It is Saturday and as usual snoozing morning, not in a mood to go office. It is very hard for a software engineer to work on Saturday and I am protesting it from my first day into the office but who is going to hear me!!! With all the thoughts I commanded myself from bed to tea to office.
It was regular day indeed but don't know why, I was thinking about my childhood, how I was careless about everything, how I was lazy in going school, how I used to play on ground without fear, how I missed my lunch / dinner when India lost cricket match, I think I might be carrying out my night dream into day light. Flashing frames of my childhood making me happy and feel young enough to do any crazy thing today without taking care of anyone around me, without thinking of my liabilities, office politics, personal problems. I just wanted to step into my childhood again!!
I was late for office but I didn't care, will work couple of hours more to finished unwanted job with that thoughts I started to walk towards office ( I am staying near my office, and that's why I always runs late in office) Hearing RED FM 98.3, checking my Gmail on my mobile while walking down the office I saw street children playing cricket in a park near my house. Well I wanted to do something crazy and here I got the chance to do something crazy, it took 2 seconds to decide play cricket with them.
I don't care that I will be late in office but I wanted to feel my childhood again. So I went towards them and requested them to include me also in their game. I was in my office attire, polished shoes but who cares. All children gathered around me and told me that "Uncle aap itne bade ho, bacho ke saath khel nahi sakte" I looked myself from top to bottom and thought "do I look like uncle??" Nope not at all, I am still child from my heart and I am still single, so I can't be uncle so soon in my life. But don't know how those children categorized me into that group.
I again requested them at least allow me to play couple of balls and told them "jo koi muje out karega mein usko inaam dunga" with the hearing of word "inaam" couple of boys turned to my side and said "ok ok…but sirf do ball uncle!!" Well again Uncle, anyways they are organizer of the event so anyways I have to accept whatever they call me. And all set for game. I was just excited as I was playing a final match of any tournament. I don't know it was excitement or achievement but I am sure that I was feeling happy and crazy at the same time.
One boy bowled me first ball and I hit hard, like I needed six runs to win and only last ball was remaining. Couple of children came towards me and told me "Uncle, thoda dhire se maro, nahi to ball gum ho jayega" I smiled to them feeling like I won the mind game of the game. On next ball another boy running towards me and delivered the ball and again I hit good not very hard this time but ball flying into air and one boy caught me near the far end of park. Howzzz that!!!!! Howzzz that!!! All children started shouting, started yelling Uncle Out!!! Uncle Out!!! And they were making a hurdle around me like Indian team is making after getting every wicket nowdays.
Now even I joined them in hurdle and started making noise. I don't know but I was so pumped up, I was again child, I was into my childhood which I was missing, I was smiling with them which have been vanished from my face in this down turn. There were some more elder people like me looking towards me, but who cares about them, I just wanted to do something crazy and I did it!! And I am very much happy and thankful to those children!!
I caught my bag and took two gel pens out of it and gave one to the bowler and other to the catcher. I did shake hands with them as I was giving them "Man of the Match" award in Final of the game!! It was really rare feeling i have felt so far in my life, I was out of this toxic world and into the world where feelings, emotions, desire have some value for money. I was child again when I was bidding adieu from those children and all waves hands towards me with the smile like i was one of them!!
I reached my office 30 minutes late and as soon as I stepped inside my office, child inside me vanished automatically and I was again in this hard, cruel, competitive and fast moving world. But I don't have any complaints because this is my "karmabhumi" and I have to live with in this but with that I need to preserve my innocent childhood which I think everyone is loosing out for survival.
