Apu remained hooked to the radio from 2 o’clock annoying his sister- the elder one. She had been irritated for the past three days, as Apu turned the GEC radio with an overhead aerial to his very personal property from 2 o’clock onwards for every day – and why she should not— she listens to her favourite programmes everyday at her will. So Apu had taken his rightful turn to enjoy live commentary of the semi-finals and final of Bordoloi Trophy. She complained as that had been happening at frequent interval with soccer tourneys coming up one after the other -- Independence Cup, Dugar Shield, DCM Trophy et al. and then Bordoloi Trophy. She complained to father but he only said,-Is it!” – with a smile. She complained to mother but Apu declared that ATPA shield and few others were still to follow and then there would be Australia Vs India cricket series and he certainly won’t miss any of the commentary sessions.
“Oh no! during the cricket series you will be at the radio for daylong.”
“Yaa Yaa naturally.”
“Oh no, no – that can’t be!”
“See, I can’t go to any of those places to enjoy the matches, for me listening is believing ; the radio will be mine.”
She was on the verge of crying. Apu did not pay any heed and concentrated on the commentary of Dipu Choudhury and Surenram Phukan. In the midst of sobs of his sister and mother shouting at him Apu felt like the commentator saying something unbelievable. He concentrated hard to be sure and expectedly to his great excitement the commentator announced again,-
“Three days hence Mohammedan Sporting will play an exhibition match in Shillong against Shillong Eleven.” -- Unbelievable but true --- must be true – announced in the radio.
Apu decided that he would go to see the exhibition match anyhow–Akbar the striker, Kannan on left wing, the great Thangaraj at the goal and Ramanna and Papanna in the midfield and Latif - just couldn’t miss seeing live the heroes playing, just not possible to let the dream slip away from becoming true.
He was overjoyed at Assam Police defeating Mohammedan for the trophy but that could not dampen even slightly his desire of seeing Mohammedan play live.
-“Definitely the match would be at Garrison Ground”- Apu was sure. The other day the para (Lane) boys lead by Minu secretly went to Kamakhya Mistanna Bhander to gulp labanga and jalepi and wondered why the garrison ground was being barricaded with tin sheets.
–“Oh then it would be a ticket affair.” –suddenly crossed his mind
“Everything spared from school tiffin money gone in labanga and jalepi”- he rued –“oh why had I gone with Minu.”
Moreover someone saw him that day savouring the juicy sweets at KMB and reported his father. Father in turn asked mother why she allowed Apu to go out like that. Mother in turn scolded him thoroughly; father’s cold steely glance was enough to stop him from daring any secret trip for some days. Sisters got the chance to rejoice. Apu wondered why Baba and Ma don’t understand that he had turned twelve the previous month and had grown big enough to go out with the para friends.
He hoped that knowing well his mad love for sports Baba would surely let him go to the match. Then the doubt lurked in –“Baba has only cursory interest in sports and probably would not take me to garrison ground; even if he comes along it won’t be enjoyable without the company of my para friends. But would any boy of our group be allowed to go without an elder accompanying?”
Apu took his younger cousin Raju alongwith and went to Tukon’s house and almost ordered him ,“Ask Bapuda if he would to take us to the match.” A red faced Tukon kept mum. Tukon’s brother Bapuda was a big man by then; he passed matric exam two years ago and started going to college with only a thin exercise book in his hip pocket—unbelievable but true. Apu and his group often gossiped , “How wonderful it will be to pass matric, no bag on back—just a thin exercise book in pocket--- and know—they have off periods—unbelievable but true--” Apu kept on poking Tukon hard to ask Bapuda. Tukon meekly replied,” I cannot invite that tight slap.” At that moment Bapuda arrived from somewhere dressed up in black drainpipe trouser and beatles boot. Apu stepped up and boldly asked,” Bapuda, you know, there is a match between Mohammedan Sporting and Shillong XI the day after!”
-“Yaa, I know.” Prompt came the reply
Encouraged Apu continued, ”We boys want to go with you.”
Bapuda’s eyes flared up; he uttered something like –“p-h-r-r-r----“ and went off hurriedly as if fleeing from sting of bees.
Tukon, on the verge of crying, cursed Apu for the reprisal he would face from Bapuda once Apu and Raju leave. But the good news was that Tukon was ready to go to the match if Apu could arrange something.
They decided to meet and request Niluda, a kinder college gentleman of their neighbourhood but he was not at home at that moment. They badly felt the absence of Minu- the dare devil Minu – the leader of para schoolboys. The brave, growling and howling Minu had been made into mewing on the diktat of his uncle for the past week; that happened after Dhar uncle fumed while taking a look at Minu’s half-yearly exam marksheet; Minu got a raw deal as Dhar uncle reprimanded him right infront of the para boys, “ O’ re baba, eta ki nombor holo?” Dhar uncle had also barked upon Minu six months back for ‘kharap nombor’ in the last final exam from class eight to nine and warned Minu to mend his ways. And the consequence- the self-proclaimed Bagha of all bone and skin, put under house arrest and rendered to peeping at the boys through window panes. It would take the gentle Niluda time to retrieve his younger brother from the dictated grihabandi. Apu imagined that Minu might have to wipe out tears and be satisfied only with the commentary of the match and in absence of Minu he took it on himself to make an arrangement to go to the match.
Father was having tea after being back from office and Apu sat beside and said,”Baba, Mohammedan Sporting is playing Shillong XI in garrison ground the day after.”
Father smiled,“I know.”
__“Please let me go ---”
No reply
--“Please take me to the match—”
Father only said,- “Let me see.”
In the evening prayer that day Apu was particularly devouted to the astonishment of the sisters and fervently requested God to take pity on a praying child and work out a way for him to see the match.
At dinner time Apu once again reminded father about the match but did not get a replay either in ha or in na. He felt terrible at being left hung somewhere in between. Apu pricked father by saying that he could by himself have made an arrangement with Minu but for the terrible deed of Dhar uncle of shutting up Minu. Father gave a cold look and explained, “What Dhar babu is doing is a just thing. You know Minu and Nilu’s parents died when Minu was an infant - this little—and Nilu was just five. Dharbabu picked them up from Agartala and has raised both the bhatijas as his very own kids. Nilu is okay but see how Minu is behaving. He is in class nine now—no little kid anymore. Going to see the match is okay but if you slip in your studies –mind it-you will get the same treatment.”
Still no ha no na. Apu kept mum, but a ray of hope kindled his mind as he recalled what father said , “Going to see the match is okay but--- ----”, and he assured himself, “I am not giving my studies any slip – so o- m-a-y b-e may be--.” He quickly fell asleep with a sweet dream of kicking around a new Russian football with the para friends.
The next day was a school holiday and after the morning study hours Apu and Tukon waited for Dhar uncle to leave for office and then went to meet Minu. But he refused to meet them and both the friends were sure that the tiger was ashamed of his juniors seeing him in his domesticated abode. Dhar Aunty treated them with narkeel laddu and patichapta and requested them not to come to Minu till the situation in their home cooled down. They could almost see Dhar aunty and Niluda trembling at the thought of Dhar uncle gassing and fuming.
Mood of the other para boys of their age always swung with Minu’s and obviously down and out at that moment. The other senior mate of Minu’s age, Nunki was also nowhere to be seen for the past few days as he had gone to some relatives’ place. As they could not find any way out the two friends decided to re-approach God one more time. Reaching back home Apu stealthily entered the Gosain Ghar, closed the door behind him and offered an untimely prayer in hush and made God a personal request. Mother probably caught a glance of him even while he left the Gosain Ghar as silently as possible and asked about the untimely entry to the particular room. Luckily, while coming out Apu picked up two tilpithas from a dibba at the near part of the Gosain Ghar which served as a Ma’s store place and could promptly reply, taking a bite of one pitha, that he was hungry.
As time elapsed Apu’s desire for getting to the Garrison ground started slowly sinking and he clung on to what father had said at dinner time--,“ Going to see the match is okay but--- ----”. He also kept reminding himself what Aaita and Ma often said—“Bhagwan always helps the bhakta” and repeated his request to God in silence.
In the evening tea time Ma pleaded with father,-“Tell the boy something, if you can’t go yourself send the boy with Dilbahadur or Budhiman. He is almost getting mad and I am sure nothing else is going to his head. Please tell him ha.” Ma pulled Apu to her bosom and kissed him, --“you know, my boy offered prayer at Gosain Ghar secretly at noontime even.” Sisters crackled and father smiled compressed; but Apu didn’t feel ashamed and felt hearty at Ma openly telling everybody as to how much eager he was for the match. Still father said nothing and took his time and Apu sat through his evening study time null headed.
On the match day the morning hours just ticked away and Apu was ruefully getting ready to go to school when he saw his third elder sister look at the front gate and run out. Apu glanced through the window and saw the black Landmaster car slowly driving in. He instantly ran out—that’s Sarukhura from Gauhati. Khura switched off the car and came out and as he started giving lugens to the children Apu almost shouted,-“You know Khura, there is a match between Mohammedan Sporting and Shillong XI today!”
--“Get ready, we go at two.”—prompt came the reply
--“Wha-tt-t--!!-!.”
--“I said boy get ready to go at two.”- repeated Khura adoringly
UNBELIEVABLE BUT TRUE – it is true.
Apu saw his father coming out to the front varandah to greet his brother and ran to him -,”Khura says we go to the match ---“. Father drew him closer, played his hair and gave a gentle approving push –“okay, go”.
As Khura agreed to Tukon’s going with them Apu ran to Tukon’s house and shouted the news to him from the gate; Tukon in turn plucked his father’s permission in the nick of the moment of his leaving for office.
Apu ran in and broke the news to Ma; she pleasingly said,”Very nice-happy now, and so no school today! But remember what father had said about the consequence of slipping in studies and you know he is very often true to his words. So go to the study table now, there is still few hours for the clock to sound two.” The sisters left for school with jealous looks at him.
Apu sat down in his study table, opened the books; but it was very very very difficult to concentrate. He opened his maths book to practice few sums but thought instead,-“was there a ploy! Baba saying ‘let me see’- all these days and Khura arriving just on time; but how could it be!—Baba at home and Khura at distant Gauhati—‘. The puzzle was too much for him. He closed the maths book and opened the literature one—his favourite subject.
He had a mini lunch with Ma as the table clock stuck one and quickly dressed up—white trouser, his best bush shirt and the almost new pair of brown shoes. But Ma made him change the dress –“No no, not the white pant, it will get soiled” – she pulled out the older black trouser for him. “And not this new pair of shoes, they will get trampled-- go wear the school shoes.” Apu had to change – no way out. He wetted and oiled the hair and combed carefully for a wavy pattern across forehead; Ma helped the pattern and smiled at her Bordeka.
Tukon arrived and Apu was happy to see him in school shoes and a not too new half pant and of course his trademark fluffy hair pattern.
As they waited at the courtyard Khura emerged from him room with Raju. Knowing his naughtiness Apu objected to little Raju going with them but Khura asserted that Raju would certainly come along. They walked down to Garrison Ground with Khura narrating how he got a trunk call from Dangarda the previous day and left Gauhati at five in the morning and drove up to Shillong very fast at about thirty miles per hour only for the match, because he had to give Bordoloi trophy a miss due to office tour. They entered the arena from the gate on Laban side. Khura talked to the gatekeeper in Khasi and the gatekeeper slightly lifted the horizontal bamboo bar to let the kids creep through. Khura came in with a ticket for himself and led them to a vantage position behind the goalpost. Apu insisted on going to the side gallery for an equidistant view of both the sides but Khura explained that from behind the goal they could see the Mohammedan forwards in one half of the game and backies and Thangaraj -the goliee- in the other half and that made sense.
The match was to start at three and the Shillong players were already in the field warming up; with not much time left for kick-off the Mohammedan players entered to great cheers from the crowd; they took up one side of the field and started their practice. They treated the spectators with their dribbling skill and shots to the goal and the crowd shouted as if the real match had started. More and more spectators entered and there was rush and shoulder rubbing in the Laban end Stand. Luckily the volunteers placed the kids at the front lines and even with pushes and elbow pinches from behind Apu and Tukon had a clear view of the field.
The referee and linesmen took their position near the centre spot and whistled. The Shillong team obeyed the whistle and went out of the field and their final eleven re-entered to a big applause from the Side Stand. Mohammedan team treated the referee’s whistle with disdain and continued their practice as if their glamour allowed them the undue advantage—“they are not in Shillong on their own—they are invited” –“their fame demands respect”—flew in comments from Mohammedan supporters in Apu’s Laban Stand. The referee whistled a few more times but to no response from Mohammedan and finally the referee walked to the Mohammedan players and talked to them and they relented. Entered the final eleven of Mohammedan to roaring cheers from the Laban and Kens’ Trace end Stands.
Khura told Apu and Tukon to be at the very spot throughout the match and shifted to another place in the Stand with Raju.
The match started-- Shillong on Apu’s near half and Mohammedan forwards Akbar, Kannan, Shabir Ali, Ramanna, Pappnna were playing right in front of his eyes. Mohammedan started easily and Shillong was more aggressive. Shillong attacked more and Mohammedan rebuffed. Finding no passage through the Mohammedan backies Shillong forwards took few long shots at the Mohammedan goal accompanied by roars of expectation from the Side Stand. Except for one all the shots were well outside the target and booed by the Mohammedan fans. Gradually the tide turned and Mohammedan attacked hard confining all eleven of Shillong near their penalty area. Even though the Shillong goliee made two good saves the pressure was becoming too much for Shillong to bear and even twelve year kids Apu and Tukon could feel that a goal for Mohammedan was only a matter of minutes. ------Kannan raced down the wing and sent a minus over the Shillong defenders—the inch perfect cross met Akbar’s right foot at the top of the penalty box – Akbar twisted his ankle and volleyed the ball—like a bullet the ball went into left corner of the net leaving the stunned Shillong goliee still in his place. Apu’s Laban Stand rose up in deafening roar —the Side Stand went down in a disappointing –“hoooo-o-o—“.
By the time things settled down Apu made a quick mental picture of the run along the wing, the minus the twist of the ankle, the volley and the ball in the net and stamped it in his heart. Oh, How astonishing! Unbelievable but true!
Shillong tried to press hard; but their forays into the Mohammedan half were cut short every time by Thangaraj & Co and were pushed back hard to their own half. Another Mohammedan goal became imminent as Shillong perilously held on for dear life. Then Shillong decided – enough is enough and moved forward for a push. But from a Rammana pass Shabir Ali lobbed the ball past the advancing Shillong beckies towards the Shillong goal and swerving his way between two beckies ran rapidly for the ball; the Shillong beckies gave him a chase and the goalkeeper ran out to clear the ball away; but the crafty Shabir connected the ball trifle early and chipped it over the goalkeeper into the net. Another roar of joy and another “hooooo o-o” of disappointment. By the time the ball was put back at the centre spot Apu quickly stamped a picture of the goal in his heart. Shabir Ali’s chip brought to his mind similar tricks played by their team forward Nunki in inter-para matches. Nunki's magic of ‘feet and ball’ often earns praise from the para dadas and Nunki dearly holds the hope of playing in a big team some day.
Expert comments started flowing freely at the whistle of half-time. Khura arrived with two paper cones full of roasted peanuts and instructing the duo to stay put vanished again with Raju.
While munching the peanuts Apu felt for water and looked around; suddenly his eyes fell on a strange sight and he turned Tukon’s head towards the scene – tiger Minu standing silently and obediently alongside Dhar uncle a little off from them – Unbelievable but true! The scene made them chuckle. Apu asked Tukon to find out if the tiger was holding uncle’s hand; the taller Tukon craned his neck ---“Can see only his face, his hands cannot be seen--.” The two giggled again imagining the ‘hand holding’ scene but then stopped quickly for the fear of the fate befalling them as often repeated by Uday Sir at school, “Donot ever laugh at the plight of others, because the same plight will befall you tomorrow.”
Apu and Tukon felt thankful of Khura for not staying alongside them; Minu must have seen them without any accompanying elder and he -----; they were almost laughing once again but the referee’s whistle blew.
This time Thangaraj took position under the goalpost in front of them. The tall, giant Thangaraj right in front of him, just out of touching distance; unbelievable but true! He silently thanked Khura once again for choosing such a spot for them.
The second half was not as interesting as the first half. At the beginning two long shots taken by Shillong at Mohammedan goal didn’t bother Thangaraj and a third powerful one was effortlessly fisted away. As if in reprisal of those shots Mohammedan mounted pressure and Shillong wilted. Mohammedan scored another goal at the distant end and that was Akbar again. Apu could not bring in a mental picture of the goal as he could not see the happening clearly. Then Shillong gathered and made a strong attack and one forward player took a powerful angular shot from just outside the penalty box– the ball went in – beating Thangaraj – surprise of surprises—right in front of Apu’s very eyes—unbelievable but true. It took some time for the spectators to realise the truth and once the referee whistled and pointed to the centre spot the Side Stand burst out in maddening joy. Comments flew in Apu’s Laban Stand –“got a consolation”, “the shot was – o-f co-ur-se go-od”, “It is exhibition match only”, “that was intentional”, “Thanga let that in only to make the home team feel good” –
The match continued at a dull pace thereafter and towards the end the famed Mohammedan players just passed time by playing pass-pass and carry-carry amongst themselves and the Shillong eleven just loitered in their half. The referee whistled the end and some people said it was blown prematurely.
Khura led the trio to Kamakhya Mistanna Bhandar for a treat. But there was tremendous rush in the Bhandar and close by a fight was about to break out between supporters of Mohammedan and Shillong.
--“you refugee--you live in Shillong, school in Shillong, eat here, die here– how dare you not support Shillong—”
--“ You rustic -- you jungli, you know not football is chewed or played--learn from Kolkata—”
--“You sucker – you cunning – dare not---”
_“You brute, you slit eyed ruffians---”
Fisticuff started and nasty words flew freely, shortly stone pelting begun and few of that fell on KMB glass panes –thaanxx- t-hax; it was blowing into a full physical affair, police arrived and blew whistles.
Khura, with the boys, quickly withdrew to safety. The boys rued missing the tasty-tasty juicy-juicy KMB sweets. But Khura assured them that Aapyayani was no less than KMB--might even be better; so they paced up to upper Laban and sat down and devoured singara, Sandesh and labanga. They wanted to have some jelapi and bundiya-bhujia. But as the boys burped one after the other Khura did not allow any more; instead he packed up jelapi and bundiya-bhujia for a round at home.
Apu came back home satisfied--damn satisfied. He waited impatiently and the moment father was back home he broke out, “Baba you know ------” and gave a full post commentary of what he saw. Father smiled and listened patiently but the sisters were irritated at the disturbance in study time. When the commentary was over Ma reminded him of what father had said, “Going to see the match is okay but if you slip in your studies –mind it- you get the same treatment.” He cooled down and sat on the study table. Tired by the daylong excitement he went to bed early and had a blissful sleep, occasionally dreaming football --- football.
He awoke to a sunny Sunday morning with a flock of sparrows chirping in the courtyard –‘hey hey hey it’s a beautiful day -- my my my it’s a beautiful day---‘.
He wished Minu would soon be back to his bagha self and his tigerish strides would make the other para boys roar again and Nunki would be back soon from his relative’s place --- and they would all be in the field playing their own Mohammedan versus Shillong match. And he would for sure play a Shillong stopper back because though Mohammedan was great Shillong was his very own.