Sorry Sindhu you lost the gold because of Me !

Sorry PV Sindhu. You lost because of me! I know I am as shocked as you are. But believe me I have convinced myself that you lost the gold because of me. So it started like this.

Post a hard day’s work I reached my home and proceeded to unlace my shoes outside the door. There was the faint sound of TV with those clucking shuttle sounds coming through the lizard gap at the bottom. Lizard gap ..What’s that you ask ? Let me not digress because that is another big story. So I push open the door with the friendly auto lock and I find an apparition. Well not an apparition really. But for want of a better word on finding my stunned wife staring wide eyed at the TV set. I looked at the vision on the Television and found you Sindhu playing with a slightly grim expression on your face. The score was around 15-10 I think.

My wife turned and glared at me with Hindi Soap opera eyes – ( what is soap opera eye ..you ask ? Well that is another story ) -

“ Why did you come ?”

I managed a “ Uh ! “ because she is thrilled whenever I come home late and I thought my involuntary attempts to come home earlier than usual could work in my favor.

“ Do you know what you have done ? “ She growled

“ No” I said meekly

“ She was one game ahead and now she is down and trailing “

“But ‘, I protested , ‘ she is trailing NOW .. so she must have been doing weakly since sometime ?” I asked probing possible exclusion from being insinuated with more serious charges.

“ No “ she said and stomped off to the kitchen.

I looked back at the screen marveling at the extremely competitive game in progress. Marin’s forehand was strong I told myself flinching that it could be the undoing for my compatriot . She kept slipping while my wife reappeared with hot scalding tea in a cup in her hands. She looked at the screen and glared accusingly.

“ Look what you have done!! She has lost her confidence now ever since you have come“ I stared back at the TV screen stupefied not sure of my till now, unknown super powers, currently not acting in a beneficial way for sure.

“ Look Mrs. There seems to be some mistake you are blaming me for the game for no valid reason . You cannot be doing this “ I looked hoping to find some look of possible relief abdication in blame.

But no luck. You PV Sindhu lost another point and that was that. The remote was seized from the table . The TV switched off. I walked off not too sure. I wondered when my wife had had morphed from a quiet invisible individual who mouths seventy words per week without emotion to a fiery and superstitious patriot. After a while I made the mistake I came back and switched the TV back on and you were doing well at 14 -10 . Well not too bad. And then 16 -12. Oh oh this was getting bad. I told myself . My wife wanted nothing but gold. And I had to work really hard. I tried focusing for you. But Marin was good. Soon it was over and we were delighted with the silver you won. Or so I thought when I heard a shriek behind me.

“ You switched it on again ? . Don’t you realize your being inside with the TV off was helping her gain ground . She was 10-10 and she won the first game reversing her bad game. You’re not being in the house helped a lot. The least you could have done for your country is to have stayed back at office till this match was over !!! “ Eyes fiery red looked at accusingly at me.

I shriveled. Horrified at how I had let my nation down.

“ But she won the silver for us . The first silver? “ I offered meekly as a consolation. But my wife could have none of it.

“ Just stop. You let the gold slip away. Poor girl had put her heart and soul into it” My wife stomped to the kitchen and returned with my food plate in her hands.

“ Now have your dinner” I looked at the TV set.

The TV anchor was announcing that you PV Sindhu had settled for silver. Settled ? Settled ? I mean like you fought for it. Why settled? I looked back at my dinner. Two Indian breads sabotaged to their sunny side in dark brown up stared back at me. Well the cook was angry for sure. I too settled to my dinner. The only silver lining in my day I guess.

But Sindhu O Sindhu. Congratulations You have done the nation proud ! Next time I promise to keep the TV switched off or stay back at the office .

Jai Hind !

Sorry Sindhu you lost the gold because of Me !

Sorry PV Sindhu. You lost because of me! I know I am as shocked as you are. But believe me I have convinced myself that you lost the gold because of me. So it started like this.

Post a hard day’s work I reached my home and proceeded to unlace my shoes outside the door. There was the faint sound of TV with those clucking shuttle sounds coming through the lizard gap at the bottom. Lizard gap ..What’s that you ask ? Let me not digress because that is another big story. So I push open the door with the friendly auto lock and I find an apparition. Well not an apparition really. But for want of a better word on finding my stunned wife staring wide eyed at the TV set. I looked at the vision on the Television and found you Sindhu playing with a slightly grim expression on your face. The score was around 15-10 I think.

My wife turned and glared at me with Hindi Soap opera eyes – ( what is soap opera eye ..you ask ? Well that is another story ) -

“ Why did you come ?”

I managed a “ Uh ! “ because she is thrilled whenever I come home late and I thought my involuntary attempts to come home earlier than usual could work in my favor.

“ Do you know what you have done ? “ She growled

“ No” I said meekly

“ She was one game ahead and now she is down and trailing “

“But ‘, I protested , ‘ she is trailing NOW .. so she must have been doing weakly since sometime ?” I asked probing possible exclusion from being insinuated with more serious charges.

“ No “ she said and stomped off to the kitchen.

I looked back at the screen marveling at the extremely competitive game in progress. Marin’s forehand was strong I told myself flinching that it could be the undoing for my compatriot . She kept slipping while my wife reappeared with hot scalding tea in a cup in her hands. She looked at the screen and glared accusingly.

“ Look what you have done!! She has lost her confidence now ever since you have come“ I stared back at the TV screen stupefied not sure of my till now, unknown super powers, currently not acting in a beneficial way for sure.

“ Look Mrs. There seems to be some mistake you are blaming me for the game for no valid reason . You cannot be doing this “ I looked hoping to find some look of possible relief abdication in blame.

But no luck. You PV Sindhu lost another point and that was that. The remote was seized from the table . The TV switched off. I walked off not too sure. I wondered when my wife had had morphed from a quiet invisible individual who mouths seventy words per week without emotion to a fiery and superstitious patriot. After a while I made the mistake I came back and switched the TV back on and you were doing well at 14 -10 . Well not too bad. And then 16 -12. Oh oh this was getting bad. I told myself . My wife wanted nothing but gold. And I had to work really hard. I tried focusing for you. But Marin was good. Soon it was over and we were delighted with the silver you won. Or so I thought when I heard a shriek behind me.

“ You switched it on again ? . Don’t you realize your being inside with the TV off was helping her gain ground . She was 10-10 and she won the first game reversing her bad game. You’re not being in the house helped a lot. The least you could have done for your country is to have stayed back at office till this match was over !!! “ Eyes fiery red looked at accusingly at me.

I shriveled. Horrified at how I had let my nation down.

“ But she won the silver for us . The first silver? “ I offered meekly as a consolation. But my wife could have none of it.

“ Just stop. You let the gold slip away. Poor girl had put her heart and soul into it” My wife stomped to the kitchen and returned with my food plate in her hands.

“ Now have your dinner” I looked at the TV set.

The TV anchor was announcing that you PV Sindhu had settled for silver. Settled ? Settled ? I mean like you fought for it. Why settled? I looked back at my dinner. Two Indian breads sabotaged to their sunny side in dark brown up stared back at me. Well the cook was angry for sure. I too settled to my dinner. The only silver lining in my day I guess.

But Sindhu O Sindhu. Congratulations You have done the nation proud ! Next time I promise to keep the TV switched off or stay back at the office .

Jai Hind !

Silver smiles

Three dozen mikes of channels were stuck into a gentleman's face . Actually just about his chest . The gentleman appeared to be standing up or possibly on a chair as he appeared to be straining to catch some spectacular event unfolding in front of him . But the 3 dozen miles did not appear interested in capturing what was unfolding behind their backs

The mikes almost wanted to transform themselves into cameras to capture every straining vein of the gentleman.
The anchor meanwhile guessed in soft tones . "Something really good is unfolding there "

True we were keen too , to know .

Finally the suspense ended. The gentleman broke into a huge dignified roar compounded with wide smiles

The anchor went " yes she has done it "
And the gentleman jumped down while the miles still on a coalition course with the gentleman s face

The anchor finally clarified " Silver medal assured . She is now into the finals "

A small picture appeared at the corner of the screen while one gasped finally understanding. PV Sindhu had finally gone into the finals assuring India of a silver at least.

Well this is television today . You can watch the actual match and the real protagonist in replays . For now the channels are concerned with the " fantastic " scenes with the friends and families . Sigh !

Applause PVS ! Will search the channels to really search your winning moment :-)

Remembering the Independence day. I think we should perhaps restrict it to remembering and acknowledging than gushing about how happy we are.

Good reasons for such strong words. It is a 70 year old story since the colonial masters left us to drive our own destiny. We do our token nods, listen to the mandatory speeches and then move on with our hill station celebrations of the extended weekend. Soam I grudging the celebration at the hill station? Not at all.

Just peeking back to look around us and wondering if everything we see around us is replete with something to be proud of. Let us stop taking credit for something like progress on industrialisation, literacy, modern towns everything that will come by default with very routine governance in a very large country successfully collecting taxes.

But even 70 years after independence we do still roll down your windows to buy your flags from little children dangerously running between the vehicles at the traffic light. We acquire a noble look at the gesture of having contributed to the economical upgradation for the day of a young tot. And by god we did not even negotiate. We did not try to rally any support for our give 3 for 10 rupees line. We let it go. How noble of us. We preen inwardly !

But how did we dismiss the thought that a country no matter its mechanical sojourns to Mars and the third largest army in the world still has children on the street. It is not something we can escape no matter how tinted our car windows become.

Recently we had a law passed which allowed a controlled participation by children in family occupations. I am sure the government has its own compunctions in allowing this to happen. Perhaps a long term plan to register and then act. As in every other laws impacting the country the current government is more trustworthy to come up with something that will protect the masses and especially children.

It may be a strong and spoilsport view but I think we should not gloat of being a powerful and progressive successful country till the last child is off the street and either in schools or in protected environment.

Alleviation of poverty in adults is still some distance away but maybe time to think if we need to gush on occasions as a nation while our little ones try to earn their money to survive.

And for the critics this is not a party dampener or a communist view but a call to our conscience to ask if we are really happy after 7 decades of independence if it does not include ALL OUR CHILDREN ?

pic courtesy:festival celebration blogspot