During the summer of 2001 when our schools had just closed,and holidays had just begun...I lived in a well known middle-class area of my town...we were some 8-10 people,of diferent ages...PLAYING GALLI CRICKET...the time was probably 4.00pm in the evening...as you know the galli cricket has its own rules...one such rule was if the ball is hit by a batsmen beyond the "compound area" 2 times then he is out...and the person who is out will jump the compond and bring the ball from the waste dry land area..(actually a plot)the plot area was restricted by the owner...so whoever goes if caught should bear the owners 'words'...
we had been playing cricket for nearly an hour or so...when my friend naresh hit the ball out of the compound for the second time...he was out..the compound was not a big one ...but of medium sized...one could easily see on the other side of it...(i.e the plot area from the roads)we were really happy..as we were almost going to win...we were very relaxed...as our houses were near to the our play area...one of my friends bought water...and we were just chit-chatting... and during this time we even tried to scare naresh by telling him that the owner is coming...he was very cool...he was in more joyful mood today...he began asking...what will happen..?if he comes...he said a little louder..."**** off...!"
during this time he was searching for the ball in the grass......we soon got diverted to some other topics and naresh continued his search...suddenly...a ball like object was thrown on the road....we came to know that naresh has thrown it...(actually hit it with his bat)he laughed out loud saying...."see...i found a brand new colourful cork ball"(please read carefully)firstly gopal took the ball LIKE OBJECT IN HIS HANDS...we went near..everyone pressurized him to throw the ball to them as all were eager to watch it...but he resisted and kept wtching it...
As we saw it...it was a round ball..big compared to normal one made of hard substance...it was wound with threads of different colour red and black being the dominant ones...and i am sorry but i dont know how it felt as i didnt touch at the time...the threads were sharply wound through it...with gaps of the cork colour...as we asked naresh...he said he found it among the grass...while searching for the ball.later vijay,ankit touched it....as it was my turn as soon as i was about to touch....our neighbour uncles came running from their home who had now seen the ball in the hands of ANKIT...
one of our uncleLITERALLY "HIT" THE ball with bat...and "ordered" naresh to throw the "ball" back in the compound...he still 'REFUSED' to throw...as it was "cork" ball....and very beautiful...but we were confused and nervous seeing our uncles fearing...i saw one of them was trembling...our uncle shouted...."u son of a bitch it is 'CURSED' ball throw it right away..."he was completely blown away...and threw it....
I HAD already known that the 2 uncles were bachelor and they taught about christianity...i had even seen some films on jesus in their home...they said all of us to go home right away...and ordered us to bath and pray to our respective gods ....we didnt talk among ourselves...we did as said...
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a years later:Nareshs father died and he had to skip studies...(was damn good in studies)ankit failed in plus 2 and couldnt continue further...(was very intelligent)vijay the genius as we called him failed to "qualify" in any of the ordinary exams...
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this comtinued for a year for all of them...but thankfully all are now in a good position.
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