Om Cricketai Namah!

Where would you find the gods being invoked to bless a cricket pitch? Amid chanting of hymns, tinkling bells, wickets being garlanded with marigold, joss sticks lighted, holy water sprinkled, a coconut cracked open… This happens only in India – more precisely at Garden No 4, Lokhandwala, Andheri (West), Mumbai.
Today we were witness to the formal opening of a newly laid-out cricketing track (right pic) close to where we normally exercise. What the religious ceremony was in aid of, nobody had any clue. But why disturb any god at that unearthly hour? Was it to breed swarms of Sachin Tendulkars? Or was it to ensure that nobody lost any match ever on that blessed pitch? Or was it to overcome the mortal fear of players losing their balls in the adjacent gutter? After all, everything is possible in this inglorious game of glorious uncertainties.
We couldn’t be bothered though. All those flanneled fellows could as well be doing the Gangnam dance (a la Chris Gayle) on that pitch for all we cared. There were simpler pleasures for us to be happy about. We were happy to receive an updated print-out of the membership directory (bottom pic), thanks to Harish Wadhwa. We were doubly happy to learn that Santosh Tyagi (pic above) has just acquired a plush apartment in a prestigious housing society. We were equally happy to learn that Khatoon Baig’s niece is getting married tomorrow and there’s an invite for the Club lying with Srichand Arora.
Furthermore, preparations for the Diwali bash on November 16 have begun in right earnest. Money is being collected. Also Shekhawat and Arun Patil have almost finalised the modalities for the March 2013 trip to Vaishno Devi. A little fine-tuning remains to be done, which will be taken care of tomorrow.
In all this, cricket can find no place – notwithstanding Arora’s long-standing threat about getting a bat and ball for us to play a T-20 match, Gents vs Ladies. Now picture that!
Renu Babani:
Cricket anyone? Who knows which players actually become stars!
Harish Wadhwa:
* Now that Santosh-ji has a new big home, we will start collecting the two-litre empty Pepsi/Coke PET bottles for her to brew and ferment huge loads of kanji during winter. Good carrots are yet to arrive, but we will get them too.
* In the big new apartment, we can also enjoy Santosh Khana-Khazana some day. Just a thought to work on... instead of junta picnic food.
* Looks like the men (in bottom pic) are appearing for an exam and brushing up with some last-minute reading. The exam could as well be deciding a menu and the paper in hand a menu card... since they all seem to be smiling!