Sunday,I hoped, would turn out to be what they are actually meant for.....relaxation.
However, a call from certain Dhi, asked me get ready for a "sheild" match, against Mhada XI. (In sheild matches, ill informed captains, who are of the opinion that theirs is the best team in the vicinity, lay bets)
We are talking under arm cricket here, played in any open patch of land found in this city, where an inch of space on the asphalt goes for astronomical sums.
Just to satisfy my battered ego, about my cricketing prowess, I agreed (though I'd make it a point to ponder over my any decisions for a tad longer, henceforth). Now MHADA XI ain't the most sophisticated of teams, but they are professionals when it comes to playing the game in closed small spaces. Thats their sunday bread and butter, so one isn't surprised, if they are more aggressive than what is called for on a sunday afternoon.
The Venture Capitalists might laugh at a paltry sum of Rs. 150 per series (series comprises of 3 matches of 5 overs each), but its about respect! and thats what we play for, not to mention free pepsi.
We were leading half way through the series. I was fielding at the boundary, when the ball ended up in the compound behind the ground. Was looking out for any human souls in that compound, who could fetch it for us. A trip to the compound via the conventional route would have delayed the game. Finally I managed to induce 3 three year olds to fetch the tennis ball for me, while I stood on the fence and guided them.
They were extremely thrilled that one of the elder dudes(hehe) had asked for help, and looked at it as a mission. " Lets search for it" they all screamed in unison and off they went to search for the elusive game stopper. It was funny to see them search for it. I thought i'd help them, so told them it a tennis ball and its green in colour. "Its a tennis ball and its green" they yelled again, as if to check if all were on the same wavelength. (management education, especially teamwork, these days has permeated even the kindergardens).
A good 7 mins later, they were still searching, and I began to wonder if they knew what they were searching for.
Maybe they weren't big enought to have seen a tennis bal before, so I asked them, " you know which colour the ball is.....right?".
They were all yelled in affirmative again and the eldest of the lot pointed to a spanking new SILVER santro!!!!!
Dhi yelled, as to why I was taking so long to get people to search for a tennis ball.
How could I explain my folly to him, of engaging a search party of toddlers, who were yet to see the different colours of life?
