She had a beautiful face. Just like any other girl of her age would. Her height, weight and physical appearance looked like she would probably be below 10 years of age. But for her eyes. They coxed a very different feeling in you. I would never imagine a 10 year old if I were to see just her eyes….
I couldn’t help but stare at her. She had a slim lean body. Her eyes were very intense. But there was something very sad about it. It looked like she was completely shattered. Yet, at the same time, it seemed she had a burning desire for something!
I wondered what her name was, where and how she lived. She for one, was in deft of dancing, dancing like there was no tomorrow. She was dancing for everyone to watch her, for them to give her some money. No one would be able to gauge for what or where the money would go. Perhaps toddy for the drinking father, or medicine for an ailing mother, or to some bigger group misusing these desolate children or perhaps just food for the day.
The agility with which she seemed to flex her body reminded me of a video that I watched on youtube sometime back where one guy does the so called ‘Robo’ dance in some American dance competition. This little girl seemed to match just as much talent if not more. She seemed to mix acrobats with dancing steps and all possible gimmicks to attract the slightest possible attention. If given proper care and support, she could perhaps win us a medal at the Olympics! If only she got noticed that is.
She smiled now and then; she looked intensely at anyone who showed some interest in her, perhaps with the hope that they would give something. My obsequious looks sure did turn some heads around too. I was feeling extremely guilty for no reason and my mind seemed to go blank. The tenacious grip on the steering wheels didn’t help either.
Suddenly, she turned and our eyes met. The feeling was very uneasy. I quickly turned away but was able to watch her with the corner of my eye. I knew she was walking and inching closer towards my car. I was getting restless and I clutched the steering even further. I didn’t want to ignore her. I wanted to help but definitely not with money.
I wondered how one should react to situations like this. There are lots of people who come begging for alms. I, more often than not, end up giving away a few rupees. However, this seemed different. My heart felt heavy and my mind seemed rigid. This girl and her eyes! They seemed to have a haunting effect on me.
I desperately watched the signal time ticking away. The Ad board above showed a very happy picture of a father and daughter. I don’t remember the ad now, perhaps it was about some insurance policy. That increased the vacuum feeling even further. I wanted to know her full life story and consciously I knew it would have more events than mine.
20 seconds and the traffic signal turned green. I hit the accelerator and sped away, leaving her to try her luck again another time, another place……
20 Seconds to Green....
Adios Amigos Dada…………
The Maharaja of Bengal retired on a wonderful note. An amazing victory for the team and a good test series for him as an individual. To all those who may not like him, two hoots!! One thing’s certain – You can hate him or you can love him. You just cannot ignore him. That’s Dada for you!
Ive been an ardent fan of Saurav ever since he made an impact on the field . I hardly even knew what cricket really was at the time when he made his debut way back in the ’90s. What perhaps stands out is his debut at Lords and the magnificent century he scored. I was so bored of hearing Sachin’s name always. Every second person loved Sachin. I was itching for someone in the Indian team who was not Sachin yet had the flair to be one. The answer was Saurav Chandidas Ganguly.
There was something in him that struck me instantaneously. I hardly bother about the technicalities of cricket, infact I still do not understand how you judge an LBW. Still, I felt something strong that made him stand out, way above the rest….
People have lots of opinion about him. Well, who doesn’t? You may call him arrogant, I term it attitude!!
I’ve enjoyed the shorter version of the game and given Ganguly’s been most dominant in that, I just couldn’t stop loving him. Frankly, I’ve never found support in any circle. It would either be groups of Sachin fans or Dravid fans. I would stand out all the time for being Saurav’s fan and that too in Bangalore. I never really cared. Well, I had the rest of West Bengal for support surely :)
Saurav has always managed to do things his own way. India’s most successful captain and answer to aggression, passion and pure elegance. Be it the lofty sixes or his off side strokes or his captaining skills, he always stood out. And I always loved it.
All through, I’ve linked incidents and circumstances in my life with something to do with Dada. Here are a few ;-)
1997-98: This was perhaps Dada’s best year. Winning every other man of the match award. Winning matches for India; not just with his batting, but with the ball too. This was also the year where I topped my state level exams and also found my soul mate.
Tch Tch!
2000: Ganguly becomes the captain of the Indian Cricket team. I succeed in my entrance exams and land a medical and an engineering seat in two of Bangalore’s top colleges.
Ahem!
2004: Ganguly got the Padma Shri and I was one of the toppers for my branch with two jobs in hand.
Bliss!
2006: Ganguly makes one of the most dramatic comebacks ever. I, who was on the verge of boredom received a promotion and change in role @ my workplace.
Duh!
Ganguly’s saga will continue in some form or the other for years to come. A touching finale and my only reason to watch cricket! He surely will be missed.
Saurav Dada, you will always rock!!!
