25 years later.....at Chepauk

A phone call:  "Viji, would you be interested in watching a Cricket match today?"

My response:  "Yes, please".

Date: 4th October

Team: CSK (chennai super kings) and New South Wales.

Location: Chepauk Stadium

Plans were made impeccably and little did me or my friend expected that atleast 50 or odd spectators would turn our side to watch us instead of cricket match.  Cursing the traffic that delayed my reaching the stadium, entered the stadium with my bag and eager flitting eyes... The security guard stopped me, probably feared the over excited appearance and my huge bag.  Guess he suspected that I could be a human bomb and called two lady police and they searched me thoroughly in short of asking me to strip.  Finally he let me in.

This friend of mine, with his lithe frame started to climb the stairs three steps at a time, too excited about watching the match and also about his new plantronics voyager, was engrossed in talking to our friend Harish who waiting for us inside the stadium. Had to rush to catch up with him and when I finally did, he turned at me and gave me a devlish grin...

 "Where?", I asked and he showed me the fifth row from the end.  For a second my heart stopped and resumed to beat but faster.  I yelled, "NO! I am not climbing any further." By then people started to look at me weirdly and I had no other choice but climb and 'climb' I did.

The world was holding right as long as I was showing my back to the ground and concentrating one step after another.  When I turned to sit, I realised that I was standing atleast 5 to 6 floors high and right below my feet was the pitch with tiny liliputian players, I had to swallow the bile in my throat and sat clumsily at the first seat I found.

I have this unbelievable and unexplained phobia for heights, vertigo or any fancy name you give for that, the fear is a fear. More than the fear for heights, my fear was that I might fall down squashing those innocent folks sitting in the rows below me.

Half turned to my back, held the chair behind me tight and refused to watch the match, instead watched the back rows. God only knows what those people who were seated behind me, would have thought...

Dog, Pig and other unparliamentary words flowed out of me easily, whenever I looked at my friends and they were amused.  Manoj patient, controlling his laughter asked me to concentrate on looking down three rows at a time and I did just that and to my utter disbelief small boys jumped and climbed from one row to another and I felt ashamed of myself.

Guys signed for the popcorn and bought popcorn cones and stretched one to me, my one hand busy holding the back of the chair, while other the front of my seat and asked, "How the hell do you think, I can hold the popcorn and eat, when both my hands are engaged?"... Manoj with that grating smile said, "Common Viji! you have to face this fear of yours, this is the best way of doing it".  I shook my head, he shrugged and ate my share of popcorn too, my stomach growled loud.

Heard whistles and howls whenever, "chennai super kings ku periya whistle adinga" was played... It was NSW who batted first and by the sound of it, it was all 4s and 6s...Slowly, I turned and noticed the huge camera swinging above the pitch this way and that way, it was like a ride in a theme park and was wondering what if that thin wire that held the Camera breaks, the 5 feet camera might squash someone on the ground.

Gritting my teeth and clamping my lips tight, finally looked at the ground, and turned to Manoj and asked the most dumb and stupidest question. I can only beat my own records in asking such dumb questions, "Where is Dhoni?"... "wicket keeper" he said and I swallowed my next question, "which side?" hurriedly, remembering there can only be one wicket keeper representing one team.  I am not ignorant and used to be a great follower of Cricket, but fear made me forget everything.  

I started to notice people around me, and those cheer girls... lovely English/American/Australian (don't know their race or region, they were all blondes) chicks who danced to our "ringa ringa" and naaka mukka song... My eyes were searching for one person, it was for him that I went to cricket that day, it was 25 years since I saw him. Slowly, I turned to Manoj and asked him, if Ravi Shastri would be there.  For those who read my blog regularly would have known about my love for Ravi Shastri. He told me that Shaaz should be in the commentator area, the disgusting tone of Manoj, stopped me from asking more... Men are jealous lots was my thought and scanned the commentator area, which was too far and couldn't make out anything.  Sad, I couldn't spot him.

It was 11 PM and CSK was on the verge of losing, we started to leave.. grateful that I was leaving, fearful if I would fall, even more fearful that away from public eyes, Manoj might push me under a running bus and upset at not meeting my crush of school/college days, half heartedly took the exit door and headed home.

I loved the stadium that existed 25 years back... It was not this high and I remember watching the net cricket from the first row... SIGH..! Still my heart missed Shaaz :(