Scene 1 - A star is discovered
Sunday, July 31st, 2005This is the first scene of the story synopsis i wrote some time back
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A medium sized ground in T Nagar, CHENNAI. Humid Sunday morning.
Teenagers are playing cricket. The batsman, Suresh is bowled by a yorker.
The next player begins his walk to the batting crease. And immediately there is a buzz in the ground.
“Dei Adi da.” There is a murmur.
The fielding team captain is adjusting the field, runs in and talks to Ramesh, the bowler about where and what he should bowl.
“8 balls to go, 24 runs to win. 5 wickets in hand”
Screams the batting team scorer who got out some time back.
2 balls remaining in this over.
Adi is a brownish complexioned, handsome looking 17 yr old lad.
Child-like face, sharp nose, adolescent mush, trim body, about 65 kg and 5”10’, he demanded attention when he was in the field. He is capable of silken touch as well as brute force. But its not just about his style,timing and power. He also had that something extra embedded into his personality. A casual charm and a sense of enjoyment in the way he went about his cricket which made him an entertainer.
Adi takes guard and prepares for his first ball, after surveying the field.
Ramesh runs in, pitches short, wide side the off-stump.
Adi, slams the ball to the fence for 4. Square cut played off the back foot.
Next ball. Slightly overpitched. This time Adi drives off the front foot on the off side. 4 again.
Over completed.
“Kaataan…ennatha thaan thingaraano?” Fielding team captain murmurs.
The next over. Sukumar, a taller, supposedly better bowler runs in.
First ball, The other end batsman, Prasanna is beaten for pace even as he tries to play a shot on the off-side.
Adi screams,”Thottutu odi vaa. Ball waste pannina mavane polandhuduven”
5 balls to go, 16 to win.
The next ball. Prasanna nudges it near point and scampers for a single even as fielders want to retain him in strike.
4 balls to go, 15 to win.
Aditya is on strikers end again.
A nervous Sukumar bowls a full toss. Adi moves towards the legstump to give himself room and hoists it. SIX right over the bowlers head. The ball lands dangerously close to Pandian, a former Ranji player and one who is also a coach for the state under-19s team. He is talking with his friend about something animatedly.
He turns to look at the kid who played that shot. Quite a distance.
3 balls to go. 9 to win.
The bowler is real worried.
The next ball – a slower one. Aditya comes down the track and lofts for another six. Slightly mistimed because of the slower one but the ball still travels because of the power.
Pandian begins to observe the kid with interest.
Now, 2 balls to go 3 to win.
A short one again. Aditya hits a powerful pull. The ball screams towards the boundary in the leg-side.
Match won.
Adi is celebrating casually. As if this is nothing new.
Pandian asks the fielder nearby to call for Aditya.
‘Dei Adi someones calling u’ shouts one fielding team guy.
Adi, not sure if he knew the person, takes a look at Pandian from a distance and then walks towards Pandian.
He notices the cricketer’s hat Pandian wears as he nears him.
Adi
‘Kuptingala sir?’
Pandian
‘Peru enna?’
Adi
‘Aditya.’
Pandian
‘Veedu enge?’
Adi
‘Inge. Pakkam dhaan sir. Kannadasan st. Edukku kekareenga?’
Pandian
‘Enna padikare?’
Adi
‘XI std.’
Pandian
‘Yen peru Pandian. Pazhaya ranji player.’
Adi
‘Oho. Ranji ellam parka maaten sir. Bore.’
Pandian
‘Oooy. Hmm! Naan state level juniors cricket coach’
Adi
‘Ayayoo sir, theriyama solliten sir. Sorry.’
Pandian
‘Cricket lam nalla aduviya? rombo interesta?’
Adi
‘Ama sir. Epdiyavadhu periya player aganum.’
Pandian
‘Padippu?’
‘Adhu suthama varaadhu sir’- His friend Suresh nearby replies and runs away.
Adi
‘Dei lavade kabaal’ Adi shouts back trying in vain to catch Suresh.
‘Sumara padippen sir’
Pandian
‘Seri naalai kaleila 5.30 manikku kit oda YMCA vandhudu.’
Adi
‘Sir kit ellam kedayadhu sir. Bat vena oc vangitu varen. Selectiona sir?’
Pandian is laughing.
Pandian
‘Nee vaa parthukalaam..’
Adi
‘Seri sir. Rombo thanks sir. Appo naialiku nijamave varalama sir?’
Adi unable to hide the surprise stands there.
Pandian
‘Nee polaam. Nalaiku parpom’
Adi slowly moves away to tell Suresh whatever transpired while still stealing a look at Pandian every now and then.
Pandian smiles and says to his friend
“Ivan periya aala varuvanda. Nee vena paaru” without taking his eyes of Adi.