SRH vs CSK – IPL 2020

~~**~~

Suresh Raina's entire cricket career had revolved around MS Dhoni. He was not just a captain but a mentor, a best friend, and a confidant for the former. Their friendship had seen decades now, and Raina was happy to say that nobody understood him better than MSD. And perhaps, he could claim that he understood the man quite well, as well. They didn't need many words to communicate. Such was their bond!

~~**~~

That's how MS knew that something was wrong when he found out that his usual partner was not joining them at the pool game. So MS decided to visit his friend.

"Something's wrong?" MS questioned when he noticed the expression on Raina's face as he got off the phone.

"Family emergency," Raina whispered, not looking up at the man.

MS heaved in a sigh as he sat by the man's bed.

Looks like he'd have to dig in hard to get anything out of the man!

"Priyanka and the kids are alright?" MS prompted.

"Yeah, they are... I mean, they're alright for now," Raina mumbled.

"Hey, what's going on?" MS asked, reaching forward to squeeze the man's knee.

"My family in Punjab were attacked. I'm just scared that they'd reach Priyanka and the kids somehow," Raina confessed.

"Oh my God! Sonu, you have to be there for them," MS gasped.

"I do want to, but Mahi bhai, IPL..." Raina trailed off.

"The IPL is always going to be here," MS assured him, "Right now, your priority should be your family, Sonu!"

The indecision on Raina's face was clear, so MS huddled closer as he bumped shoulders with the man to get his attention.

"Somebody once told me that thinking about your family first is not called being selfish," MS whispered, "You're thinking about them and not yourself... So nobody is going to hold that against you."

"I told you that when Ziva was about to be born, yet you didn't go," Raina snorted.

"You keep in touch, otherwise I'll get Sakshi to ring up your wife and every acquaintance of yours," MS warned as he got up from the bed.

"Wait! I haven't made my decision yet," Raina said.

MS looked back at the man, smirking.

~~**~~

As MS suggested, Raina flew back to India to be with his family. To be fair, he didn't regret the decision until the Sunrisers Hyderabad match. Why do you ask? Because his Mahi bhai was currently bent over his knees, gasping to catch his breath, and that did nothing but fill Raina with anxiety as he helplessly waited for the match to end so that he could call the man.

MS didn't need to guess who was on the phone as he heard Jaddu's rants grow closer.

"Mahi bhai, tell him I'm not his servant," Jaddu fumed as he shoved his phone in MS's hands.

"Who even is going to hire him as a servant? He can't even do one job right," Raina was in an equally foul mood as his friend.

"Boys," MS warned.

"Mahi bhai, he wouldn't switch to video," Raina complained, and MS switched the call to video quickly to avoid any more arguments.

"I'm fine," MS was quick to say as he watched Raina squint at him, trying to see for himself if the man was okay.

"Seriously?" Raina snorted, "You couldn't breathe there. And you were coughing. What does your most recent covid test say? Have you taken another one?"

"Breathe baccha... I'm fine. Slightly dehydrated but fine. And I took a covid test this morning, it is negative just like every other," MS clarified.

"Dehydrated?" Raina asked, and just as MS nodded, a bottle of water was shoved right in his face.

"Water, Mahi bhai," Sam Curran asked.

MS could pinpoint the exact moment when the faces in front of him went completely pale.

"Sammy said bhai?" Raina asked.

"He said Mahi bhai," Jaddu gasped.

"Thank you, Sammy. I'm fine, okay. No need to worry," MS soothed the younger guy who had worryingly stuck by his side throughout his batting, often patting him on the back or asking him if he was fine in between the overs.

Sam smiled at him as he turned to Jaddu, "You only taught me that you all call MS Mahi bhai because he is like our big brother, right?"

"Yeah, I only taught him that" Jaddu sighed as if he suddenly remembered about that.

MS turned to glare at both his kids while Sam walked off.

"What? I was surprised" Raina was quick to defend himself.

"Surprised," MS stated, "All three of you?"

"Three?" Raina asked while Jaddu had the decency to look down.

MS turned the camera towards Bhuvi, who was quick to stop glaring at Sam's back and smile sheepishly at Raina.

"A whole bunch of jealous kids," MS mumbled under his breath as Raina asked Bhuvi about his injury.

"You sure that you're okay?" Raina asked once the phone returned to MS.

"How many times are you gonna ask me more?" MS gently scolded the man.

"If only I was there," Raina sighed.

"What would you have done that could fix my dehydration?" MS challenged.

"Give you a bottle of water?" Raina hesitantly suggested as MS waved his water bottle at him.

"Sammy's just done that." MS reminded him.

"I would have made sure you drink that water" Raina smiled at him triumphantly.

"Bhuvi is watching me for the past ten minutes, and I'm pretty sure it's because I haven't finished the bottle yet," MS said as Bhuvi smiled innocently at him. "And don't say you would have sat at my feet because Jaddu is currently glued to the spot." MS quickly added.

Raina had to chuckle as MS showed him Jaddu, who was sitting by his feet.

After a while, Bhuvi had to leave, and Jaddu reluctantly left MS's side to accompany the boy back to his dressing room.

"I had a feeling Bhuvi would be there," Raina spoke up.

"No kid spends an injury alone on my watch" MS let it slip.

"Is it bad?" Raina asked.

"Probably a thigh injury," MS sighed, "I didn't have the heart to tell the kid that his season is probably over."

"Aww, poor Bhuvi," Raina stated.

"Sonu, I'm alright kiddo. You take care of the family, kiddo," MS said, reassuring the kid before he could end the call.

"That's what I'm doing Mahi bhai. I'm taking care of the family, and you're family as well." Raina smiled at the man.

So if MS was blinking back tears as he smiled fondly at the screen of a phone, nobody was going to question it, right? Except for a bunch of kids who all went 'Mahi bhai, you okay?'

Yup, he was okay now, because he had a family to look out for him!

~~**~~

A/N

I remember that Raina wasn't there when MS got dehydrated during the SRH match, so I tried to stick to the actual timeframe and somehow include Raina in there.

Dedicated to Rusio04 and Ruchika111222!

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