THE COMPANIONS

~Bhaiya~ MSD-Rohit~

IPL 2024

It was day of match between Chennai and Mumbai. Rohit was waiting for this match from beginning of IPL to meet someone special, his bhaiya, MS Dhoni. Some CSK players were on the ground but he cannot find his bhaiya for whom he was waiting from morning. He was going towards Ravindra Jadeja to ask about his Mahi bhaiya, when he saw Hardik running towards someone.

Hardik ran and hugged MS Dhoni unaware of whatever was happening around him. Hardik talked few minutes with MS Dhoni and then left for practice. Rohit was constantly looking at them. For a second he thought that why Mahi bhai never meet him like this, with a smile, hugging him in front of media and everyone. He ignored it and was about to go to MS Dhoni when Tilak came to him.

Tilak - "Bhaiya, Sachin Sir is calling you."

Rohit- "kyu"

Tilak- "Unhe kuch discuss karna hai."

Rohit- "Chal"

Rohit mentally decided to meet MS Dhoni after team meeting. Once the team meeting was over, it was time for match.

In match MI tried to win but they fall short and lost the match by 20 runs. During post match ceremony Rohit met with everyone expect one person for whom he was waiting eagerly. After completing all formalities, team came back to hotel. Rohit was in his room when his phone beeped. He opened his instagram account and saw that Jasprit Bumrah updated a photo with MS Dhoni. He realized that he did not have such photograph with his bhaiya.

On more scrolling, he found photos and posts about how everyone loves Mahendra Singh Dhoni, captain cool. He found a photograph of MS Dhoni putting his arm around Virat Kohli from recent match defining their close bond. There were photographs of different players from Sourav Gangulay to Dhruv Jurel with MSD defining their love and admiration but there was no photo of Rohit.

Why Mahi bhaiya does not have photo with him? Why bhaiya don't behave around him as he behaves around Hardik, Virat and many others. I am not like Virat who will tell how much other person matters to him. He is not Hardik who will speak in front of world about people he loves. He is not Jasprit Bumrah who..... Does it mean that I lost him? Am I not his kid anymore? What if he does not need me anymore? Anyway why Mahendra Singh Dhoni would need him as he had done nothing for which he would feel proud.

On the other side, MS Dhoni was waiting for Rohit in his room. It was  unsaid rule that after every CSK MI match Rohit would  meet him and they spent time together. When MS realized that this time Rohit would not come; he decided to go to him. He asked Rohit's room number from Ishan whom he found in corridor. He knocked on Rohit's door.

Rohit opened the door and without looking, said, "Tilak, abhi bookh nahi hai, room mein rakh de, baad mein kha lunga."

MS- "whats wrong with you?"

Rohit- "Oh, you."

MS- "Yeah me. Since you are busy, I decided to come by myself."

Rohit- I am not busy, you are busy and its okay bhaiya.

MS- "Tune dinner kyu nahi kiya?"
Rohit- "Bookh nahi thi."

MS- "Rohit!"

Rohit- "Okay, mood nahi hai."

MS- Whats wrong with you?
Rohit- "Nothing. Virat and Rishab are in another team. Hardik's room no. is 302 and Jassi's room is 305. If you want to meet Piyush then his room number is....."

MS- "What one should do to meet you Mr. Rohit Sharma, Indian Captain? Should I take appointment from Ritika?"

Rohit- "Why would anyone want to meet me?"

MS- "Does I need some reason to meet you?"
Rohit- "It's not like that"

MS- "then?"

Rohit-"I am not Virat."

MS-" I know.

Rohit-"I am not Hardik or Jassi."

MS- "I know that you are Rohit."

Rohit- "And I lost you."

MS- "When? Where?"

Rohit- "I don't know."

MS- "So you only know that..."

Rohit- "that I lost you."

MSD- "I never knew that you are priced idiot."

Rohit- "I am not idiot, bhaiya."

MS adjusted himself on bed and said, "So whats going in your mind."

Rohit- "Nothing"

MS- "What happened."

Rohit-"It's okay bhaiya, I can understand."

It was moment when MS Dhoni noticed sadness on Rohit's face.

MS- "Are you same Rohit to whom I know. He was always cheerful and smiling."

MS Dhoni was waiting for some reply when he noticed a thin layer of tears in Rohit's eyes.

MS- "Are you emotional? Dare you to hide them."

Rohit- "It's not like I don't understand bh-bhaiya but it hurts somewhere. I know I have done nothing in my life to make you proud but I wanted to make you proud. It must have lost you back in time but I just realized today that I lost you."

MS- "What! It's not like that. You are not losing me, not now, not ever."

"But you never meet or hug me like you do with others", said Rohit.

MS- "We just met when you were playing against England."

Rohit- "It was different."

MS- "Rohit, I was Mahi, Mahendra or Dhoni to whom you made bhaiya for the first time. I know I never called you or messaged you like others but that's I am. With Virat, I am different. With Hardik, Rishab or Jassi, I am different. It never meant that I don't love you. You are still the same person who made me bhaiya for the first time. You are still the same person who loves to forget his important things.

Rohit whined, "Bhaiya"

MS- "Let me tell you one thing clearly. You might have lost many people or things in your life; you may lose them in future but not me. You will always find me in your support. I will always proud of you."

Rohit hugged MS Dhoni and said, "I missed you so much bhaiya. I love you".

MS- "I love you too."