ICT One Shots- Friendship and Brotherhood

4. The Chosen One : Mahi-Rutu and The CSK Team

Rutu was overwhelmed. It was supposed to be a simple team dinner but just minutes ago, Coach Fleming and Mahi bhai had announced it to the team that MS will not be captaining the team anymore and Ruturaj will be the next skipper. He couldn't help but observe everyone's faces, they all looked sad, emotional, like something precious had been taken away from them. He looked at Mahi bhai, he was smiling but he could see his eyes were moist. Even Flem, who hardly ever showed any emotion, was moved. There was no one in the room whose eyes were dry.

The captaincy didn't come as a shock to him. MS had hinted him many times, even Flem had; and he was ready for it. But for the first time, he was actually getting an idea of what it meant. It wasn't some team which he was asked to captain, it was MS Dhoni's team. He suddenly had goosebumps, that man was the God of captaincy, if he could phrase it like that. A thousand questions ran through his mind, questions that he had not thought of till this moment; how will his team mates perceive it? How well the fans will take it?

He looked startled as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around a bit, he found Mike Hussey smiling warmly at him. He gave a tight lipped smile back at him. The old man wrapped his arms tighter around the new captain's shoulder. "Hey, feeling jittery? It's alright. New things are sometimes overwhelming" he whispered in his ears. Rutu smiled genuinely this time as he looked at the man. He had been his mentor and the go to man from the day one, since the time before he could open up to MS Dhoni.
"Congratulations skipper, lots of cheers and lots of blessings" The coach said as he pressed the boy's head a lil closer. "Thanks huss" Rutu could only manage to say amongst a thousand other things he wanted to say to him.

In the next few moments, he could see almost the whole team hurling around him. He was sure to get lynched by all the hooligans, before Hussey's merciful interruption, "Boys, slow down. He is not going anywhere".

" We know he is your fav Huss. We wont do anything, I promise" Cherry's voice echoed amidst the chaos and everyone laughed. Huss raised his palms in surrender and moved aside. The team hurled at him with congratulations. There were juniors who were jumping at him, along with Deepak who was threatening to beat him if he didn't give him a treat. The seniors were a bit calmer, Ajinkya, Ajju da, came and hugged him warmly. When Jaddu hugged him, he held the man a lil longer, the man had taken the captaincy fiasco so gracefully. He could only count his blessings.

Come the next day, Rutu had to go to the Captain's photoshoot. He knew the things were going to be weird, everyone would be expecting Mahi bhai to be there, he might disappoint a lot of people. He blinked twice and shook his head, Mahi bhai had strictly told him to not think about outside noise. Keep your face straight please, the makeup artist interjected. Rutu curbed his face in annoyance. His face was sweaty and the makeup wasn't really helping.

"Done? " Rutu asked, he had had enough sitting in front of the mirror. It was only giving him anxiety. He knew he would be better once he goes there. The anticipation is always worse than the actual events.

"Yes. Just a second" Rutu closed his eyes and sat back, trying to detach himself from the moment.

Once he opened his eyes, he rubbed them thrice. MS Dhoni was standing behind him or he was dreaming? Or the mirror was defective? He turned back to see for himself, MS chuckled loudly. Rutu looked down and bit his tongue, he felt embarassed. He had actually reacted better when he saw MS for the first time.

"Chalein skip? Russ is calling, it's time" MS called and Rutu flushed red. He knew it. The teasing, Mahi bhai's smile confirmed it. "Yeah" Rutu replied.

"Wait a second" MS pulled Rutu towards him. "Your hair... lemme just correct a bit"

MS tried adjusting the hair but the sweat wasn't helping. "You nervous? " MS asked.

Rutu shook his head, "little bit I guess"

"You can always blame the sweat on Chennai heat" MS took out his handkerchief from his pocket and started clearing the sweat off the boy's face, "But we can't mess the photoshoots. They are gonna paste the same picture everywhere"

MS adjusted the hair again and had a look at the new skipper, "better now"

"Go and surprise them all. Faf especially, would be very happy to see you"

Rutu's eyes suddenly lighted up a little. This thing had completely skipped his mind, how could it be? Faf would be very happy and very proud. Now that Mahi bhai said it, he was looking forward to see Faf.

"Mahi bhai, but they all want to see you" Rutu contemplated for a minute and finally asked.

MS smiled, "They all are your gen people, I would have looked so out of place among them all. You are a perfect fit"

"I was not talking about captains, bhai" Rutu almost whined.

"Fans? You kiddo, just wait for the matchday. Let's bet, you're gonna get the biggest cheers on toss" MS said as he smacked the back of his head lightly. Rutu giggled, "bet? " Mahi asked again.

"No" Rutu shook his head, "You must be right"

The team manager, Russell rushed to the room. MS had come in to call good ten minutes before, they were getting late.

"Achha go. Enjoy the time okay, don't think too ahead" MS said as he patted his back.

Rutu rushed to go, then turned back after a few steps and ran back to Mahi bhai again. He wrapped his arms around his captain and put his head on his shoulder. He didn't plan to, but he did it in the moment anyways. When MS caressed his back, he felt relief spread over him. "Tell me in the evening how it was.." MS said as he placed a kiss on the side of his head, "And know that I'm so proud of you"

"Go skip. You never want your manager pissed" MS said finally as they parted from the hug. Rutu went for the photoshoot a lot light-headed. MS, felt a lot nostalgic, he could remember similar moments with Virat few years back. Rutu and Virat were completely different characters and yet he found them so similar, he wondered if his brain was playing games with him, but he went on with it nevertheless.

Shorter than what I wanted to write but ig I'm just not getting the groove rn. Might write the sequels of it later.

Rutu is my absolute fav. MS is an all time fav. If someone in 2020 told me that I would get this in 2024, I would have been jumping in joy. As much as I miss watching MS on toss and in post match presentations, seeing this transition is so very heartening. It's giving Mahirat all over again <333