An Inch ...

The match was a clear win for Sagar College of Engineering, Hassan against R.K Ramaiah College Of Engineering, Tumkur.

And in under 90 minutes it was triumph for SCE, Hassan. This was the first time in 3 years that Hassan won the volleyball girls match effortlessly bringing the trophy back home.

Everyone was cheering in joy but Kalyani was losing her senses again.

She stretched her hand out to me to be held so she doesn't hit the reddish muddy hard ground.

I ran immediately towards her and held her by her shoulder tightly. Everyone immediately gathered around and took her inside the dormitory we were staying.

Poured water on her head and washed her face while she lay down.

The heat was irresistible for us and i wondered how she played despite her situation and circumstances.

When she a got a little to her senses, she drank some water and asked for her medicine. We promptly gave it to her along with the idlis we kept for her.

She had them in content, finally smiling and expressing her gratitude for being part of a game at state level, an experience she would take to her grave.

All of us were teary knowing she meant that literally.

She had called her aunt to come and pick from Kolar where we were playing that summer for the state level competition.

In the evening we saw her aunt standing near the entrance of our dorm wearing a peach coloured cotton sari with birds and dots all over.

She looked very calm and composed and with a slight smile on her face. Kalyani walked with us slowly and hugged her aunt.

This was the first time in 18 years she felt so contended with whatever she achieved that day.

The story behind her illness was not genetic nor environmental or a mere misfortune.

It was inflicted and when she told us who caused it, for a moment none of us believed it. And even better we couldn't trust the reason behind it.

Kalyani was the only daughter and her father,Mahesh, was very loving and soft spoken person. He loved his wife, Mallika as much as he loved her.

The couple had Kalyani after 7 years of marriage. Due to which Mahesh grew extra fond of her after her birth. Mallika was never perturbed by her relatives concern

on urgency of having a child. She always expressed her joy and pride of having all of Mahesh's attention and love for her.

The couple were rejoiced when Kalyani was born and both of them were extra cautious in her upbringing.

However, Mahesh started to spend a lot of time at home and with Kalyani when she became a year old, taking her out for walks, buying her toys and cloths, getting her the best instant baby food even if he went out his budget. This didn't bother Mallika much initially, however she started to notice that her time with her husband started declining.

She raised this with her husband, but he laughed it off. However, Mahesh continued to shower his time and love on his beloved daughter as she started growing.

Kalyani was now 3 years old and one fine day Mahesh returned home during lunch since his office was closed down unexpectedly for repair work. Mallika didn't expect it and as usual

she was at her friends place in the neighbourhood. Mahesh had also started noticing Mallika's growing disinterest in raising Kalyani or rendering her duties as a mother.

So Mahesh gets a little upset seeing his daughter alone at home and still not being fed. He awaits Mallika's return that day and when she does arrive, they get into a terrible fight.

Kalyani starts crying so does Mallika, but Mahesh chooses to pacify his daughter and takes her out for a stroll.

Mallika gets infuriated for the first time she is envious on her husband's bent of love for his daughter.

When Mahesh returns back, Kalyani was in her bedroom sulking a corner and Mahesh chooses to ignore it.

The next day when Mahesh leaves for office, Mallika sees her daughter playing with her favorite toys from her father. Her anger had not diminished from the previous day.

So she rushes to the room and throws away all the toys from her hand. Baby Kalyani starts crying which angers Mallika further and finally out of rage she finds a nearby nail an inch long and presses it through the skull of Kalyani.

As soon as this happens, Kalyani shouts so much in pain that her aunt who was in the next house, comes running realising something bad had happened.

At this moment Mallika goes out of the house somewhat pacified by her cruel act.

When Kalyani's aunt sees this, she was horrified and immediately takes her to the hospital and on the way calls her brother.

Although the nail was removed and medicines given to the poor baby girl, the impact of the nail lasted finally causing a cancerous tumour when Kalyani was 17 years old.

The pain never reduced for her ever since she was 3 years and was always on medication. However, this act of envy comforted her mother and she moved out of the home and also threatened her husband that he either should be with her or their daughter and she should not dare quit on her.

This is when Mahesh knew, he had to keep Kalyani away from his jealous wife. His sister took Kalyani under wings and raised her like her own, knowing her years were short.

Kalyani always struggled with migraine and dizziness throughout her school days but she never let her disease come in the way of her passion for sports, particularly volleyball.

However, she never qualified to be part of a team due to her lapses of unconsciousness in the field.

Her days were close and on her 18th birthday, the doctor confirmed on her limited time as the tumor had spread and was beyond treatment.

Nevertheless, when my team captain knew this, she chose to have Kalyani in the team and break the rules.

And it was worth the lifetime for all of us to be part of the game.