The Younger Me

I was lying idle on the bed having just finished reading a highly interesting novel. It was about the protagonist of the story now in his middle ages thinking about how he had spent his growing up years. My chain of thoughts continued from where the book ended. I now began thinking about my childhood . It would be interesting if I write a story testing my memory. 

When I was in school, I had great potential in outdoor activities. All the sports fascinated me like cricket, football etc. I played all the outdoor games with lot of zest and enthusiasm. I had a great number of friends and they continuously encouraged me to play.

Then from school, I progressed to college and my playing games along with my studies continued. I represented my college team in both cricket and football and did quite well in both. But later on, my cricket coach encouraged me to only concentrate on cricket. Because he said football would lead to injuries and would curtail my playing years.

Also, big time cricket was now fashion with huge sponsorship amounts. A successful player could make a fortune if he had an injury free playing period of a decade or so. Plus, there was the incentives of playing for the country and being able to visit many other countries participating in major international tournaments. Football at that time was yet to take off in a big way.

So, I decided to stay with cricket. I was lucky to play for the districts while still in college. I did quite well to get a call to represent a big commercial group. They offered me a job in their sports quota after I finished my college.

I was playing to be an all-rounder and I was fortunate enough to get a good coach. As my employer had a big pool of money for the cricket tournaments, I got the liberty to explore my capabilities. Working with the coach my qualities as both batsman and bowler improved and help establish me as a budding all-rounder. I played all the major league games representing my company. Whenever I did well my company used to incentivize me with cash. My bank balance was ballooning to astronomical heights. My contract with the company got renewed every year. With my successful playing career my successful financial career got a big boost. My living standards improved a lot and I became a celebrity. Everywhere I went, people recognised me immediately. I was hunted for my autograph and my fans wanted to come close to me and click photographs with me.

Then, I got a call to represent the country. It was a great proud moment. My family was overjoyed. My friends celebrated with me by hosting a whole night party.

Every thing was going perfectly as if a great dream was unfolding. 

But then as all good things come to an end my party also ended.

 During the period before getting the call to represent the nation, I was playing national league games, and I was doing pretty well. Hitting centuries and taking five wickets in a match was quite common for me now. During back-to-back such performances, I began to get noticed. The attention came from such unfamiliar quarters, I was not acquainted with. They wanted to know simple questions wanting to know the condition of the pitch or quantity of grass in the outfield. The questions seemed innocuous sometimes outright stupid. So, I let the matter end there and didn't discuss with any of my teammates.

That was my greatest fallacy. But my mind was full of innocence, and I never thought of any catch lying in between. In a few months' time, the Police unraveled a big scandal. A big bad game was being played behind the official glare tantamounting to a racket. Betting was being done on the outcomes of crucial matches. A lot of money was involved. Big names were doing the rounds but as there was no evidence no big shot could be brought in the limelight. Only small fries and fly by night operators were being nabbed. Some small-time cricketers were being questioned and charge sheets were being filed. Their careers were being doomed. My name came up in the list of players to be questioned. But fortunately, the sting operation didn't find any concrete case against me, I was let off.

I escaped the ignominy of disgrace by luck. Due to the questions being raised over my doubtful involvement, I was dumped from the national team probables. That was what I thought.

I decided that it was all over with me. My dream to play for my country remained forever consigned to my dreams. But I thanked my stars to have saved me from disgrace and notoriety. I knew what happened to other such cricketers.

Immediately, I quit playing and silently moved out of the cricketing world as silently, I had entered it. Fortunately, there was no scoop news regarding me in the press and so my reputation remained intact.

Because, I knew earning a bad name for myself would put me in a difficult situation even in switching careers.

Then, the decision that I took without emotion has stood the test of time and I have been equally successful in this field if not more. I decided to float a business of supplying sports gear to various sporting discipline.

I had the means from my good earnings made till then, so I didn't have to take financial help from anyone. From starting off as a stockist and a trader to become a manufacturer took me few years but it was both seamless and without pain. Although, I have remained a non entity as far as fame is concerned but financial wise I went from strength to strength.

Now I have become a millionaire many times over in this trade of sporting goods although hardly anyone other than my close circles know me.

After so many years away from the sporting limelight, I hardly have any regrets. As due to my wealth I have everything under the sun that a man could desire.

But one dream remains unfulfilled, that of representing my country in the sports field. How I dreamt that I would stand erect at attention in the midfield and my national anthem would play.