DESTINY'S FAVOURITE CHILDREN

10. Rishabh's birthday

Rishabh was having a hard time with maths. He didn't like this one bit and he still chose it for the sake of subject combination and now he was regretting his decision. He had already left 2 problems and was now stuck at 3rd. He threw the pen away in frustration.

"Kya ho gya rishu? " Virat who was lying there asked. He had started sleeping in Rishabh's room when he was having nightmares, now nightmares stopped but their habit of sleeping in one room persisted.

"Nahi ho raha bhai" Rishabh cried.

Virat nodded in sympathy. He could relate to Rishabh very well, Maths was his nemesis too. And that was Mahi bhai's favourite subject. "Bhai ke paas ja, he can help"

Rishabh shook his head frantically, "Aur daantenge wo mereko"

Virat shifted towards him, "He won't. Aur tujhe aaj ye poora karna hai na, thoda boht daant bhi dein toh kya farak padta hai"

Rishabh shook his head, tears made way to his eyes again, he had had enough scoldings today, he just wasn't ready for another round. He got up to pick his pen up and started doing his assignment again, furiously wiping his tears. But he was stuck, he did not how to solve the problem and the frustration was making him cry.

"Graph nahi banega isme? " Rishabh heard Mahi bhai's voice. He turned to see him standing there with a serene smile on his face.

"Read the question again" MS asked him and Rishabh read the question again, "Graph banke ho jayega, haina" MS asked again.

Rishabh drew the graph and it started sinking in his brain, it was all easy now. He just had to calculate the area under the parabola and subtract it from the whole. Rishabh reached to the answer and looked at MS again who patted his head, he didn't look anything less than angel then.

MS took another chair and sat besides him, "Ro ro ke kya haalat bana li ye? Maine kaha tha na ki kuchh na samajh aa raha ho toh mere paas aa jana, aaya kyun nahi? " MS said gently wiping his tears.

A fresh pool of tears made way through his eyes, he had missed this Mahi bhai. MS pulled him closer and hugged him tight. He regretted not comforting him after the slap, he reminded himself that they still didn't know each other that well. He had to make the kid believe that he could come to him always, no matter what.

"Aapne kaha tha try solving it yourself" Rishabh spoke against his chest.

"I didn't mean it like that bachcha. You do not have to cry over things alone, We are always there to help" MS coaxed him, "I'm sorry, I know I was harsh with you"

Rishabh didn't say anything, he just buried himself in MSD's chest, getting all the comfort he could get.MS could hear soft sniffles from Rishabh, he kept rubbing soothing circles on his back to calm him down. Virat walked out of the room quietly, he knew Mahi bhai will handle Rishabh well now.

After a while when MS knew Rishabh was okay, he made him sit straight, "kitna ho gya bachcha? " MS asked referring to the assignment.

"Yahaan tak" Rishabh showed him, "beech mein bhi ye reh gya tha".

" Don't worry, we'll do it together, ho jayega" MS told him.

By the time it was 1:00, they had completed the assignment. Rishabh was finally happy, Maths didn't look too difficult with MS and he had been very patient with him, to teach everything he didn't understand in a simpler way.

"I need you as my maths teacher bhaiya" Rishabh said.

MS chuckled as he slid an arm around his shoulder "Aren't you already regretting having me as coach? "