In Mumbai, at the prime of night, there were lights here and there on a 35 story building, and on the top floor, in a lavish four-bedroom flat, a man is in his deep slumber when he felt two pair of hands poking him trying to wake him up.

Slowly, with a slight irritation evident on his face, he opened his eyes only to find two happy faces beaming at him.

"What happened girls? Why are you not letting me sleep?", asked the man looking at them.

"Happy birthday pappa", wished the ten-year-old girl wrapping her hands around him.

"Thank you so much little one", replied the man hugging her back.

"Many many happy returns of the day Vi", wished the woman sitting beside him and giving him a side hug.

"Love you Nushki", replied Virat kissing her forehead. Not giving any moment of peace for the couple, their daughter Vamika pulled Virat off the bed.

"Come on dad, let's open the presents"

"Baby, we will do it tomorrow morning, okay...now it's too late. Let's go to bed", said Virat feeling sleepy.

"No, I can't wait so long... please dad", requested the little girl and Virat didn't have the heart to disappoint her. So, he took his mobile and while answering few calls and replying to messages, he walked into the hall where he found more than 20 gifts piled upon. Looking at them Virat exclaimed.

"Nushki, I am turning 41 and not four okay?"

"Shut up Vi...these gifts are sent from your teammates", replied Anushka with a smile.

"Wow", saying Virat examined the tags on each gift.

Shikar, Jaddu, Ro, Harry, Shreyas...

We were all together for almost two decades and I have celebrated many of my birthdays with them during our tours yet not once they gave me a gift directly except the cake smash but just after the year I have retired, they are showering me with so much love...Are they so happy getting rid of me or are they missing me?

He was lost in his thoughts when Vamika nudged him to open the gifts. 

He opened Rohit's gift and he chuckled looking at the contents. 

"An eye mask", said Vamika taking it from her father and placing it on his eyes and that's when he realized there is something stuck inside. As he opened it, he found two pictures of him and Rohit printed inside, and a note was stuck there. He removed the note and not understanding what is the purpose of the pictures inside an eye mask, he opened the note.

Note: Happy birthday Virat. After a lot of thinking, I bought this one for you to remind you that you should not forget me even in your sleep.

"Brilliant", whispered Virat putting back the note and the gift safely in the box.

Then he opened a gift from Jadeja.

"Wow, it's a chain with a horse-shaped dollar", again exclaimed Vamika putting it around Virat's neck.

Oh my God what else is waiting for me

Thought Virat moving on to the next one. It is from Shikar.

He opened the present and found a box which had a sponge ball smiling brightly at him along with a small note.

Note: Yo Virat, Gabbar here. I know you are laughing looking at my gift and its purpose is fulfilled. I want you to keep smiling like this forever.

"Okay Jatt ji", thought Virat with a smile. 

"Uh dad, this is so boring. I thought there would some punching boxes or spluttering water balloons, but these are no fun. I am going to bed. Good night", said Vamika walking to her room making her parents laugh.

"Good night princess", greeted Anushka and Virat before moving their attention back onto the gifts.

Virat was opening each gift and getting lost in his memories while Anushka was just sitting with him recording all his expressions. She knew how he was missing his team and how much everyone means to him. She knew that he deserves every bit of this love and she is very happy to sit there enjoying their silence and capturing every moment of her husband's happiness.

A part of her was eager to see what every gift contained because this time, the men wanted to buy the gifts without the intervention of their ladies, so even she didn't know what they bought for Virat except for one gift. And she was careful to put it at the bottom because she knew that it would be the best gift for Virat.

"Nushki, you know who sent this one? There is no name on it", asked Virat removing the gift wrap carefully.

Anushka very well knew who sent it and she was eagerly waiting to see the reaction of her husband looking at it. She waited with bated breath.

Virat found a journal underneath the gift wrap and on the cover page, it was written "My Prized Possession" 

Virat looked at Anushka while she gestured with her eyes asking him to open it up. Looking at her excitement, he turned a page only to find his picture with the man he admires a lot, his captain and his Mahi bhai. Involuntarily a tear rolled down his eyes looking at those smiles. 

"This is for you Cheeku"

Reading the line written underneath the picture made him more nostalgic.

How I miss being your cheeku Mahi bhai. Though we talk to each other now and then enquiring about our wellbeing, I just can't get over this feeling of wanting to go back to those days when I could have this opportunity to stand with you in the slips and share a joke or being in the middle of the pitch running not bothering about breath.

Wiping his tears, he turned another page where he found a picture of them shaking hands after the match and Mahi was imitating him by pulling his hair up. And below the picture, there was a caption "There you go Hero, you remember how you finished this match".

As he turned page after page, he was living all those moments once again.

“Do you remember this Cheeku? It is one of my favorite pictures of you imitating me”

“Ofcourse, how can he forget it”,thought Virat with smile not leaving his face.

As Virat reached the end of the journal, he felt so overwhelmed that Mahi put in so many efforts gathering all their happy moments together. And in the end, there was a letter written by his dearest brother and without wasting any more time he started reading it.

"Dear Cheeku, a very happy birthday to you. I know you would be missing us a lot and that's why we decided to come to your place to celebrate your birthday. 

Oops, this meant to be a surprise to you but now that I have written it, I don't want to strike it out because anyway my Cheeku is a great actor so he can act to be surprised infront of everyone just to save his Mahi bhai...right Cheeku?"

Reading which Virat's lips curved into a smile. Wiping his happy tears, he continued reading.

"Well, you know right I am not a man of too many expressions or long speeches, so I am just coming straight to the point. I was actually thinking about giving you something memorable since the day you spoke with me about your decision to announce retirement and after a good brain storming session, I thought what could be better than sharing my little secret with you. I don't know whether this would make you happy or not, but I would really feel better sharing it with you. Now, before that I would like to make it clear that this is only for you and I request you not to share it with any of our brothers, okay? 

I am almost 50 and I have very little patience to handle their tantrums now. Not that I love them any less, but you were, you are and you will always be "My Prized Possession" Cheeku. I am not saying this because you are a run machine on the field but because of the affection we share between us off the field and I am glad I found a younger brother like you who could eat my brain with all his questions as well as who could relieve me from all my tensions with his jokes. I might not be as expressive as you while saying what you mean to me but just know that if I were given a chance to have few people around me the moment before I die, then you would top the list Cheeku.

Okay enough now, my intention is not to make you cry on your birthday so let's wrap it up here and see you in the morning.

P.S: - Your bhabhi claims all the credit for the pictures and do tell her that I mentioned her.

With love,

Your Mahi bhai"

Virat held the journal close to his heart and looked at Anushka with tears in his eyes. Anushka just switched off the recording and came closer to him. She kept his head in her lap and ruffled his hair making him feel calm and relaxed and he slowly drifted off to sleep in the couch with Anushka resting her head on the couch's arm while Virat with his head in her lap and the journal right near his heart.

Early morning, Virat woke up first and after making Anushka lie down comfortably, he went into his room to place all the gifts safely inside his attic and he got ready. After an hour he came back into the hall and directly went into the kitchen to instruct the cook to prepare breakfast a little late as Anushka and Vamika are still sleeping. Silently he sat in the lounge reading a sports magazine waiting for his brothers.

After a while, he heard Vamika shriek followed by her running footsteps into the hall.

"Oh my God mom, wake up. It's already nine"

"What?", shouted back Anushka jumping down from the couch in a second. 

"Relax, it's okay. You guys slept late yesterday", Virat said trying to calm them not understanding what this fuss about.

"Will you please stay out and let me do my work properly", shouted Anushka tying her hair in a bun.

"Okay...cool", surrendered Virat and got back to his usual place in the lounge.

For the next thirty minutes Anushka and Vamika hurried in and out of their rooms getting ready. Anushka was whispering while taking her calls so that Virat doesn't hear anything as it was supposed to be a surprise while Virat was enjoying pretending to not notice anything as he would never let his Mahi bhai down.

At around ten, Vamika tied a black cloth around Virat's eyes by coming behind him and took him on to the terrace along with Anushka. He too complied with them not asking too many questions. Once reached, they removed his blindfold shouting "Surprise".

Virat glanced around looking at the smiling faces of his brothers and everyone started hugging him and wishing him. Though he was very happy to meet everyone after so long, his eyes were searching for his Mahi bhai and there he found him leaning on the wall smiling at him. 

Excusing himself, Virat walked up to Mahi and instantly hugged him which Mahi reciprocated happily.

"I love you Mahi bhai", said Virat trying to hold back his tears but his voice gave way and Mahi patted his back understanding his emotions.

"I know Cheeku"

Hearing which Virat smiled and broke the hug.

"Thanks Mahi bhai for the gift. By far, it is one of the most valuable gifts I have received. But I didn’t like what you wrote in the end. Never ever speak about death with me…okay?", warned Virat walking beside Mahi as they joined the others for which Mahi just smiled and nodded.

All of them spent some nice time fighting about whose gift was better. Of course only Virat knew the answer yet he wouldn't correct anyone who thinks that theirs was the best.

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