The debut

I could see the captain, vice-captain and few senior members of the team have an animated discussion. I knew what their concern was - ‘Who should bowl the penultimate over?’
Sachin was as keen as ever. Munaf had four overs pending, Zak had one and Yuvi and Sehwag had plenty.

Munaf had gone for thrashing that day. His first spell read 3 overs, 48 runs, no wicket.
He had fared marginally in his second spell of 3 overs where he yielded just 43 runs - not bad considering the way Yuvi’s mediocre left arm spin was treated.

The Lankans scored 27 runs in the sole over sent down by him. He would have definitely thanked his stars that the Mascarenas episode had not repeated itself.

The Lankans were brutal, but it did not hurt the way it did when Mascarenas had tonked him repeatedly out of the park.

After posting a huge score of 281 on a difficult track, we were certain to win. But the whole complexion of the match had changed when Sanath decided to switch gears.

2 overs to go. We needed 1 wicket to win. Lankans required 41 more runs to win. Difficult equation but not impossible! One had seen Sanath accomplish even difficult tasks.

I was surprised when the captain beckoned me. 

I sprinted over to the meeting place. Captain Dhoni, known to trust his instincts more than anything else, smiled as he handed over the ball to me.
"You have been our best bowler today! Same waise hi daal!"(Eng translation: Bowl in the same manner)

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing!

I was just a rookie, directly flown in to replace the injured Harbhajan Singh. I agree I had played a handful of Ranji matches. But, nothing did prepare me for what I was going to do.
I was going to bowl the penultimate over of the finals of the Champions Trophy. I felt good that my captain had so much faith in my abilities.

The crowd encouraged me and cheered me on but I felt nervous and fearful, like one of those gladiators, egged on by an anxious crowd, who had been pushed into an arena to fight with lions.
Everybody seemed to agree, I was the right choice. The gentle breeze had started picking up speed.

Placing the field for my last over for the game was excruciatingly slow. I wanted to be sure that I had the field of my choice.

I walk slowly to the umpire and hand him my RayBan sunglasses. I did not ever appreciate the sight of spinners bowling with their sunglasses on. And that is why I disliked the mercurial Mark Waugh.

I practice my run-up once more. My run-up is quite simple. It is a cross-breed of Warne’s and Rajesh Chauhan’s.

The first bowl that I bowl to Sanath, I come around the wicket. I pitch the ball on a good length which enables Sanath to get under the ball and heave it over long on. It’s a massive six.
"Come on! Come on!" Dhoni shouts from behind the stumps.

The ball comes back to me. I say a silent prayer before starting my run up. I decide to bowl a googly. No Sanath would be waiting for that! Let me bowl my stock ball - the leg break again.
I manage to pitch the ball in the same spot as I had done the previous ball.

Did I see Sanath smile as he thumped the ball further in the crowd? Am I losing my mind?

Dhoni rushes to me and pats me on my back. Bowl the googly, he advices me.
I return to my mark. I have a look at the field placing once more. I bowl a beautiful googly. Pitches on the middle stump and spins away sharply from the burly left-hander.
He swings wildly at it. He misses it completely, and so does Dhoni.

I am still in the state of shock as I see the ball race forward to the boundary ropes.

Umpire signals 4 runs. I run over to him trying to explain that it has missed everything. The umpire just smiles. I just stare at him in disbelief as I tug on my locks.

Slowly I walk back. I want the humiliation to be over soon. I am unable to focus. I feel that everything is going against me.

As I run up to bowl the fourth deliver of my over, I see Sanath changing his stance. I now knew what Styris would have felt when he saw Pieterson do that.
I was shocked. So shocked, that instead of pulling up, I bowl him a slow full toss which is disdainfully dispatched over my head for a maximum.

Sanath oozed of belligerence, the quality that made him successful. I am not ashamed to say that I was intimidated.

I can see now that Dhoni is fidgety. Maybe he is ruing his decision to make me bowl.
Sachin, at long off, is chewing his nails.

I wait for a moment before I deliver my fifth ball of the over. I bowl a flipper. I got the line all right but the length is way too short. Sanath rocks on his back foot and pulls it over long on. I stare at the ball as it sails over the newly built stands.

It is a maximum by a big margin. Sanath walks down the pitch as we wait for the fourth umpire to bring the replacement balls. 

Dhoni agrees on the replacement ball.

My sixth ball almost yorks Sanath as he tries to get under it once more. Did I hear right? I turn to see the umpire extend his arm to signal a no ball.

Sanath runs hard. But Murali is a little slow of his blocks. They attempt a third run on the throw. Munaf, not the best fielder in the team, throws the balls toward me. Sanath is easily in. I attempt to run out Murali. Dhoni springs forward to collect my throw. The wind is stronger now and Dhoni’s cap flies off, distracting him for a moment.

The ball bounces off Dhoni’s pads and rolls towards the cap. 

The umpire signals penaly five runs.

My sixth ball is not over yet and I have already conceded 9 runs of it. The equation now reads - 1.1 overs to go and 4 runs to win for the Lankans. Murali is at the strike.
The impatient crowd has begun to throw bottles on the ground. They expect Murali to finish it off in this over itself.

As I walk back for the final time to my mark, all of a sudden the stadium lights blink and die leaving the field in pitch darkness. It’s not even a full moon night.
The umpires consult for some time and walk back.

It seems there has been a major power overload and all the bulbs on the stadium have burnt out. There is no was that the authorities can rectify the problem now.

Duckworth-Lewis results are out. India win by a run.

Dhoni pumps his fist in the air. All the team mates run up to him to congratulate him on the finals win.

As I walk back dejected, I feel a friendly arm on my shoulders. 

"Thanks mate! At last you have relieved me of my burden. Now nobody will remember the Mascarenas Massacre! “, smiled Yuvraj.

I punched him in the face and watched his nose bleed.

We don’t talk anymore.

And yes. I forgot to mention. I have switched over to Golf.

Cheers,
Rosh

Endless Love

"Good Morning Dear"
"What’s there for breakfast today?"
"You"

I smiled. 

She had been the same for the past 55 years.
Yes. Age had finally caught up with her and she had wrinkles on her face.
Yet as I lay on the hospital bed, with an oxygen tube in my nose, I could see the angel I had married to. She was my guardian angel - gentle, supportive, caring and beautiful.

She was and is and ever shall be my love - More beautiful than a display of thousands of twinkling stars or a garland of well cut diamonds.

I held her hand in mine once again as I breathed my last.

———————————————————————————————-

Cheers,
Rosh

The Nightmare

It is a cold, dreary evening. I had tried to get a flight ticket to Denver but all the airlines were booked out. After all it was Christmas season. 

I had been on the road for over 40 hours now.

No, I did not pull over at any motel for a  short nap.

The only break that I remember was the one when I was asked to pull over by a  country Sherriff. I was charged with over-speeding. I tried to reason with him and explain him of my plight. I had to be in Denver by the evening. The girl whom I had loved for the past 15 years was getting married on the 25th of December. 

I had to tell her. I had to let her know, just in case…

He smiled and issued me a ticket! That loathsome, f***ing bas*rd!

"Come on! Come on!" I urge myself. I had to be there before dawn break. Although I  encountered heavy traffic in a few places, I didn’t slow down. Instead I chose to break all the possible rules that I could. It had to be done. I had to reach Denver soon or it would  be all over.

I drift off to sleep for a brief while and jolt back into consciousness; narrowly missing the freeway divider. The darkening sky is calm and grandiose. It soothes my senses. The last glimpses of the crimson sun sinking below the horizon, beyond the Rocky mountains, quickly reminds me that my life will be no more if I do not confess my love to Shelly. I speed on.

Ah! There’s the St. Paul’s Cathedral. I recognize it even though my GPRS has it on the other side of the road. Couple of miles north lies my destination. Will she come out if I call her? How will she reach when I confess my love to her? All this, and many more questions play peek-a-boo in my mind.

I can see her house now. I think it has been freshly painted for the wedding. I speed on crazily. I want to reach there as soon as I can.

The car comes to a screeching halt! Had I hit her? Shelly’s best friend! I think I have coz the thud that it produced when I hit her still reverberates in my ears. I am shaking and sweating. My shirt clings to my chest like anaconda to its prey making it difficult for me to breathe.

I get out of the car. I see her motionless body - white as snow, with a few streaks of red. Her skull is fractured and body badly mangled. I kneel over her hoping against hope to breathe life back into her.

All of a sudden she jumps at me biting my hand and bludgeoning my face from all sides.

I awaken, shaking, sweating and screaming in the wee hours of the morning. To be precise it is 02:10 am again. My breath comes in short, sharp, frightened inhalations of terror.

"That darn cat!" I shout as I throw my pillow towards her.

Cheers,
Rosh

Scars

I shout for help. 

I can hear the ring of fire brigade and police sirens.  They are getting close but will it be too late?

I try to get up again but of no avail. Part of the collapsed roof has pinned me down. I cannot seem to feel my legs - let alone move them. I try to crawl towards the exit. Smoke has engulfed my room completely.

I spit on my handkerchief and hold it over my nose. This is the only trick I remember from the Disaster Recovery Meetings at my workplace. Hope it works for me.

Every breath I take makes me wonder if that would be my last. I don’t want to die this way. As I struggle to remain conscious, I hear the sirens loud and clear. I can hear people talk.

Thankfully rescue has arrived in time. The door collapses and I see a firefighter running towards me.  A big burning piece of wood, most probably my almirah, falls on my head. It pains. My mind wants to shut down but the burning pain keeps it running.

The fire is put out by the firefighter, and he wraps me in a blanket. ‘Everything is going to be okay’ he whispers.

I touch my cheek. I feel the scars running all across my face. Then I open my eyes gently and look at my ugly reflection in the mirror. My tears cannot take away the pain. I live that fiery night every day. As more tears welled up in my eyes, I knew it was time to wash my face.

I had lost everything that night, but I still had my job. I am getting late for work.

Cheers,
Rosh

My Juliet

Romeo: "O true apothecary! 

Thy drugs are quick. 

Thus with a kiss I die."

Romeo dies.

Juliet wakes. She surveys the audience from left to right hoping to find someone.

Juliet: "Where is my lord?
I do remember well where I should be,
And there I am. Where is my Romeo?"

Juliet sees Romeo’s dead body.

Snatching Romeo’s dagger

Juliet:"This is thy sheath;"

Stabs herself

Juliet: "there rust, and let me die."

She falls on Romeo’s body, and dies.

Even though she is supposed to close her eyes and lie, she continues to survey the audience.

All the parents and teachers stand up and applaud the 3rd graders for the wonderful enactment of ‘Rome and Juliet’.

Suddenly Juliet springs to life and runs towards the audience. I lift my Juliet and hold her close to my heart.

The applause stops. There is dead silence now.

Juliet: "Oh Daddy! I love you. I thought that you missed my play."

Me: "My little princess! How could I? I love you so much."

Juliet kisses me on my cheek: "You are the best Daddy in the world!"

I smile and reply: "And you are the best daughter in the world."

The audience gently applauds.  Some of the parents had tears in their eyes. I had too. It was the happiest day of my life.

As I walk my Juliet down the aisle, happy tears well up in my eyes.

This is going to be the happiest day of my life.

Cheers,
Rosh

She

She is my best friend. From the highs to winning the Indian Idol to the lows of not having even a single singing contract, she has been faithful to me.

I remember being introduced to her by a good friend during the grand party that I had thrown after winning the Indian Idol. She was quite charming and I took to her easily.

From then on she became a part of me. I was happy with her.

Couple of weeks later I was informed of the terrible news that the Mr. Lalwani had died of a heart failure. I wept, not because Mr. Lalwani was a close friend, but because he had promised me a contract with his record company.

I was back to the streets where I belonged. Within matter of weeks, I had lost everything that was of importance to me. My dreams of fame and fortune had vanished and I was left with the grim reality of a middle class life.

I took her home that night. I cried and she consoled me. I could feel my pains disappear.

I get a call from somebody called Lalit Lalwani. It seems Lalit want to honor all his dad’s commitments. 

He wants to meet me tomorrow at his office to discuss the contract. I am ecstatic.

She is happy for me. I kiss her again.

INDIAN EXPRESS - Early Morning Edition
"Indian Idol star - Praveen Kumar, 28 found dead. OD suspected."

Frank

Zanya held the letters in her hand, still trembling, while an array of tears trickled down her pale cheek. An Army officer had visited her couple of hours back and had notified her that Army Spec. Frank had been killed in a car bomb incident early that morning.

The officer handed her two envelopes and a chest containing some personal artifacts of Frank. He had long gone before Zanya closed the door shut.

The first letter was from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service addressed to her, informing her about procedures for collecting death benefits.

She threw it on the coffee table.

She opened the other letter. Unlike the first letter, this one was hand-written. She immediately recognized the handwriting.

"Darling,
If you are reading this, it means that I cannot meet you any longer - cannot feel you, cannot kiss you. The time that we spent together was the best of my life. I wish that things would have been different - that our country had not declared war on Iraq. Life could have been so different. I could have been with you. I miss you and I love you.
I love you more than you will ever know.
Yours,
Frank"

For the third time in her life she’d lost someone she loved.
First it had been her mother. Then her Golden Retriever - Cuddles. Now it was Frank.

Frank was a warm, caring, religious man who made her laugh and forget her lonely past. From the day he had entered her life, it took a turn for the better. She had begun to appreciate life more and more. He showed her that no matter where one came from, or who one was, life was an unwritten script waiting to be filled in and changed at one’s own will.

But now stark reality awaited her. Her husband of 7 years was no more.

She heard a thunder.  The dark clouds rolled in and the sky darkened. It was going to rain.
A crash of thunder again… A drop here, a drop there…
The gentle tap of rain on the windows engulfed the sad silence.

She wept aloud to break the rhythmic tap of the dancing raindrops. Tears roll down her cheek again. The intensity of the rain is increased too - Each trying to keep pace with the other.

A sudden lightning struck and a strong breeze rocked the trees. A split second image of a person passed before her eyes. 

"Frank!" she cried out aloud. Her mind was probably playing tricks.
There came three rapid knocks at the door.

——————————————*****———————————————-

When Zanya woke up in the morning, it was still raining. The marbled floor that had been her bed for the night was hard and cold. She got up slowly to her feet.
She knew that the everyday then onwards was going to be just a little more painful than the previous day. She missed Frank but life had to go on.

She picked up the letter from the floor and placed in on the table.

Suddenly a man stepped out of the kitchen into the little circle illuminated by the sunlight streaming through the window. Was it Frank or a figment of her imagination?

He smiled and disappeared, never to return to her life again.

Cheers,
Rosh