CRICKET INSPIRES

Pramod was dusting the chairs and the center table in the front hall of his house. It was an unwritten agreement between Pramod and Sussie that he would take care of house hold chores on weekends.

After dusting the chairs, he climbed on the stool and started cleaning the photo frames they had fixed on the wall. Sussie came out from the kitchen and said “Pramu dear, hot coffee for you”

Pramod looked at her. He was holding one photo frame in his hand and said “Remember this one?”

“How can I forget it? Mr. Lillee at his excellent best. It was this picture that changed our lives” she replied.

“Very true and I still keep admiring this person each and every time I see this photo. Look at his confidence. Nine slips and no fielder anywhere else in the field.” Pramod added.

He came down and sat on the chair. Sipping the hot coffee, he started recollecting the events that were related to the photo.

About two decades earlier…

“Pramod get ready. Your bus to Bangalore is at 8 pm and it is already 5 pm” Pramod’s mother said.

“OK Amma I am ready. I am packing my luggage and keeping the certificates and marks cards in the suitcase” he replied. 

His mother came into the room with a cup of tea and said “Pramod please do well in the interview. You know our situation very well. Your father is retiring as a teacher next month. It would be very difficult for us to make the ends meet with his meager pension. Added to that your sister Anusuya has completed her B com studies and we need to find a suitable man for her. We have all the hopes on you”

Pramod looked at his mother and said “Amma you know the situation. Not many jobs are around. I went to Pune as it is closer to Dharwad and tried for jobs for six months. I could not get a job. Now am going to Bangalore. Few of my friends already have jobs there. I will take their help”.

He mother started weeping “My worry is not about your job. It is about your love story. If your father Mr. Kulkarni comes to know about your love affair with Susan, it would result in a big drama.

That’s why I am keen about marrying off Anusuya faster. It would be difficult for us to get a suitable match for her after your marriage to a Christian girl.”

Pramod did not utter a single word. He was not ready to leave his  Susan for some silly reason. He touched the feet of his mother and went out towards the bus stand in Dharwad.

Next day at about 11 AM he was sitting in the front office of a construction machinery company. He had come there for a sales engineer job. His mind was troubled by the events that had occurred during the past few months.

During his engineering days he was very popular amongst his batch mates and was very good in extracurricular activities. He had become closer to Susan Dsouza from Mangalore and this had developed into true love.

Susan’s elder brother Samuel was very supportive of their love and had taken the responsibility of convincing the elder Dsouza.

Pramod did not qualify for the two placement offers that came to his college as he has failed in few subjects during his fifth and sixth semesters.

The six months of knocking the doors of industries in Pune, handing over the resumes, attending few interviews and being rejected for lack of any prior experience, had demoralised him.

He was sitting amongst few other aspirants for the sales engineer job. He saw a sports magazine on the table. He took it and started turning the pages. As he was doing so one particular photo caught his attention. It was a photo of Dennis Lillee bowling with nine slips. He was surprised. He looked at the guy sitting next to him and said “This is called guts. He is so very confident that he has asked all the fielders to stand in the slips”

The person sitting next said “This also reflects the trust his team has in him. One should admire his technique and brilliance also”.

Suddenly Pramod felt a jolt in his body. He felt inspired and started feeling that anything is possible as long as one is confident and has the right technique and talent.

He had lot of problems in his life. Hunting for a job, retiring father, unmarried sister and above all love affair with a girl from other religion.

The photo and the small discussion he had with the person sitting next, motivated him.

“Pramod Kulkarni” the lady at the reception called.

Pramod walked confidently into the interview hall.

The Managing Director Mr. Harish was sitting on a big chair and he gestured Pramod to sit on the chair across the table.

He went through the marks cards and other certificates.

“Young man it looks like you were very active in extracurricular activities during your engineering days” he said.

“Yes sir but I did decently well in studies also” Pramod added.

“Decently well? You have been failing regularly from third semester to sixth semester. I think you joined your engineering course to pursue your extracurricular activities ” Harish said.

“I agree that I did fail in few subjects in between but I have completed final year with first class and missed distinction narrowly”

“Do you follow cricket? If so who is your favorite player and why?”Harish questioned.

With a big smile Pramod said “My all time favorite player is Dennis Lillee. He is technically the best bowler amongst his peers. I rate him the best as he is the only bowler who bowled with nine slips”.

“Oh really” Harish said and continued “Pramod, we are looking for sales engineers and not cricket fans”

Pramod confidently replied “Give me a chance sir and I will prove it. Sales job needs a person who is capable of talking and convincing his customers. Regular follow-ups and in depth knowledge of the products is needed for excelling. I am sure I can do it well”.

One hour later, Pramod was walking to the telephone booth in MG road in Bangalore. He was excited as Mr. Harish had promised him a job as a sales trainee.

Pramod called his neighbor in Dharwad, Mr. Joshi and requested him to call his mother. Within two minutes his mother came on the line.

Pramod shouted “Amma I have got the job”.

He did not hear any word from his mother. He continued “Amma, Amma are you there?”

He could hear his mother crying. She said “Pramu may God bless you my child. Let us complete Anusuya’s marriage and then you can get my daughter- in-law, Susan to our house”.

Pramod did not stop there. He said “Amma do you know that I got the job not because of my talent. It was one Australian who helped me”

“Who is he?” she said.

Pramod continued “He is my idol in cricket but God for me today. He is Dennis Lillee”.

“Pramod wake up” Sussie shook him.

“I am not sleeping” he replied and continued "I was remembering my job interview and the photo which inspired me"

He cleaned the Dennis Lillee photo and fixed it back to the wall.

He climbed down from the stool and kept staring at the photo.

Sussie leaned over his shoulder and said “Strange isn’t it? Two decades ago our life was entangled in so many knots of problems and at one stage I thought that we would never make it. Life has strange incidents in store for us. The chanced viewing of this photo by you during the interview changed the direction of our life”

Pramod smiled and said “Dennis Lillee is no God. He is just an ordinary mortal. He could inspire an otherwise demotivated me to such a large extent that I came out of my shell and boldly faced the world and succeeded.