LIFE - I

This Blog is the first in a series... The thoughts have been expressed as and when they have come to me, randomly...

Disclaimer: I am NOT SAYING - I am the Best… All I am trying to say here is that I sure am better than a lot… And wish to get even better…

I have taken a Kick, an Elbow, a Knee and the Basketball itself right on my face, *** other places too *** Fell countless times, hurt my Back, my Waist, bruised my Knees, bled from the nose & mouth, almost Broke a Finger, lost a few nails, ran Hundreds of Miles, played it in the Sun and Rain…

But in the End, it Never Hurt,
Coz I LOVED IT, LIVED IT !!!

Other things I have Loved and Lived have Hurt me more…

Rightly said, Bruised Knees are easier to heal than Broken Hearts…

My, rather Our, Pallav’s and mine, First day at the Basketball Coaching Centre – Sports Authority of India, Netaji Subhas Eastern Centre, Salt Lake, Kolkata… For reasons known to don’t know whom… I ended up in a Jeans & T-Shirt, he was in shorts and T-Shirt… The Coach promptly asked me not to play, and sit and observe what was going on… We had just appeared for My Class X CBSE Exams, it was March 1999…

It was just the Beginning of An Eternal Love Story….

A Lover who never asked Questions… Never said NO… Always responded in the way you handled it, didn’t have mood swings… always gave you more than you could give…

A Love that deepened with Devotion…

A Lover I knew would never ever Leave Me…

Unless One of us Perished…

Things you Love have a soothing effect on you as nothing else, they calm you down to an extent that you are at a Higher Level… Well, yes, they do, don’t Believe me, Try it out yourselves…

An instance from my life…

2nd week of November 2000
Inter – House Basketball Tournament
Basketball Court, Hariyana Vidya Mandir, Calcutta
My School

It was the Finals, we were the Favourites, I was the Captain of my team, Yes I Was… The pressure was huge, yet I was Calm, I was amazed to find myself calm, especially when others around were so excited…

Before the game, I introduced my Team to our Principal Sir, who told me to play well…

We lost the Toss… and had to face the Sun in our eyes in the first half…

I messed up the jump ball, the opponent was taller, the opposition had possession… Not for long… ;)

Don’t remember who got the ball into our possession… I had the ball in my hand, I was in the D, *** I must confess here that I am not that good at scoring baskets standing, that is, in Shooting, but better at passing and scoring on the move, right under the basket *** I was tempted to take the SHOT, I knew it was my chance to either make the game or lose the initiative, I SCORED, 2 points in the kitty…

The stands, if you could call the side lines of the court that, started chanting MY NAME, well, IT SURE WAS SPECIAL !!!

It was then that I felt someone inside telling me - Nothing can beat you Now…

Nothing did…

25 minutes, a hurt waist, after a few many confrontations and after a kick to my face, *** there were other casualties too *** the game was called off by the referee, Our PT Teacher, due to Non – Sportsmanship by our Opposition, who eventually lost 10-0 (I Scored 6 of them)

Our House Lifted the Trophy, sadly, I wasn’t there, the trophy was presented during My preparatory leave for the XII Board Exams…

A compliment received from a good friend (alright, a girl) of mine after the tournament ended…
“ I had heard that you play well, but…. You play really well… “


A truth that was spoken to me by my Coach…
“ You will Never be able to dunk ! “

Dunk – Scoring by slamming the ball into the basket from above the basket, needs good height plus a very good ability to jump… I don’t have the height :(

Wish I had a few more inches, not horizontally but vertically… ;)

I would have loved it if I could Dunk, but what if I can’t Dunk, I can Still Play !

It’s like the person You Love Doesn’t love you, but then – It is more Important to Love than to be Loved !

Now, you people will think that here Rishy goes again…

No, he doesn’t !!

I assure You…

Till next time

Regards

Rishy