with his family still
alive.
'Kashmiris are so fair complexioned,' I said to make innocuous conversation.
'You like her,' Ish grinned.
Are you nuts?'
'Fair-complexioned, eh?' Ish began to laugh.
'Govind bhai, my best customer,' Pandit-ji said as he came into the warehouse,
fresh after a bath. He offered us green almonds. It is nice to be a buyer in
business. Everybody welcomes you.
'We need six bats, and these need repairs,' I said.
'Take a dozen Govind bhai,' he said and opened a wooden trunk, the India-
Australia series is coming, demand will be good.'
'Not in the old city,' I said.
He opened the wooden trunk and took out a bat wrapped in plastic. He opened
the bat. It smelled of fresh willow. Sometimes hat makers used artificial fragrance
to make new bats smell good, hut Pandit-ji was the real deal.
Ish examined the bat. He went to the box and checked the other bats for cracks
and chips.
'The best of the lot for you Govind bhai,' Pandit-ji smiled heartily.
'How much,' I said.
'Three hundred.'
'Joking?'
'Never,' he swore.
'Two hundred fifty,' I said, 'last and final.'
'Govind bhai, it is a bit tough right now. My cousin's family has arrived from
Kashmir, they've lost everything. I have five more mouths to feed until he finds a
job and place.'
'They are all living in that room?' Ish was curious.
'What to do? He had a bungalow in Srinagar and a fifty-year. old almond
business. Now, see what times have come to, kicked out of our own homes,'
Pandit-ji sighed and took out the bats for repair from the gunny bag.
I hated sympathy in business deals. We settled for two hundred and seventy
after some more haggling. 'Done,' I said and took out the money. I dealt in
thousands now, but imagined that transacting in lakhs and crores wouldn't be
that different.
Pandit-ji took the money, brushed it against the mini-temple in his godown and
put it in his pocket. His God had made him pay a big price in life, but he still felt
grateful to him. I could never understand this absolute faith that believers
possess. Maybe I missed something by being agnostic.
Eight
Ali reached practice twenty minutes late. Every delayed minute made Ish more
pissed.
'You are wearing kurta pajama, where is your kit?' Ish screamed as Ali walked
in at 7.20 a.m.
'Sorry, woke up late. I didn't get time and...'
'Do your rounds,' Ish said and stood in the centre of the bank's courtyard.
When Ali finished his rounds, Ish unwrapped a new bat for him.
'For you, brand new from Kashmir. Like it?'
Ali nodded without interest. 'Can I leave early today?'
'Why?' Ish snapped.
'There is a marble competition in my pol.' 'And what about cricket?' Ali
shrugged.
'First you come late, then you want to go early. What is the point of marbles?'
Ish said as he signalled him to take the crease. One of the three other boys
became the bowler.
'We will start with catching practice. Ali, no shots, give them catches.'
Ali's self-control had become better after training for a few months. Ish had
taught him to play defensive and avoid getting out. With better diet and exercise,
Ali's stamina had improved. He gained the strength to hit the ball rather than rely
on momentum. Once Ali faced five balls in a restrained manner, he could sharpen
his focus to use his gift. The trick was to use his ability at a lever that scored yet
sustained him at the crease. One ball an over worked well. Ish now wanted him to
get to two balls an over.
'Switch. Paras to bat, Ali to field,' Ish shouted after three overs. Ali didn't hit
any big shots. Disappointed, he threw the bat on| the crease.
'Hey, watch it. It is a new bat,' Ish said.
Paras batted a catch towards Ali, whose hands were busy tightening the cords
of his pajama. The ball thunked down on the ground.
'You sleeping or what?' Ish said but Ali ignored him. Three balls later, Paras set
up a catch for Ali again. 'Hey, Ali, catch,' Ish screamed from his position at the
umpire.
Ali had one hand
alive.
'Kashmiris are so fair complexioned,' I said to make innocuous conversation.
'You like her,' Ish grinned.
Are you nuts?'
'Fair-complexioned, eh?' Ish began to laugh.
'Govind bhai, my best customer,' Pandit-ji said as he came into the warehouse,
fresh after a bath. He offered us green almonds. It is nice to be a buyer in
business. Everybody welcomes you.
'We need six bats, and these need repairs,' I said.
'Take a dozen Govind bhai,' he said and opened a wooden trunk, the India-
Australia series is coming, demand will be good.'
'Not in the old city,' I said.
He opened the wooden trunk and took out a bat wrapped in plastic. He opened
the bat. It smelled of fresh willow. Sometimes hat makers used artificial fragrance
to make new bats smell good, hut Pandit-ji was the real deal.
Ish examined the bat. He went to the box and checked the other bats for cracks
and chips.
'The best of the lot for you Govind bhai,' Pandit-ji smiled heartily.
'How much,' I said.
'Three hundred.'
'Joking?'
'Never,' he swore.
'Two hundred fifty,' I said, 'last and final.'
'Govind bhai, it is a bit tough right now. My cousin's family has arrived from
Kashmir, they've lost everything. I have five more mouths to feed until he finds a
job and place.'
'They are all living in that room?' Ish was curious.
'What to do? He had a bungalow in Srinagar and a fifty-year. old almond
business. Now, see what times have come to, kicked out of our own homes,'
Pandit-ji sighed and took out the bats for repair from the gunny bag.
I hated sympathy in business deals. We settled for two hundred and seventy
after some more haggling. 'Done,' I said and took out the money. I dealt in
thousands now, but imagined that transacting in lakhs and crores wouldn't be
that different.
Pandit-ji took the money, brushed it against the mini-temple in his godown and
put it in his pocket. His God had made him pay a big price in life, but he still felt
grateful to him. I could never understand this absolute faith that believers
possess. Maybe I missed something by being agnostic.
Eight
Ali reached practice twenty minutes late. Every delayed minute made Ish more
pissed.
'You are wearing kurta pajama, where is your kit?' Ish screamed as Ali walked
in at 7.20 a.m.
'Sorry, woke up late. I didn't get time and...'
'Do your rounds,' Ish said and stood in the centre of the bank's courtyard.
When Ali finished his rounds, Ish unwrapped a new bat for him.
'For you, brand new from Kashmir. Like it?'
Ali nodded without interest. 'Can I leave early today?'
'Why?' Ish snapped.
'There is a marble competition in my pol.' 'And what about cricket?' Ali
shrugged.
'First you come late, then you want to go early. What is the point of marbles?'
Ish said as he signalled him to take the crease. One of the three other boys
became the bowler.
'We will start with catching practice. Ali, no shots, give them catches.'
Ali's self-control had become better after training for a few months. Ish had
taught him to play defensive and avoid getting out. With better diet and exercise,
Ali's stamina had improved. He gained the strength to hit the ball rather than rely
on momentum. Once Ali faced five balls in a restrained manner, he could sharpen
his focus to use his gift. The trick was to use his ability at a lever that scored yet
sustained him at the crease. One ball an over worked well. Ish now wanted him to
get to two balls an over.
'Switch. Paras to bat, Ali to field,' Ish shouted after three overs. Ali didn't hit
any big shots. Disappointed, he threw the bat on| the crease.
'Hey, watch it. It is a new bat,' Ish said.
Paras batted a catch towards Ali, whose hands were busy tightening the cords
of his pajama. The ball thunked down on the ground.
'You sleeping or what?' Ish said but Ali ignored him. Three balls later, Paras set
up a catch for Ali again. 'Hey, Ali, catch,' Ish screamed from his position at the
umpire.
Ali had one hand
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