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I strolled down towards this big ground somewhere in Nainital giving a sideways glance to the girls playing kitchen set with their accessories. Somehow they never attracted me... these girl games. The big ground was our terminus for every game possible. Around twenty kids flooded it in the evening playing all sorts of games. Hemu da along with some of his friends was busy making teams for a football match. I ran towards them with eyes that were alight with hope. "I wanna play too" I pleaded. "No" said Hemu da "You can't. You are too young. Why don't you go and play with those kids." He pointed towards a bunch of 6-7 year olds who were struggling with placing stones for their big game of seven stones. Apparently Hemu da enjoyed this leadership position which he had because of him being elder to us. All of us were huge fans of his and obeyed to what he said. "Please let me play too please." I was all ready to stamp my feet. "Alright be the goalkeeper." he said calmly. Now this was the easiest way to fend off interrupting kids. In cricket and football if small kids come and pester you throwing tantrums about how they wish to play, you immediately place them as fields-men and goalies who have nothing but standing and watching as their task, hoping the ball would come to them soon.
Two big stones were placed on my either side indicating the boundary of the goal. I stood there all set to receive the black and white honeycombed sphere and kick it back with full strength. Seconds and minutes passed but there was no remote sign of the ball rolling towards me. "Gee! Nice players in my team." I thought. Restlessness and irritation of just standing there and watching crept in. "Bah! Id have better played seven stones." I thought as I saw a few stones and pebbles lying around. "The ball is not going to come here anyhow. I am going to make the most difficult seven stone line up with the most irregular stones." The idea of killing time generated finally and I moved within the periphery of the goal to collect seven irregular stones. As I sat down cautiously balancing stones one above another, I gladdened at my artistry of placing them so perfectly. The moment I happily placed the seventh stone at the top and was going to stand up to kudos my edifice the much awaited black and white honeycombed sphere whooshed past me destroying my seven storied skyscraper. "What are you doing?" Shouted someone from my team, "You ought to be stopping the ball and you are busy playing with stones? It was such an easy arrest. Go get lost and play with other kids." said Hemu da.
"No, please let me play na. I will not do it again." said I so very half-heartedly that I was eventually kicked out and a new goalie was appointed. I left the ground and moved towards the small field where seven stones was on. I looked back to see the fair lad of the other team who had destroyed my football career. I wondered whether I should go and thank him but rejected the idea thinking about my ex-team's rage if I even appeared. This is how my football career ended and hence I have never known anything about football from then on.
Two big stones were placed on my either side indicating the boundary of the goal. I stood there all set to receive the black and white honeycombed sphere and kick it back with full strength. Seconds and minutes passed but there was no remote sign of the ball rolling towards me. "Gee! Nice players in my team." I thought. Restlessness and irritation of just standing there and watching crept in. "Bah! Id have better played seven stones." I thought as I saw a few stones and pebbles lying around. "The ball is not going to come here anyhow. I am going to make the most difficult seven stone line up with the most irregular stones." The idea of killing time generated finally and I moved within the periphery of the goal to collect seven irregular stones. As I sat down cautiously balancing stones one above another, I gladdened at my artistry of placing them so perfectly. The moment I happily placed the seventh stone at the top and was going to stand up to kudos my edifice the much awaited black and white honeycombed sphere whooshed past me destroying my seven storied skyscraper. "What are you doing?" Shouted someone from my team, "You ought to be stopping the ball and you are busy playing with stones? It was such an easy arrest. Go get lost and play with other kids." said Hemu da.
"No, please let me play na. I will not do it again." said I so very half-heartedly that I was eventually kicked out and a new goalie was appointed. I left the ground and moved towards the small field where seven stones was on. I looked back to see the fair lad of the other team who had destroyed my football career. I wondered whether I should go and thank him but rejected the idea thinking about my ex-team's rage if I even appeared. This is how my football career ended and hence I have never known anything about football from then on.
