CHAK DE!


‘CHAK DE!’ The hoardings of the movie painted all over the city. My all time crush, handsome hunk Shahrukh wielding a hockey stick in his hands and with firm and stern looks in his eyes ……a few exuberant girls wearing shorts and Tshirts (not akin to a typical Hindi movie )posing in a group… wearing bandana and holding hockey sticks with a great deal of determination … .and that picture takes me down the memory lane……to my college days ……I should say COLLEGE GATE days because our days started and ended at the college gate only …..’1885 ‘was the codename. If you pass by Fergusson College road, you will find the entrance with a curved board and ‘Deccan Education Society’s Fergusson College ,1885’written on it. My sister asked once “Why do you call it 1885? Call it ‘gate’” and the prompt answer was “Just like that “ Those were the days ,we used to do a whole lot of things ‘Just Like That’ and were never bothered to look for reasons or consequences. So 1885 was the rendezvous …then ‘Vaishali’ ‘Rupali’ ’Rangoli’ etc used to be the destinations. After inauguration of ‘Barista’ ’CCDs’ the venues changed but the rendezvous remained the same.
1885 has historical value …….Oh! my Fergusson college was founded in that year. But I’m not talking about the year. I’m talking about ‘The 1885 ‘….Our entrance of FC (Note: FC stands for Fergusson College. All those bright (????)think-tanks don’t misunderstand it for something else.) So our 1885 is the sole witness of all happenings in the ‘most happening’ college in Pune …..Why only in Pune ?....in India I should say and it won’t be an exaggeration. This 1885 has seen the campus life, so many students of all categories, from sincere bookworms to spoiled brats ,thinkers, artists, sportsmen …..it has seen so many patch ups ,so many break ups …… so many dreams coming true …..it has seen bell bottoms being replaced by capreze and Punjabi suits by minis and micros .It has seen the slang changing to the internet lingo and incomprehensible mumbo- jumbo. It witnessed the public telephone staring angrily and with a feeling of disownment at palmtops and blackberries .It has seen young teenagers joining with the adolescence feelings in hearts and filmy dreams in the eyes …….it has seen them passing out as mature youth ready for the outside world of responsibilities. It has seen them chatting, cheating ,studying ,reading , playing , cribbing, maturing ,stumbling , learning and growing…….
So one fine day and as usual, we were sitting on the bikes in the parking lot at 1885.One of my classmates approached me .She was from FC’s hockey team and was ‘our type’…..’our type’ because she was an extrovert and used to wear tops with punchlines like ‘we r d people ur parents told to stay away from ‘’no fear’ etc instead of ‘cute’n ’sweet’. She asked me to join the hockey team of college .I was taken aback. “what suddenly?” I thought . With an attitude, I told her that I am a sailor and too busy to spare time for hockey. Later on I realized that she must be seeing me daily squandering time at ‘1885’ and busy doing ‘nothing’. Then she explained to me more convincingly that the intercollegiate hockey championship for girls was scheduled the next week and they needed one more player in the team. ‘My father broke his shinbone while playing hockey so my mother hated the game and Dhanraj Pillay from Pune was part of Indian Hockey team ‘That was the only info and knowledge I had about hockey. Who on the earth thought of holding a hockey stick or rather playing with it?
” Intercollegiate Hockey? Me? I never ever held a hockey stick ” I grumbled disdainfully “Not to worry. We will teach you and as it is there is one more week to go.” Flattered by an OFFER by Fergusson’s hockey team due to their helplessness or for whatever reasons it may be , I replied ,again with an attitude ”Ok .I’ll see .I’ll think over it . “ She being a sportswoman caught me right “Come on dude. What ’I’ll see’ College ki ijjat ka sawal hai! and what will the boys say man?. The girls don’t have the spirit .They couldn’t even form a hockey team for college. ” There struck the chord .Smart lady! ‘College ki ijjat ‘as our group nicknamed her later on (Our creativity was at its peak in such endeavors) .We hardly used to attend lectures but this ‘college spirit’ was deep in our nerves and as far as the boys were concerned we were indifferent to their style and looks. We were those ‘tomboy types ‘and not the ‘girlfriend material’. We would always show up for all the college and intercollegiate events with two exceptions: the lectures and intercollegiate sports events of boys .This we did intentionally so that the boys shouldn’t feel that we show up for ‘THEM’. Attitude or feminism whatever you call it.
So back to the OFFER and I accepted it .What about rendezvous? Because the girls used to practice at different grounds always .She (College ki ijjat) said she would let me know. For next one week, I didn’t go to college…..not intentionally but I couldn’t go .We were involved in so many extracurricular activities …long drives, treks, movies,’restaus’ etc. We were doing graduation ‘externally’. One week passed. This story of ‘HOCKEY OFFER ‘slipped out of my mind.
On the seventh day after that incidence, at around 0515 the phone rang .I feel irked by such odd hour phone calls .At our home there were strict orders by my father ‘no friend’s calls after 2200 hr’. Otherwise one untimely call by friends and I would get inundated by lectures on discipline …..difference between a home and a hostel …timings….courtesies….manners and all possible taboos in the world….courtesy my stupid friends calling after 2200 hr in spite of me telling them ‘not to’. My father picked up the call and woke me up ….rather annoyed. Oh! it was for me. But none of my friends wake up so early, I thought. Thinking of the aftermath of this call, I was already prepared with my defense. This time, it was not my fault because my father had not specified morning timings to define a call ‘untimely’. Disoriented and confused, I attended the call and my eyes opened wide. It was that classmate of mine. ’College ki ijjat’ from hockey team. I don’t know from where on earth she managed my number. Her voice roared in my ears ”what?” I screamed vehemently “ Gone mad ?hockey match at 0730 hr at ASPT ground…. I never held a hockey stick in my hand.” I don’t even know rudimentary hockey and I’ve to catch up with my sleep, I was thinking at the back of my mind. ”Please be considerate .Don’t we have an alternative. Otherwise we will get disqualified without even playing. And you said you would come. Be a sport. Think of our College’s name….college ki ijjat and blah blah blah……” I thought of yelling at her ”@#$! to all these things .let me sleep” I was feeling very sleepy because I was up the whole night making decorations for ‘Ganeshotsav’(my favourite festival) and was sick of listening to those convincing words from that ‘College ki Ijjat.’ At last, I decided to go. “See you ‘ll be the goalkeeper. You just have to stop the ball from entering the goalpost .” I was listening and cursing myself for accepting the OFFER at 1885. I promised to see her at ASPT.”0730, the match will start. don’t get late” ”I’ll see” I sniffed and banged the phone. I started getting ready. “I got to go” ”Where?” my father cautiously.” ASPT” ”For?” ”Hockey” “Kab se?” “Aaj hi se” I could see perplexed , surprised, curious and all possible expressions on my father’s face. I explained to him the whole situation. ” Best of luck” he said ”I really need it today” I sniggered and left for my destination.
On the way, I was thinking about the strategy of the game. Strategy ? So funny . On the D day, at ‘H-2’ hr ,without even practice…without knowing anything …only one strategy I could think of ’ To stop the ball at any cost’.
I reached ASPT .The Fergussson team breathed a sigh of relief after seeing me . Finally I was there and they were not going to get disqualified. No, I think WE were not going to get disqualified. I corrected myself. For that sole purpose I became part of them….part of ‘Fergi’s hockey team’. The first match was with Wadia’s and second with Cummins Women’s college. Initially, I didn’t want anybody to blame me if we would have lost due to my faults .But confronting the Wadians my attitude changed .Now, I didn’t want my college team to lose because of me …..because of anyone ….I didn’t want to lose at all.. I wanted to defeat those Wadians. The whistle blew and I was back to the ground from the world of thoughts.
So here we go. The ball started stumbling from stick to stick. I was praying with all sincerity that the ball should remain in other half so that I would be tension free. But alas! No prayers heard. The ball entered this half and one Wadian hit it straight towards the goalpost. I reminded myself of my D day aim “To stop the ball from entering the goalpost ‘ and I stopped it. Oh Yes! ….. I was exulted … That was an achievement…... sheer happiness …but only for myself. Within next few seconds, I learnt from my Capt that ball hit from outside ‘D’ by any Opponent should not be stopped and the ball which I stopped was the one hit outside ‘D’. So I added the ‘D’ rule to my D day aim and got ready again. Most of the time the ball was in other half so I was happy. But the happiness was momentary .Again it entered this half…entered the D also .Oh gosh! ’Get ready ‘I told myself. And came the scoop. I anticipated it hitting my face. My reflexes worked to save my face instead of the Goal .I turned my face around and lifted my hand to guard my face forgetting that I was already wearing the helmet and that ‘bomb suit’ which wouldn’t allow even breeze to touch my body, how the ball could have hit my face? But anyways, novices without preparation…. so it happens and whatever happens it happens for the best….And it actually happened for the best….one goal saved…the ball was in my hand….for a moment I was confused whether I was a ‘Goalkeeper’ or ‘Wicketkeeper’? Somehow the ball got trapped in the hand glove when I raised my hand to save my face and it actually saved my face by saving the goal. The Capt came to me running and patted my back. Oh! Smita, one goal saved on the first day of hockey. Not bad. I appreciated myself .Though it was by fluke but only I knew that. The ball started rolling again and I started praying that firstly the ball should stay in the other half and secondly the clock should run faster. Because everyday is not Sunday and everytime the luck doesn’t favour. Somehow the time was passing .the ball shuttling in and out of D increasing my bloodpressure and straining my eyes .
Finally the time was over and final whistle was blown .Thank God! It was over! We won! 2-0 was the score. The improvised team of Fergusson , fetching victory against Wadians …. not bad….rather was really good one .As far as I was concerned, it was excellent one.Somewhere I read that we should remember all ’FIRSTs’ in life. So this was my ‘First day of hockey’. I ostentatiously donned that T shirt of Fergusson Hockey team in all my treks and morning runs. People asked me “Oh! you are a hockey player!” .I nodded explicitly and chuckled because ‘Accidental’ was the silent word.