, he wished he could just replace his whole leg and get a new one.

"Toh pila do chai. Kaafi time ho gya aapke haath ki chai piye" Sonu said with an affectionate smile.

He held Mahi's hand and helped him get up from the bed. Once Mahi prepared the tea, they both settled in the bed, reminiscing their memories from the olden days, the late 2005 and early 2006, 2008, the time when they had started playing for CSK with sips of tea. The night went by like that, with both of them catching sleep only in the early hours of morning.