Why India should win the world cup

[Holysmoke]

She stood there amidst the prevailing cacophony of blaring horns, serpentine traffic and haphazardly walking harried pedestrians, selling a symbolic gift of romantic inclinations. In her hand were a few large red-coloured heart-shaped balloons which proudly proclaimed, I Love You. After all, it was February 14th, Valentine?s Day. At 5.45 pm the traffic island at Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan chowk at Chowpatty in Bombay resembles a veritable mess, where bare feet usually overtakes radial tyres. And Bombay?s quintessential mayhem can be captured in all its raw madness. As I sat on the back-seat of the city?s fast dwindling relic, the obsolescent Premier taxis, impatiently awaiting my destination minutes away, this little girl dressed in ragged brown clothes, her hairpin jutting out incongruously from her hair, cheeks chai-and tear stained moved with remarkable alacrity from one car to another. A few seconds later, and she was looking at me with those plaintive eyes, her voice cracking hoarse, obviously exhausted with repeated sales pitch. "Saab, please take a balloon, saab, please. Madam will love you, saab." I shuffled uncomfortably, fully aware that my better-half would find the idea of a heart-shaped three foot balloon, neither original nor frivolous, and it certainly would not make her heart go aflutter. So I did the next best thing; I feigned ignorance and complete indifference, and kept looking straight ahead at two cars miraculously avoiding a near collision, with a straight face. But she remained stationary, and refused to budge. "Saab, did India win the match today?" she asked with searching curiosity. I sat there momentarily taken aback by her unexpected question, which almost assumed that I knew the answer. "India won," I said recollecting a convincing win over Sri Lanka at Goa. "And Rahul Dravid? Did he play well?" Her expression betrayed visible concern for her idol. "Yes, very well..." I thought of telling her that he had, in fact, crossed the coveted 10,000 runs mark, but thought the better of it. "Oh, I am so happy!" she exclaimed with such charming delight, it was as pure as running water. Even as dusk fell, her teeth glistened when she smiled, and she glowed like the early morning sunshine. The traffic lights were now in change mode, and I could see that the go-ahead green colour was prominently glowing. Gears got repositioned, the senseless honking began, engines revved up, and soon the standstill vehicles began their crawl. As I turned to look at the little balloon seller, she was gone, making way for the cars to circumvent ahead. She did not want to be an obstruction. Within seconds, the taxi turned right and she disappeared out of sight, just another begging girl in the darkening shadows spreading itself remorselessly over a ruthless metropolis that refuses to rest. I sat in the taxi, transfixed, as I remembered that innocent joyous face that lit up like a thousand candles when she heard that India won. That face which brightened further, when she knew her favorite Rahul Dravid had played like a champion. In those few seconds, I don?t think she really cared whether anyone bought her balloons. Or the fact that she would lose two rupees of commission or ?cut?for every sale lost. I don?t think she even thought about where her next meal would come from. Or where she would sleep that night. Because she was just so happy that India was victorious. That Dravid was the knight in shining armour. For those few seconds, her world was perhaps one of candy floss, chocolates, soft toys and a warm quilt. Forget the corporate endorsements, TV cameras, sound bytes, Page 3 parties, fat contracts, and celebrity hangers-on looking for their 15 minutes of fame, for a brief while, guys. If Rahul Dravid and his boys can bring smiles on that little helpless girl?s face from time to time, they will have at least temporarily, made a difference. And maybe the very inspiration can make one feel high. Forget the hard road ahead for a while. Give someone hope. Of a better tomorrow. It?s strange, but what I really regretted last night was not buying a balloon.

[Holysmoke]

Re: Why India should win the world cup read it on cricketnext.com made me :eew:

[ali0786]

Re: Why India should win the world cup seems like you're the only one who thinks india should win the world cup

[theguyinallblue]

Re: Why India should win the world cup :hmph: :hmph: :hmph:

[yoda]

Re: Why India should win the world cup

seems like you're the only one who thinks india should win the world cup

see the poll.