INDO PA CRIC ET, MYSELF AND MY RADIO

How the times fly? I was having my class 12 exams during the world cup in 2003.
The indo-pak match was just a day before my chemistry exam. Physical chemistry,
organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry were the last things in my mind. I was re
stless, agitated. To compound matters the living room tv was out of my bounds, c
ourtesy my parents! I had d last laugh though... i managed to smuggle an old rad
io,whose antiquity was doubtful (my parents say that d radio had witnessed the i
ndo-pak war of 1971). So, i waited for the beginning of the match, well armed wi
th the radio, my chemistry textbook as an alibi and a blanket to hide the radio
in case anyone entered my room. The pakistan innings was blanked out as i could
not make that indira gandhi-era radio work. During the india innings though, the
radio began to emit some creaky sounds. Some fervents slaps and ardent prayers
worked magic and the radio chugged back to life. It was as if the excitement tha
t is always associated with an indo-pak match was too much for the radio.It had
witnessed the indo pak war of 1971 and 1999, and why would it retire hurt just o
n the day of that third indo-pak battle in 2003? Chemistry formulas went down th
e drain, equations were kicked out of the brain and thus making way for four and
sixes from tendulkars blade. My resentment against my family disappeared as ind
ia began to cruise towards a win. I took consolation from the fact that i came t
o know about the fours, sixes and wickets atleast a few seconds earlier than my
parents (as TV reproduction of signals takes a few nanoseconds more than a radio
). India won..i and my radio had the last laugh. My radio went down in battle, a
true martyr. It succumbed to the sound of crackers that accompanied the indian
march of glory, never to emanate any noise again...a life well served.Now before
the indo-pak match on the 30th, i m missing my radio. If it would have been wit
h me this time..india would have got nothing to worry..as the veteran would have
been there standing guard against all bouncers, wrong uns and googlies..