Chapter 4: The Super Cricketer

We had decided to bunk the lectures and practice for the next day’s match all afternoon. By 6 o’clock, all my energy was up and I was about to collapse. I was about to appeal against the team’s decision of playing one last match of 10 overs before calling it a day as my eyes fell on something that almost made me jump. She was sitting on the stairs with her friend watching the practice match!

It was as if God had given me another opportunity! This was my chance to impress her! Suddenly, I don’t know how, I felt like I had a 10,000 volt battery up my dead ass. As the match began, I was commenting loudly at every ball, giving my suggestions to both the batsman & the bowler while constantly telling every fielder to buck up. I was getting impatient waiting for my batting. I was afraid that she might leave before watching me play. After 2 overs and 2 balls, finally the first wicket was down. I immediately rose and ran towards the pitch.

I had goose bumps all over me as I took my stance in front of the wicket. I was at the centre. She was bound to notice me! As the first ball came towards me, I tried for sweep shot to hit a four on the leg side. I miserably missed the ball. I missed the second ball as well and almost got out. I cursed myself. Oh God! Please don’t let me fuck up this game! I’ll go to temple just after the match!

I closed my eyes and then, like Amir Khan of Lagan, tapped the bat in slow motion on the ground. As the third ball came, I hit it hard and it went straight for a six! My teammates cheered. She had watched me hit a six! She had heard people cheering for me! My heart was throbbing faster than ever! As the last ball of the over was bowled, I took another shot and this time, successfully hit a four on the leg side.

My head was spinning! My heartbeat was so fast that for a moment I thought I was going to puke! I thanked God that it was the last ball of the over and changed the side. However, the comfort was short lived as we took a single run on the very next ball. As I came to strike, though the dizziness was lessened, my heart was still beating very loudly! Once again I tried to repeat my Lagan act to gather some magical power. The ball was a bit high. Still, I took a step aside and hit it with full force. Once again it went for a six but unfortunately, it was caught in the air just near the boundary. I was out! I had lost the battle!

I had some kind of heaviness in my chest along with the increased heartbeats as I came back to the stairs that acted as our pavilion. I tried to analyse my performance. I got out very early. But then, I also hit a six and a four! Hmmm… May be it wasn’t the best but still not the worst as well.  

I had one more chance left. I was once again ready to face the challenge with a renewed spirit!  Though I wasn’t going to bowl, I still could impress her by fielding extraordinarily well! I made a promise to myself that any shot on my side had to pass over my dead body.

As the opposite team came to strike, our team had made very few runs. I was high on energy. I was running madly after any ball that came to my side and was actually doing a commendable job. My heartbeats once again broke their own record as I caught a rather easy catch near the boundary. This was definitely going to add positive points in my plate! It was the sixth over. Our team had almost lost the match despite my best efforts to keep the score as low as possible. The batsman took a shot and the ball went high in the air. I ran towards the ball to catch it! It was going to land a little away from my reach. I was so close! I didn’t know how but I jumped at it! It was a picture perfect dive and I caught the ball! Unfortunately, I landed on some concrete that was lying for construction on the side and got my left arm heavily bruised!

Everybody came running towards me. Suddenly, I was the man of the match! The bad side was that my arm was paining and bleeding badly. Even worse was that I couldn’t cry for help or leave the match! I had to be a macho man in front of her not a sissy girl! Thankfully some of the guys protested against my wish to continue playing and forced me to go to the nearest hospital to get some medication! I made sure I was speaking loudly enough so that she could hear me say that it was nothing and I was leaving only because of my silly teammates. Finally the match was declared a draw and we all pulled the wickets out. We were going to meet directly at the time of the semi final match after this.

As I walked out of the grounds, I saw most of the spectators were looking at me surrounded with other players tending to my injury. She was also watching! And just like everyone else, she too had a concerned look on her face! Even though my arm was hurting badly, the fact that she had seen me play so well made me feel happier than ever! Every time I thought of her watching my performance, the song Haari Baazi Ko Jeetna Hamain Aata Hai came to my mind & I felt walking in slow motion like some hero. It was one of the best days of my life!

Billu joined me near the exit gates. I had almost forgotten he was also sitting on the stairs watching the game. Bloody bastard didn’t even come to the ground to see me when I got hurt! My anger boiled to even higher temperatures as I saw him grinning at me. And then, suddenly it went poof! Only he in the crowd had understood my real game, pain & joy! As I neared him, he said only one word, Chutiye!

I and Billu picked up a senior’s bike from the hostel & went to the nearest hospital. As promised to the benevolent God, I also went to temple & offered a bribe in the form of Prasad of Rs. 21/- to make the upcoming days even more like this one. The practice match had gone well. If the performance in the next day’s match went so well, I was sure to make a mark on her!

But as they say, life is stranger than fiction… Many more surprises were yet to hit me on the face! What God had in mind for the next day in my love story was beyond my imagination!