A snap decision

Today is the final of the World Cup 2019.Cricket transforms the lives of a few talented but poor young boys into one of great wealth and prosperity. This is a story on one such boy.

Sanjay was the last recognized batsman at the crease. It was the final of an international one day series and with the series evenly poised 2-2 each. He was facing the last ball of the 50th over. A sixer was needed to win the match. It was a do or die situation. He was the cynosure of all the millions of eyes on the ground and before TVs. His future depended on what he did today.

 The stadium was packed to the full. There was an eerie silence with the hearts of viewers in their mouths. The suspense was punishing with the commentators going silent with their fingers crossed. As the menacing bowler was walking back to the starting point, there was a flash of his life for Sanjay from his child hood days like a film on a screen.

The couple in their thirties with their two children were the last to get down from the passenger train at the last station. The compartment was empty. The husband and wife took their small luggage in one hand and the children on the other. Just as they were moving away from the train, they heard a wail of a baby. They both stopped wondering where from the cry had come. The shrill cry from a new born babe came again from within the compartment. The man went up and saw a babe of hardly ten days old under a seat. It was clear to him that it was abandoned. The wife too had followed him and looked around. There was not a soul seen.

He said, “We cannot leave this abandoned baby here. We will take it and leave it at the police outpost in the station.” The moment she took the baby in her hand, it stopped crying and broke into an innocent smile. It was cute looking baby boy.

 She turned to her husband and said, “Why not we keep this baby ourselves? The police will surely hand this over to an orphanage. I don’t wish this gift of God should go there.”

The husband meekly pointed out that they were already leading a hand to mouth existence and that addition of one more member would strain their tiny budget. She put her foot down telling emphatically that they could share whatever they had amongst the five and that the baby should be retained by them. That settled the issue. The baby boy grew up as a member of their family. They bestowed the same affection and care as they gave to the other two children.

Sanjay broken from reverie looked at the bowler running intimidatingly towards him to bowl the last ball. The entire crowd stood up on their feet in high anticipation. His mind was blank to the noisy surroundings and his eyes were focused at the bowler’s arm. Sanjay hit the ball with all the strength at his command and lo the ball fell on the roof of the pavilion opposite him with a thud. There was a deafening uproar with his team mates running in to the middle to lift him in their arms. His country had won. As he walked back to the pavilion with pride along with other players forming line on both sides, the thunderous applause from the stands was resounding.

Declared the man of the match, one of the of the officials approached him with a mike and said, “This is a memorable occasion in your life. You have been instrumental in bringing the trophy to our country. You will be showered with riches and goodies in plenty. What would you like to say on this unforgettable occasion? To whom would you ascribe this outstanding feat?”

Even as he wiped the tears from his eyes, Sanjay replied without a moment’s hesitation, “I dedicate this achievement wholly to my loving parents. My thoughts go back very long. Twenty five years ago, they took a snap decision at a railway station that changed the course of my life. I owe everything to them today, tomorrow and forever.”

There was a puzzled look in the official’s face and the millions who heard him. Sanjay continued,” The snap decision they took that day transformed an abandoned orphan in a train to a loving son in their home. I will now be able to transform in a small way their lives to one of plenty and comfort”