My first love...

If u are reading this thinking that its about my love with a person then I must inform you that it's not. However, I can say that it's pretty much similar...

The day used to start with me reciting some Sanskrit prayers to three goddesses. After I got up, amma (my mom)'s time was almost at my disposal. I would have shouted "coffee" five times even before taking my mouth wash. My next query was weather all my dress, shoes and socks were washed, if the answer happen to be yes then no apparent appreciation, if not then it went on to become a loud fight. It was as if I was doing a big favor to my parents by going to school. I was then just about a teenager.

Saturday was my favorite day during those times. There were many reasons for it to become the favorite day for most of my class mates as well, like the school used to get over as early as 11:20, the TV show Shakthiman was aired at 12, very few home works to be submitted, one and half hrs in the ground for drill, etc. Even I considered those as very good reasons, but for me the best reason was that I could play cricket after school. Cricket in the after noon, cricket in the evening and also practicing bowling in my home during night. I waited for Saturday much much more than now.

I always aspired to be a leg spinner, I even got a book to learn that. I bowled both spin and medium pace, at times mix of both. I was part of two teams, one in the school and another near my home. The team near my home was formed mostly by my primary school friends. I was an established player in that circle where as in my school I was more of a struggling player, like those trying hard to make to the team types. Never the less my aim was to represent my school not just for my class. I dint care to study even if I had tests, I dint mind getting last rank in class but I couldn't have missed the Sunday evening game. I was pretty lucky that my parents never forced me on my education even when I did so badly then.

Painting was my other passion in life. Going to painting contests had almost become my Sunday morning routine, wining those contests regularly made me a known person in the school. I enjoyed that popularity. I had lost quite a lot before I started winning in many. Thats when I started really appreciating victories. Thats when I realized their is nothing like not doable. Thats when I started painting classes for kids. Those painting classes became handy in a very good way, I could buy cricketing gears like batting gloves, leg pads, thigh pads, balls etc. Freedom in my life extended to a next level. The impact of money on achieving happiness was felt. In this way ,Painting had become my best friend and cricket my love.

Road cricket was like our miniature version of actual cricket. We had made our own set of rules that suited the environment. To mention a few rules, if a batsman hits the ball directly to some house he was declared out, if ball goes in to the gutter then one run was declared no matter how many runs the batsman complete, the bowler cannot throw the ball more then certain speed to the batsman, like that etc. A metal chair from my house were the wickets. The bowler to batsman distance was nearly one fourth of the actual standards. The Road cricket was in many ways very crude, nevertheless very much fun. I used to run home soon after the final school bell and did all the arrangements for the road cricket. Going to each and every friend's house in the neighbor hood convincing them to play, the toughest part was in convincing their mom's in allowing their boy. The homework and tests used to be the spoil sport. My mom had given up on convincing me on doing academic stuff during those hours. On some nice evenings there used to be quite many neighbors joining the game. Some of them my age, some elderly, but the intensity in the game was the same amongst us. Their was only one thing and that was to win, thats it. Each day we had different combinations of players in teams. If one day a one person is my team mate other day he might be my rival. The craving for runs , wickets, catches had made the game very sensitive to fights. Some times the fights lead to a major resentment but by next day no one cared to remember. Ultimately everyone wanted to play.


After I made it to my school team, I started attending coaching sessions organized by the school. Waking up at five in the morning, which looked so impossible earlier, seemed very fine when I started attending those cricket practices. Bowling continuously for hours dint tire me. Not a single ball I delivered was to stop the batsman from hitting , it was sent only to get him out. The batsman can only be our enemy to get him out was everything. I had a pretty decent debut by taking 3 wickets for some nominal runs scored on me. I never considered my self as a batsman. I dint mind bowling all the overs and not get a chance to bat even a single ball. I went on to become a regular player in my school team. In a day I thought of cricket all 24 hours.

My 15th birthday and my first day of 10th standard happened to be the same day. That day or I think those few days were very strategic in my life, if I see it now. The consciousness of "10th standard" ==> "Board exam" had creped into each and every cells in my body. Slowly cricket coaching was replaced by tuitions for board exams and Sunday morning painting contests by NTSC tuitions. I played road cricket for few days , I dint have guts in asking my friends to join the game even for half an hour, since I myself was not sure weather I should play or not. It was neither my parents nor my sister nor any person for that matter told me to stop doing what I terrifically enjoyed; but I did stop.