"God you know, had the interruption from the son not occurred, it is certain that you would have faced expulsion from the team due to a violation of the code of conduct. Truly, who do you perceive yourself to be?" Inquired the esteemed member of the grade A committee member.
Ishan stood resolutely within the destructed confines of what was mockingly referred to as an office, his gaze fixed upon the imposing figure before him.
This man, whose very presence instilled fear in the hearts of the players, was one to be avoided at all costs ,
but here ishan was....why? Well only cuz he asked ... no blurted out his question after curiosity.
The power wielded by the EMPIRE HIGH COMPANY was so immense that it kept the issue of player comfort within those four walls.
And those media houses, claiming to be all about truth and transparency, got silenced by a hefty amount of money.
But you know how it goes, some people just love to spice things up and made it sound way more dramatic than it actually was, when explaining it to the committee. That's why Ishan ended up being here.
Ishan stood his ground, refusing to back down from his stance. "Sir, everything I did was in the best interest of the players," he asserted boldly.
The committee member, donning his oversized round glasses atop his plump nose, emitted an air of authority akin to a strict principal. "In the best interest of the players? Who do you think you are, aspiring to be their messiah?" he bellowed, his voice filled with indignation. "And what about the harm you've caused to the reputation of the BCCI?"
Ishan met the committee member's gaze with unwavering confidence. "Sir, if the BCCI has done nothing wrong, they need not fret about their reputation. And even if they have, they should let go of their concerns, as the media has paid no attention to it," he replied, his words dripping with assurance.
The committee member's response was laced with disdain. "Do you truly believe that everything is a mere joke? Go wait outside, if you don't want your bloody future to be a laughing stock ," he retorted.
.
.
.
Ishan gazed downward sitting on a bench outside the office, his mind flooded with memories of the arduous trials he had endured.
They descended upon him like rain, each drop representing a moment of struggle and hardship. Recollections of sleepless nights and empty stomachs plagued his thoughts, as he recalled the times when a mere bag of chips served as a facade for a full-course meal he told his parents about.
The image of packed train compartments, where he traversed to and fro, etched itself into his mind. Those endless practice sessions in the scroching sun. Amidst it all, the ache of separation from his beloved family, particularly his mother, weighed heavily on his young ten-year-old shoulders.
Yet, within the depths of his soul, a flicker of hope burned bright.His father's words echoed in his mind, "One day, my son will play for India." The image of his family's joyful and proud faces flashed before him when he shared the news of his selection in the prestigious A-list for the Indian team. However, in a cruel twist of fate, his dreams seemed to crumble before his eyes.
When he thought he just.....just,...... almost made it, the wind shattered his house of glass which he named as his dream.
True goes a saying ."Ye dukh kahe khatam nhi hote be ."
.
.
.
" An apology letter, to BCCI , grade committee, and a personal apology to EMPIRE HIGHS executive , is the only way to save your face now boy, if you throw a single tantrum now, i will personally make sure that you never set a foot on cricket field " the man replied to ishan after making him wait for his chai samosas break , while deciding a budding cricketer's future.
Ishan, a paragon of self-respect, never let ego cloud his character. He possessed an innate understanding of his own worth. Even if he found himself on the sidelines, in matches, he never harbored resentment.
However, on this day, his self-respect and dignity were put to the test. What he did was just .... innocently posed a question, driven by his insatiable curiosity, only to be met with disdain.
Ishan remembers that, In the hallowed halls of academia, his teachers often encouraged them to express their thoughts freely and seek clarification when in doubt. However, this harsh reality can prove to be a stark contrast to this ideal.
The world outside the classroom seems to be shrouded in hypocrisy, where raising one's voice is met with hushing, and seeking answers from authorities is met with punishment. This dissonance between what is preached and what is practiced leaves disillusioned and perplexed.
Ishan's desire to question the reasons behind the actions of the authorities burned within him, even though he can offer his apologies to the BCCI and the team. Why, then, did he feel compelled to extend an apology to EMPIRE HIGH? They held no ownership over him or his team, so why was it necessary? The lingering question persisted still , as the will to ask.
"Written or electronic?" Ishan inquired, his voice tinged with a sigh of frustration.
"What?" came the puzzled response.
"The apology, sir," Ishan emphasized, elevating the decibels of the word "apology."
"Ah, I see," the man before him replied, taking a leisurely sip of his fourth cup of tea since Ishan's arrival. "The apology was to be conveyed via email to the BCCI, handwritten to the team management, and personally to EMPIRE HIGHS."
The end
Well it escalated quickly, they are about to Meet again, but at what cost?
Well this chapter was inspired by true events in someone close I know, the nepotism and the system of Indian cricket is sooo f*cked up man, deserving players don't get a chance .
Hope you like it 💕
YOU ARE READING
Better together
Romance"What happens when one finds themselves in a completely unfamiliar situation with body marks and disheveled hairs in a foreign land. " This is the story of two strangers destined to be together . story of shubhman gill and ishan kishan Shubhman...
