Father's day 2024

 This Father's Day reminded me of the India vs England match in the Barabati Stadium during the last week of January,1982. It was an event one of it's kind at that time. Earlier the venue had hosted a few matches between international sides and East Zone. But for the first time an One day international match involving India was being played.

Public enthusiasm was building up. I was very keen on watching the One Day international in an era when there was no Television in Bhubaneswar. There was a serious shortage of tickets and I couldn't get any. The day before the match my remorseful mood couldn't escape my father's eyes. My father who taught kids of few influencal folks in Bhubaneswar managed to buy couple of tickets to the jealously of my friends on the evening of the day of before the match in spite of the huge demand for the tickets. Today I use the occasion of FATHER'S DAY to thank my father for giving an ardent cricket fan in me the most cherished opportunity of that time. 

All the tickets were sold out. Government officials were openly selling their passes in the black market. I was in Class VIII living close to the Hotel Kalinga Ashok owned by ITDC near Kalpana Chhaka where the English team was staying. On that morning I heard "TRING TRING", a friend of mine ringing his bicycle bell in front of our flat (apartment). It was his usual signal that something important was going on. 

I immediately rushed downstairs. He told me to ride with him as he got the news that English players were out in the lawn of the hotel. I did not think twice as my heart was pounding hard with excitement. Now I am going to actually see those players I see on Sportstar, Sportsweek and Sportsworld magazines. We pedaled fast and within 5 minutes reached the spot. I could see Bob Taylor and Ian Botham from close sipping their morning Tea and chatting on the lawn. Only a barbed wire separated us by a few feet. 

My friend got over excited and started shouting in Oriya at top of his voice - "HEY HEY..ARRE DEKH RE TALOR AU BOTHAM BASICHANTI (Hey Hey take a look. Taylor and Botham are sitting)". Passerbys took notice and a crowd was starting to build up. Now both these English players could sense the commotion. They got up and hurried inside to the comforts of their room. Before leaving Botham made a monkey like gesture and rolled a half eaten apple towards us. We felt so privileged of getting his attention and felt as if we got salvation. Little I realized that it was not a complimentary gesture. 

Finally the D-Day arrived. Due to excitement I could barely sleep the night before the match. My dad and I got up at 4 AM and proceed towards Cuttack. We started early as we were told in advance that there were many fake ticket holders, so we better get inside the stadium before it gets full. The match started on time. I had my pocket transistor with me. England batted first with the Odia commentators (one of them was our neighbor) blaring "GOOCHA AAU COOKA (Gooch and Cook in Oriya accent) THIA HOICHANTI AAU MAHANADI PATU KAPIL DEV ASILE( are standing and from Mahanadi rive side Kapil Dev is walking in). 

It was a long day. At lunch time we consumed some cold Puri and Potato curry brought from home. After the match ended we came out of Barabati stadium with one hand closing our nostril trying to avoid the yellow rivulets of urine almost flooding the exit gates. Finally got back home tired around 9 PM with tons of memories to cherish down the road. Later I learnt that at least 5000 spectators with valid tickets were denied entry into the stadium.

A father is invariably benevolent to his child. Even during the cruel times in history there is hardly any instances of a father taking the life his children, though there are several instances other way round. In history we have instances of a son killing or jailing his father to ascend the throne, but rarely fathers are known to kill their children. Even Jahangir who like his successors had no qualms about killing their brothers for the Mughal Takht (throne) and jailing father like Aurangzeb did, he only blinded his son Khusru and put him in jail after quashing his son's revolt. Happy Father's Day to all.