All I could hear today, this morning, well maybe had i been out long enough, all day long, was "did you see?!!!!!" There was a sense of disbelief in those words, dint matter who spoke them. "Yes!!" And a sense of rejoice, dint matter who replied either. All those who asked questions asked this, all those who replied, replied this. I cant remember the last time so many people must have called in sick, called in sick just so that they could watch one solitary match. But, come to really think 'bout it, it was more than just a match, it just somehow seemed to be the answer to the embarrassment suffered in March earlier this year.
How can you forget a day like this?! How can you afford to miss a match like this?! Well, some just could'nt make the "grade". Could'nt call in sick, had to work. Trying to concentrate on the job on hand and at the same time trying to keep those ever zealous eyes and ears away from the tv and radio sets. It was sure difficult, sheer difficult. Sure it was 4 years back we last reached the World Cup Finals, but the last time we lifted it was 24!! Thats a longtime. All i could manage for the mega event was a finale of say, 25 minutes! Yeah, thats it. But all the while you return from your office to your tv sets back home there was no one who was not taking about it.
Suddenly, the trains were emptier than before. I guess people had "eloped" from their workplaces just to be a part of this mega event. More than the fact that it was such a mega event, it was the hope that a bunch of 20 somethings would, from being not even contenders, go onto lift one of the trophies of their lifetime! They did eventually.
I had never watched India lift a trophy that said "World Cup". Not many others had either. So i wanted to go home and see it "LIVE", as live as can be! So, i finish my work and head back home with the match already begun. The score seems to be even. Not much to choose between the sides in the first innings itself. And as you trot back home, evading the Tv shops on the way back home, you just cant help but take a glance or two. Get the scores updated and continue on your way back home. Wanting to reach as quickly as possible. So i took the train. It was raining. Raining quite heavily. But its rained like this before. It gotten ugly as well. If uve ever stayed in Mumbai you'll know that with the downpours and people dangling on the footboards of the trains, its a great combination for a fight, BINGO!! No one wants to get wet. Some people inevitably do and then people fight. Everyone knows that they are all helpless, helpless cause of a careless Govt. but they still fight each other....arrgh!! There i go again, thats a topic for another day.
It rained badly as well yesterday. But no one was fighting. Perhaps, it was the match that got them so engrossed of the events far out in South Africa, so much so that they dint care if they were getting drenched helplessly again in the city rains. Inside the train, there were groups of say 8-10 men, 2-3 groups maybe,all of them in a huddle (resembled the Indian huddle for a while) listening to the scores. It was not being aired on the radio, i think, so there were these guys with their GPRS mobiles constantly refreshing their web-pages and screaming the scores. "OUT!!OUT!!" cried one man. The crowd got excited. Then, the other huddles confirmed and now everyone was happy. The Pakistanis were batting. "They are going a good rate, we have to take all 10(wickets)" said one. Normally, it would have the same man who would have been fighting with me by now,the train(although comparatively empty) was still crowded nonetheless and I was literally on that guys feet. But he said those words, smiled and then looked at me with those eyes, eyes which made me wonder if he wanted me to reply back.
"Yeah, we dont much of a total to defend!" He seemed happy with my involvement. Then--(I ride in "First Class" compartment) with only a steel grill separating the 1st class and the 2nd class compartment, anything said in either compartments was sure to be heard in the other-- someone from the 2nd class compartment yelled, "OUT!!" Suddenly, the GPRS dudes( lets call 'em that) frantically started "refreshing" (I'd like to thank Mr. Gates for the word). They confirmed and again, joy spread through out the compartment. Everyone was celebrating, and then again someone yelled, "OUT!!OUT!!OUT!!" 2wickets in a quick succession, two wickets, more than twice the joy!!
Suddenly, and astonishingly for the first time in my 6 year train travel i saw the people from the two compartments(aforementioned) almost seemingly transcend "grills" and interact as if there were none! All of a sudden, everyone was talking to someone! Some wise cracks started giving their interim match "expert opinions". No one really cared from that time on about anything else but to concentrate on one thing and one thing only, THE MATCH. Wickets kept tumbling and people kept on cheering. Some fours were hit, the "dudes" confirmed this after every "refreshment"(Mr. Gates again, with some amendments of my own). Almost reaching my station, the mood in the train was jubilant. Everyone was cocksure that the 24 year old wait would finally end. I started speaking to strangers,and even though those talks lasted a few coinciding,overlapping minutes inside a train, that was something I'd normally not do. Others, many others, would'nt either. But they did.
And I got down, walking as quickly as i could, headed out of the station and then took a rickshaw to my place. I spoke to the auto-driver as well!! I was really different. The streets seemed to be filled with hope and joy, both at the same time. In the rick, the driver asked me to update him, I unhesitatingly did. Came home, watched the match, saw the team win it, saw all the match presentations and then get back to my usual self. And as I lie in my bed, all I could think was the craziness in the train. I mean, I had a 60-65 year old next to me and a 30-35 year old man on the other side, and both equally "into" the match. So was I, a 20 year old lad.(I pronounce it "laad", the English way, sorta, I love the accent!!)
The next day people, there were many in the trains again, but not many spoke to each other. Everyone was busy with their own selves, I had my earphones plugged, some deep into their slumber, some buried in the newspapers, others just looking away from each other. And I realised, that these 20 somethings from our country out there in S Africa managed to do something unbelievable. Its the love for the game really, but then, they had to win it to evoke the love again. And they did. And so also did they, for an evening, stitch these self-absorbed individuals(myself including) into a NATION. Now, everything is back to "normalcy".
