35mm HiGhLiGhT rEeL

How does it feel to be living five minutes away from a new international cricket stadium hosting the home games for Mumbai Cricket Team in the first grand level professional Cricket League? Well, there is a different charm of traveling all the way for something you would be doing once in a blue moon. A new multiplex recently opened right next to my sister’s home and we were all very excited till the time it was inaugurated. When we had to get ready for our first screening in that hall, we realized, it felt nothing less than talking a walk down early morning to pick a packet of milk or bread. The new wave sweeping the sports fanatics in the country is the IPL 20-20 series. It has professional cricket players from different countries playing for various teams.

The college where I had once got an admission for my engineering and for some stupid government rules, had to give it up was now up with a lush green international cricket stadium. I am sure the alumni would know where all their money was being used. Anyways, my pals managed to get the tickets in half the price and a good location. As I dug deeper, I realized, it wasn’t that they were smart, but it was the other way around, the guy at the counter was some nerd. In the evening I tried to haul a few ricks for a ride to the venue and as it turned out, those bastards had been victimized with sudden fame and they refused to go there stating that there was a mad house jam around that place. Guess someone told them that they won’t be paid for the time one spends in the traffic jam.

Somehow I managed to convince one to drop me at the point where he thought the jam began and is turned out; one could even drive to the entrance gate without experiencing any jam. I wonder where they got their inside information from. I met my pals outside the venue who were in a state of ecstasy, not cuz they were going to watch the match, but they had been drinking their heart out for the last 2 hours. They were laughing their heart out on anything and everything. It was a long walk before we could figure out the stand we were allotted tickets in. But the very first magnificent view of the floodlights just made us go crazy. The stadium was packed and the crowd was roaring as the first ball of the match was being bowled at the home team.

We tried to figure out the seat no allotted to us, but we had a hunch, the numbers dint exist anymore as the stadium was already overflowing and there wasn’t a single place we could spot vacant in the L block. It wasn’t much of a problem, though we entered into arguments with all sorts of people but then that’s how the management was, so the next thing we did was take on the side rails. One couldn’t clearly see the players with a clarity we do on TV, but yeah one could feel the excitement one doesn’t feel on TV. People were going frenzy, with different creative banners and cut outs. The pulsating music during the over change or a boundary got the people on their feet with their hands in the air. The home team studded with stars and the finest cricket player in the world was fairing pathetic on their home ground. But people were least concerned; they just wanted the batsmen to hit the ball in their block.

I am the last guy to watch cricket even on TV, but here I was, amidst the huge pool of people eyeing for their favourite sport stars on the lush green grass. The result was evident and I had to leave half way during the second innings. In short, it was an OK experience.