Cricket was a passion, long time back...those were the days, i had played cricket all through the day sans food...yup those were the times, i forgot my appetite for food, i was always outside, whether in a local ground or on the streets or in the river bed of cauvery, playing cricket....

I was nicked named மத யானை (ANGRY ELEPHANT)!!!!!!!!!! Yup that was how i used to play...i had never treated a ball with dignity....Everything was sailing fine...One fine day, we were playing in the backyard of my friend's house. The excitement got out of our hands and we decided to use the cricket ball...we had no gloves, no pads...well not even the important guard( now thinking about that, i think we were all lucky since we were not hit by the ball...)...

We normally play test cricket, yup that would have just one innings....on that day my team had scored nearly 300+runs, and i was on 99....it was too much for me, i just cut the ball too square....TINCH......a window shattered to pieces in the adjacent compound....i ran to my house like a criminal....

A old lady lived in that house...she came shouting outside...and i knew i was doomed for ever...My dad settled the account with ease by buying a new window glass......I never stepped out of my home for the next 4 days....for the first two days i was shivering and i felt i will be killed, if i go outside...i assumed people will flock around from all corners of my colony and beat me black and blue...i was worried deep inside me, i decided i had committed a grave mistake and i am sure to be punished...

My grand dad realised the happenings, he just called me on the 5th day and gave me the cricket bat...he just asked me to break all the windows that i seem fit to be punished and said he will take care of the problem...

As i returned back home that evening, my grand dad called me and advised me personally..."things will not always be easy....people will always not be near you to help u in all times...learn to face the music, so that either u can change the genre of the music or u can get used to the rhythm"....

A great teaching, that has helped me, to get me past few hurdles and pull my friends too out of great troubles.....