The trio and yuvi are packed and ready to leave. Mahi stands with them in the lobby, sharing a quiet moment. Sachin is taking a local train to his area in Mumbai, while Dada and Jammy are off to Kolkata, and Yuvi heads to Punjab.
Sachin pa put a gentle hand on mahi's shoulder and said...Aapna khayal rakha kar, mahi. Tumhe dekh kar lagta hai, tum thoda thak gaye ho....
Mahi smiled, though a hint of sadness lingered in his eyes...Woh toh aap logo ke bina mushkil hai, Sachin pa....
Before mahi could finish, Sachin playfully twisted his ear....Arrey, baache bhi tujhse behtar khud ka khayal rakh sakte hai....
Mahi whined like an innocent kid, trying to pull his ear free....aree pa, chhodiye na! Dard ho raha hai...!
The team around them burst into laughter, enjoying the lighthearted moment as mahi pouted, looking every bit like a little kid caught red-handed.
Yuvi : (Grins mischievously) Tune toh ab mere bina yahan time bitana hai. Samajh raha hai na..?! Ab main punjab mein hoon aur tujhe mujhe miss karna padega....
Mahi : (Rolling his eyes playfully) Tu chinta mat kar, tu mujhe yaad zaroor ayega jab bhi shanti se betha hounga taab (chuckling) But haan, seriously, main aap sabko miss zaroor karunga....
Yuvi, ever the affectionate one, pulls mahi into a quick hug, patting his back....
Yuvi : (Grinning widely) Jab bhi tujhe meri yaad aaye, call kar dena, mahi! Aur yaad rakhna, main jaab wapas aau ga tab mai phir se pareshan karunga tumje...taab taak k liye break le le 😂
Dada : Chal mahi, ab hum nikalte hain. Take care of yourself, aur kabhi bhi zaroorat ho toh bas ek message kar dena....
Mahi : (Nods, waving as they begin to head toward their respective rides) Aap log bhi apna khayal rakhna. Safe journey....
Mahi stands there, watching them leave until they disappear into the crowd, feeling a subtle emptiness settle in the quietness that follows....
He lets out a long sigh, the weight of solitude settling in. For a moment, he just stands there, lost in thought....
Mahi's Thoughts : (Reflecting to himself)
Jab tak yeh sab the, time kitni jaldi guzar gaya…
Mahi decides to distract himself and heads back to his room, trying to get back into the routine. He knows that life will continue, matches will come and go, but moments like these with his closest will be rare....
Mahi picks up his phone and scrolls through his recent messages, and a smile crosses his face as he finds their group chat already filled with messages from yuvi, dada, sachin pa, and jammy bhai...
Group Chat Messages :
Yuvi : Mahi, tu zyada emotional mat ho jana! Waise maine tujhe kuch special mithai bhijwayi hai. Enjoy kar lena...!! Aur mujhe zyada miss karna...! 😁🙈
Dada : Aur haan, Kolkata aana toh yaad se ghar aana mai tumhare liye aur yuvi k liye Rosogolla launga...!!
Jammy bhai : Take care, mahi. Hum jaldi hi milenge...!
Sachin pa : Rest kar lina...lekin fir practice bhi karte rehna...fir rehna hai...."dusro ki jaise rosogolla aur kolkata ka famous cheeze akele kha-kha ki unfit mhi hona hai"
Dada : 😏 saab pata chal raha hai..!! Kisi ko yeh saab khana hai lekin mil nhi raha iss liye saab ko mana kar raha hai...! 😂
Jammy : 😂🤭🙃
Mahi : (Types in reply, smiling to himself) Aap sab ko miss karunga. Safe travels, and stay in touch....aur ha...sachin pa, maina saab kuch khaunga lekin fit bhi rakhuga...😁🤭 don't worry...!!
