"No laws, no words, no DNA can ever change the fact that you're my brother."

Wiping away the treacherous tears, he walked out of the dull, depressing room. The room in which his vibrant brother was lying looking all broken battered and bruised. The dammed room in which his brother slept without answering him, not completing his statements or laughing like a maniac on their personal jokes.

He walked out of the room looking all depressed and broken, the red rimming his swollen tearing eyes as he comes face to face with his friends standing outside looking all grim and determined at the same time.
They all looked like bodies without soul,  souls sans their distinct vibes and character. They looked like a couple of sad crying mannequins standing outside a room, waiting for some kind of miracle.

A miracle that would make a booming laugh come flowing out of the room he just exited, a miracle that will make their cheeku jump up and sit straight on the bed screaming "God, I hate hospitals and dull rooms." But nothing of that sort took place as he looked in the eyes of his brothers, broken.

"Who's going in next??" His voice came out raspy hoarse and unused like he didn't just break down while speaking to Virat like he didn't just cry holding onto his hand like he didn't just promise him of their brotherhood.

Every one of them looked at each other confused, not have decided who'll go in next but each wanted to go in at that moment too. Even Jinx looked at him confused, not knowing what to do.

"How about Mahi Bhai then Suresh Bhai and then Jinx Bhai and so on, I'll go in last." He heard Kulya speak up determined, the misty eyes and lips set in a line making the kid seem older than his age and Rohit didn't know when the starry-eyed kid following Virat like a lost puppy grew up when did Virat's biggest fan and most adherent supporters grew up??
Where did the boy who was a few months prior begging Virat to take him on a trip?? Where did the guy go who whined around and didn't rest until Virat gave in and took them all on a dinner out for some much-needed team outing?

Even though Virat whined for the rest of the journey to Rohit about how hard it is to say no to Kulya and bad food choices and how no one actually listens to him and he isn't a fucking tour guide but both of them knew Virat was loving every moment of it just like them and Kulya's plan to get him out had worked brilliantly. When did that boy who wanted Virat's all attention turn so mature??

No one protested over Kulya's suggestion and so he walked a little away from there, walked a little away from his team in search of a place where he'll act all fine, consoling and answering the numerous questions thrown his way.

Informing the team that he is going to call Ritz's and others, giving them an overview of the situation. They nodded at him and he walked away, strolling through the sad hallways of the hospital. He reached the waiting room again and slumped on the chair, feeling totally defeated.

He called his better half, his soul mate, his wife. He called the girl who was also so close to his bestie.

"Ro, where are you?? What happened to cheeku?? Why is media spurting all this rubbish??" Her voice was full of panic and he knew she was as worried about Cheeku as him.

"I'm at the hospital, Ri. He is here but he'll be fine. The doc reassured so, he is just weak because of the whole blood loss and that idiot wasn't taking care of himself. But he'll be fine." Ro wanted to break down yet needed to reassure Ritz to so he repeated the good words bolting away his pain and the feelings that tortured him watching his best friend in that condition.

"He'll be fine, right."

"He'll be" he promised her, he has too

"How did this happen?? How did he live so long without coming to visit us??"  She asked him her tone as broken as him.

And so he told her everything, everything informed to him in the past few hours. Everything that was tearing his heart into pieces. Everything that was making his soul burn in a fire of anguish and she listened, told the things that mattered and at the right time too.

"You'll make sure he knows, he always has a home here won't you." She asked him and he could clearly see her with a wan teary smile, thinking about Cheeku and his antics.

And he was more than 100% sure that he was going to tie down Virat at his place, not letting that guy out of his sight until he is sure that he was fine. On the contrary, he is never letting him out of his sight that guy is a trouble magnet and he is sure he will do this stupid thing again and again and again.   No matter how hard they try to make him understand that he didn't need to do things alone. He doesn't need to be all self-sacrificing bigot but that idiot will let their words flow like passing breeze, not paying any heed to the words. He was an idiot that way and then he'll complain about how no one listens to him like he ever listens to us.

Rohit grumbled in his mind as Virat played in his mind, from the starry-eyed Virat looking at him, Sonu and Yuvi pa with star-struck gaze to a mischievous Virat pranking him shamelessly and fearlessly. The good old days as Virat took him to try out the heavens of street food in Delhi, old Delhi, New Delhi everywhere. The mazes of the city his friend as he drove through them with a broad grin, jumping from shop to shop. Falauda, chicken, momos, kebab, biryani, chole bhature, pav bhaji, kulche chole, lassi, chat.

They have tried everything, everywhere before the arrival of a fitness freak Virat who would look at all those things with craving filled eyes yet his resolve never melted and Ro liked that best about his bestie. His resolve to do what he wanted to do.

After talking to Ritz, Ro called Sakshi bhabi and informed her about the whole situation. Even Sakshi Bhabi was worried sick for Virat. He was her ladla devar. So, he called her and informed her about the situation, not mentioning all the details yet. He just informed her that Virat will be fine and all of them were here. They'll inform her as soon as Virat gains consciousness and promised to not ignore the calls again. After reassuring everyone, Rohit was feeling totally drained and defeated. He couldn't see any bright source, he couldn't see how everything will be fine after this. Jinks words were just to divert everyone's attention and he knew that, knew that just the way he knew Jadu was shaken up with the whole thing yet not showing. Every single one of them had been shaken up while Virat slept like a sleeping beauty.

He didn't notice the other occupant of the room until she made her presence known by whispering the words he was dying to hear. By telling him the words he wasn't sure of himself after all this mess.

"He missed you a lot you know. He missed his brothers. He would mention you all at every instance referring to what one of you'll do on this situation." She supplied his thoughts to him, thoughts he knew but was unsure about himself.

"He won't forgive us ever, not after what we had done. He won't talk to me again. He won't consider me his best friend anymore." Rohit exclaimed letting her know about his fear, his fear of losing one of the dearest people to him. The fear of losing his best friend. He didn't know why he yelled this in front of her when he didn't let anyone else know what was eating him alive from inside. He didn't know why she is the one he is yelling out all these things too, maybe because she is a stranger turned his best friend's fiance.

"You're disillusioned if you think so Sharma. He loves all of you more than anything. He was waiting for this drama to finally end so that he can be with you all again. He loves you all a lot and he may do nautanki for some time but in the end, he'll cry a river if you're not around him." She informed him with a myriad of expressions on her face, from thoughtful to sure, from fierce to soft.

"You know a lot about his feelings, don't you??" He asked her surprised yet not that surprised Virat had that effect on people he actually liked, the people he actually let to know him.

"Obviously, I'm the future Mrs Kohli. I need to know everything about him." She informed this with a casual shrug of her shoulders as if it wasn't that much of a big deal.

"You know....." Rohit began and she completed his sentence "you were supposed to approve the girl for Virat. Yeah, I know he told me about that only a few millions time." There was a cheeky hint in her body, as she flashed him a smug grin.

"Did he talk about us a lot??" Rohit asked her surprised and touched at the same time.

"Only every breathing second of the day. You guys had a way of coming in our conversations randomly and as I've mentioned before you're his chosen brothers, forever. You all will be his brothers forever." She reassured him with another smile as he let out a shaky laugh.

"I...I'm"

"Ugh... No need for sorry. I understand the situation back then no one was really at fault expect the circumstances though I'll be very disappointed and angry if you missed our marriage"

Rohit let out a shaky laugh again as he informed her that he won't miss Virat's marriage for the world. Even Virat won't be able to get anything right if he won't be there and she laughed, a tired laugh hearing her fiance's best friends words for him.

"So, Am I approved for him or not??" She asked him not hiding the cheeky smile spilling on her lips right now as Rohit shook his head totally surprised by her antics.

************************************

On the other hand, Mahi Bhai was finally in the room, watching over his sleeping brother.

Memories running wildly in his mind. Memory of a 19-year-old cute chubby Cheeku introduced to him on the Sri Lankan tour. A leading captain suddenly again a rookie, the kid was a bundle of nervous energy believing anything that seniors told him was a ritual in the national team.

The starry-eyed kid nervously wandering around them, looking at everything with wonder and God, Yuvi was going to spoil the kid. Mahi was sure, the way Yuvi was basking the star-struck attention the youngster was giving him. Mahi didn't know when the kid with all his aggression on the field, doubts and uncertainties off-field along with mischief who tried to befriend almost everyone on the team entered his heart. When that kid reserved a place for himself in his heart. Did he do his magic on him when they shared a room in cheeku's international debut?
Looking oh so gullible and always agreeing to his words, asking stupid questions to hide his anxiety and repeating the same routine every single time he was nervous, scared, dejected or unsure.

Mahi didn't know when this intense protective feeling for Cheeku has intertwined with his being. When it felt like protecting this kid was his duty, protecting him from even his own demons. Mahi didn't what was different with this kid, maybe because Mahi knew Virat was the hardest on himself. The kid blamed himself more than anyone else ever can, the kid criticised himself more than anyone and no one was as harsh on themselves as Virat was on himself. So, Mahi has always tried to be there for the kid giving him chances when everyone thought he didn't deserve them. So, Mahi was there loving him when he was being harsh on himself. So, Mahi was there standing as a wall of steel in front of Virat saving him from the self-proclaimed critics and trollers, laughing at their words with everyone and always whispering to Virat that they don't know him. They never know the real him. They assume what he is like from rumours and actions displayed on tv. They don't know him, they just assume they know him.

Mahi still couldn't tear his eyes from the broken and bruised form of his brother. He was memorising every detail, every wound and scar on his brother's frame, memorizing them for torturing himself with them later reminding himself how he failed his brother again and again.

Mahi sat beside Virat starring at the wound on his brother's chest with wide pain-filled eyes. He was so concentrated on the wound that he didn't see the fluttering eyes lashes or the shivering fingers. He didn't notice the squinted eyes but he did hear the feeble hoarse whisper stating "Mahi bhai", followed by a pain-filled groan.

-to be continued-

Merry Christmas Everyone and sorry for the delay. Exams were there and I really couldn't post anything, I was really disturbed with the papers. So, sorry again but you all can expect frequent updates from now on.