MahiRat ❤️ Denial's Surrender (Bl)

19. Chapter

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The morning sun casts a soft glow over the serene hills of Himachal Pradesh as the stadium in Dharamshala emptied, the stadium erupted in cheers as India sealed the series with a thrilling win in the third ODI against New Zealand.

The scoreboard flashed.. India won by 2-1. On the field the team huddled together in celebration.. their faces lit up with smiles.

The energy was electric. Viru, Gauti, Yuvi, Sonu Ashwin, Roh and bhajii embraced one another, grinning ear to ear. The win meant more than just a series victory it was the final ODI series before the much-anticipated 2011 World Cup.

In the dressing room, the mood was jubilant. Laughter and banter filled the air, as the celebration continued Mahi entered the room "well done boys!" he said, his voice calm but filled with pride. "This was our last series before the big one and you all played like champions. But now! the real work begins."

The team quieted down, knowing that Mahi's words were always laced with the gravity of leadership. The room fell into a reflective silence. The reality of what lay ahead was sinking in. India hosting the World Cup expectations would be sky-high.

This wasn't going to be easy. The next two months would be grueling, full of intense preparation and pressure.

The team bus stood ready, poised to ferry the players to the airport for their journeys home. Mahi sat in the back of the team bus, his usual last spot by the window. The streets outside passed in a blur but his mind wasn't there.. he was somewhere else somewhere far more conflicted and heavy.

The team around him was still buzzing from the victory but for him, the high of the win had already faded. His thoughts were consumed by something far more personal, far more painful.

Despite his efforts Mahi's thoughts kept returning to Virat. Every time he tried to focus on the upcoming World Cup, Virat's face.. his smile.. his voice.. the intensity in his eyes would appear. Mahi squeezed his eyes shut pressing his forehead against the cool window his hand clenching into a fist. This has to end.

Mahi knew what lay ahead.. his engagement to Prisha was soon followed by marriage. Everything was set.. with Goel ensuring the details. Once the vows were exchanged whatever connection he had with Virat would be over. It had to be.

For two years Mahi had kept his distance turning them into strangers. He'd seen the hurt in Virat's eyes in past years but believed it was the only way to protect him.

As the bus pulled away, players exchanged goodbyes and boarded flights to their respective destinations each one eager to return to their personal lives.

In the desolate airport terminal of Himachal Pradesh, Mahi sat alone under harsh fluorescent lights. His teammates had long since departed their cheerful voices now just a memory.

Exhaustion etched deep lines on his face as he waited, not just for a flight, but for the strength to confront what lay ahead.

His eyes half-lidded with exhaustion drifted toward the departure screen. His flight to Ranchi had already taken off, but he still sat there..lost in thought.

Then a decision formed in his mind. Instead of going to Ranchi he booked a flight to Delhi. He knew he needed to see Virat one last time before everything changed.. to have one final moment of normalcy before their world shifted irrevocably.

As the hours crawled, Mahi remained motionless.. trapped in his thoughts the flight to Delhi is in four in the morning.

"I have to deal with this." The weight of the realization pressed down on him. In two weeks, when training camp started, he'd have to face Virat and before this he had to end whatever they had.