This day that year - Day 2

Sorry for taking such a long time to finish of this part even after repeated reminders. I couldn’t complete this due to unavailability of time. So here is the second and the concluding part of my experience “This day that year”.

After catching some sleep in the breezy night I woke up at 7 in the morning and went out near station to take toll of the situation, but it was still drizzling. There was no point in returning back home as most of the places would be still flooded and having just a little above 100 rupees I thought of going to the nearest STM to withdraw some money for some urgent requirement. Hoping against hope that the ATM would be working went to old panvel. Most of the shops were closed and hotels too. There was nothing to offer to eat at any hotels or the road side tapriwalas. I reached the ATM center only to find “This ATM is out of order, please nearest ATM center” displayed on the ATM screen. With no other ATM machine nearby I started to walk back to the station, luckily I found a place where there was something to eat. By the time I reached there he had only one samosa and he was preparing vadapav. Having the single samosa and a plate of vadapav. On the way back to the station I took some paracetamol tablets for emergency sake. In the station there were very few people and I could get a place to sit on the chair which is meant for waiting purpose. Sitting there I was listening to radio hoping to get some news of the situations around. It was nice to hear the RJ’s helping out people in locating their near and dear ones instead of playing ads in between songs. I couldn’t continue this long as I had to keep a tab on my battery too, so it was better that I had kept it switch off. Finally when the rains stopped I thought of going near my house. I could see about 2 to 3 inch of mud on the road which I normally used to reach home, most of the people out on the streets, some trying to find milk or eatables and some cleaning up their house which was filed up with mud which had come with the water. Reaching near the road near the garden I could still see water which had not receded yet. On inquiring with some people nearby they told that there is still about 6 to 8 feet water on the road and I had to cross that road in order to reach my home. It didn’t strike me that I could use the highway route to reach my home. I stood there for few more minutes and could see people helping others crossing road even with water at neck deep height. Finally I decided to go back to the station and try going back home a little later but also thinking about the damage the deluge would have done.

At about 2 in the afternoon I started back again but this time from the highway route which is very long one. Though there was water at thigh high level I could manage to reach my home. On opening the door I could find most of my belongings standing back at the entrance door. I had to struggle hard to open the door since it got bloated due to the wetness. It was a complete mess with mud all over the floor and most of my books, clothes bags in drenched with mud. Even the almost full LPG cylinder had floated to some other place in the water. With very little water, which I got from the still falling rains I cleaned the whole house and the clothes books whatever I could, getting it to some better position than earlier. My neighbors were also busy in cleaning their house. Finally after about two hours of cleaning I could get rid of the mud that lies in my house and moved on to my aunt’s house for that night. I had it cleaned finally only on Friday since water was supplied for the whole day and I could do the remaining cleaning of the house.

This is one experience I will not be able to forget in my life, though it was a real bad experience it had thought me something. Maybe next time I could handle such situations better.

This day that year - Day 1

By reading the heading most of you might have got an idea what this post would be, also with most of the dailies and news channels relaying the visuals of the event that happened this very day last year. Most of us who were staying in Mumbai might have gone through similar situation or maybe even worse. So this post is basically what I had been through on this very day, the details about the next that is of 27^th July, I will write in a new post tomorrow. I wanted to write this experience of mine a long time back but later on thought of posting it on this very day.

I used to stay in Panvel at the time of this deluge, and also at ground floor. The day began as usual waking up at the same time and getting ready for office, there was a change that it was raining since early morning, and the road a few meters away from my house which was my normal approach to the railway station was flowing with water at 4 ft. so I had to take a different route to reach the station, it wasn’t raining that heavily but it was raining. I caught the train and reached my office which is about 15 min by train that is in Belapur. Even at office the day was like any other day. By the time it was afternoon it started to pour heavily and some of started to get concerned about the rain, but everyone including me had the same thinking that it will stop soon. It was also the birthday of one of our support staff members and we had a small party at our office premises. Maybe this birthday I might not forget for a long long time. The area outside our office had already started to flood and the water level was rising to the silencer level of most of the two wheelers. By the time it was 4:30 we had got orders from the higher officials to vacate the premises as water had started to get into the ground floor of our building. By 5 PM even I thought of moving out of office. We came to know that the trains were not running and we had to take a bus till Panvel. I and one of my colleague who also stayed in Panvel moved out of office. When we reached ground floor we could see almost 2 to 4 inch of water on the ground floor, even though it was at considerable height water had managed to come in. The electric personnel’s started to shut down mains as they feared of short circuit or electrocution. The water level outside the main entrance was about 3 ft. we both somehow managed to come through the water and obviously we were wet till our thighs. Somehow we managed to reach the highway at Belapur, there were a lot people stranded there without any transport system available, and those which were coming were full till the doors, also there was traffic jam which is very unlikely in this area on any given time of a day. We stayed there for around half an hour for a bus but we couldn’t board any. The police personnel’s present there made a point in sending the ladies first in all the available transport systems. Finally we got a chance to go on a truck. It was raining heavily with wind, and over that we were in an open truck. It was very difficult to manage the balance and also hold the umbrella in position after a few distance I closed my umbrella as there was no point in keeping it open. We got down at Panvel highway and walked along the road and we moved to our homes. The road to my home was still flooded with water. Somehow I reached home and I could see water in front of my house.

So finally I reached home but there was no electricity and I started with lighting candles and just thinking of having some snacks and evening tea. It was 7:30 in the evening and after changing my dress I was out at my entrance door to see how the water is behaving. It had started to fill in some of the houses which were at a lower height, I knew that if this continues it won’t be long that my house will also be filled with water. At about 8 PM the water started to come inside my house. But something in me knew that it’s going to be worse, so I decided to move out of my house and go to my relative’s house which is Vashi, I changed my dress kept all the belongings at a pretty safer height on my kitchen platform and put one set of dress in my rather small bag and stuffed it with biscuit packet and a bottle of water and moved out of my house. When I came out of my house the water level was about 4 ft. I crossed the same path to reach the highway still unaware what is stored in for me and also couldn't judge the gravity of the situation. I was still hoping that the rains will stop in some time and the water will recede and everything will come back to normal. Reaching the highway I found that no buses were stopping there, so thought of moving to the bus depot and catching the bus from there. I could see the ST busses coming in to the depot but no busses moving out of the depot. I thought of having some food and ended up with vadapav, the only thing available at that moment. I purchased some packets of biscuit which would be good atleast till the next day as reserves. After waiting for about an hour heard the rumor that the train service have started, I got a company till the railway station. We both were hoping against hope that the trains will start, but to our bad luck or good luck the trains were not plying. It was 9:30 pm by then, there was an announcement that arrangements were made at the schools in that area for peoples affected by flooding, but the approach roads were full with about 6 to 7 ft of water. I tried to see that if there was any approach to the schools mentioned, but there wasn’t any. A person was standing in that heavy rain with flooding around for his company bus. I casually asked him why are you standing there to which he told that the company bus is coming to pick him up. I told him that there is no way that any vehicle can come till there that night. He agreed after knowing the fact that the water is indeed very much and made way to his home. Meanwhile I moved back to railway station which was luckily not flooded with water. The foot over bridge was occupied by nearby slum people. I decided to see a place to atleast sit on the railway platform for that night. Luckily I got a place there to sit but the platform was open, I started to feel cold since I was wet and there was breeze along with the rain. I couldn’t stay any longer there and moved near the ticket counter area as the rest rooms were given to ladies. Luckily had some newspaper of that day and finally I sat there near the ticket counter to avoid the cool breeze. It was 12 in the night I was awake and saw that my mobile network was still working, but it didn’t last long and even that too went off. I could see some more people stranded like me trying to call their near and dear ones and telling them that they are safe and would reach home as soon as this rains stop. Some of them were smoking cigarette to overcome cold. I couldn’t control my sleep and slept there itself in sitting position.

This was the experience of this day, the experience of the next day will be published tomorrow.

Its rainy season again !!!!!

Most of the people in Mumbai and various parts of India might have not forgotten the day, this very rain played havoc in their lives in one way or the other. I can still not forget how I spent the whole night at the railway platform of Panvel just waiting for the rains to stop, remembering the nursery rhyme “Rain rain go away little Jhonny wants to play some day, Rain rain go away”. The seasons changed form rains to winter to summer, and almost all of us were cursing the scorching heat of the summer with the added fact that we had to face power cuts too. Now finally rains came yesterday, the met officials claim that these are pre monsoon showers and the actual rains are expected in another 48 hours.

Yesterday while coming back home form my office I could see the sky filled with black clouds, now that was a sign of rains but I have been seeing then for past two three days, they came and went. But today it was determined to do something, while walking on the road I could see the lightning strike and also could hear the thunders. This was a sure sign that it’s going to rain today. I could feel few droplets of water falling on me, I could smell the fragrance coming after the first showers form the earth, it was tantalizing me. Later on it started to rain and I sat by the window of my house and enjoyed the view of the rain, also I could see many people near their window enjoying the rains. On the building opposite to mine I could see some kids coming out of their house and enjoying getting wet in the first rain. I couldn’t resist getting wet in the rain, I stood in my terrace under the rain till it stopped, I could see more people enjoying getting wet in this rain. I could even see a 60 year old man sitting over the compound wall on his banyan and pajamas and getting drenched in the rain while his wife stood under the building’s parking area seeing him getting drenched. Almost everybody I could see had a smile on their face from small kids to teenagers like me to oldies.

Maybe this is the way god has made the nature, so that people truly and fully enjoy every season as it comes and don’t take it for granted. The summers were harsh but the rains have given more enjoyment and smile on everybody’s face than grief, similarly spring season is enjoyed after winter. This really give the message that there always a “Silver Lining“. Maybe this is how god says how you should live our life, it will be hard at times but this is never permanent, the seasons will change so will life. So live life as it comes and never curse it there is light at the other end of the tunnel.

Have you traveled in such a bus !!!

It’s been long since I wrote since I was busy with my other schedules.

This is about the fortunate travel in a state transport bus the other day. I had been to a party hosted by my cousin and it was night by the time the party ended and had to think of traveling through state transport bus to my house.

I boarded this bus which had full AC, FULL AC!!!, the seats were really superb they were all cushioned and there were some rocker seats too. But I didn’t had the fortune to get a seat on one of them. To my surprise there was fusion music played this was something like “sone pe suhaga”. It was a great treat to imagine sitting in a rocker seat with full AC and fusion music played on the ride to my home. I have to say that the road were really smooth unlike as they are know to be with “manholes” rather than pothole and the bus was cruising on these roads. These whole things had a soothing effect and I couldn’t control my eyes which were already heavy.

Now that you have imagined the whole journey I would like to give you some facts too. Here the AC meant Air Circulation and not Air Condition as you might have imagined, the seat were literally swaying like the rockers and the person sitting on them probably couldn’t hold on his heavy eyes and had a lovely nap till his destination, and the fusion music created was by the loose glass panes, nuts, seats, body and doors, chimes were produced by the conceal fitted on the roof and I can bet that nobody can ever reproduce the same fusion music. I still think of the lovely trip I had.

Have you experienced such a journey??

My life rating..

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	6.2
Mind:	6.2
Body:	7.8
Spirit:	6.7
Friends/Family:	3
Love:	2.1
Finance:	6.5
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The Average ratings ..

Life	: 6.4
Mind	: 6.4
Body	: 7.0
Sprit	: 6.3
Friends & Family	: 4.8
Love	: 4.0
Finance	: 6.0

Idli House venture...

It was another venue for the konquerors (Myself, Nagesh, Abhijit and the new entrant Ganesh) to meet again, and the location was Idli house at King circle Mumbai on 27th February 2006 at 4:00 PM. Even this meet was not planned before hand and the sutradhar was Nagesh, we were to have a offline meeting there with Deepak whom I didn’t know.

As usual I had classes at Ghatkopar till 3:00 PM, and knew that the train lines were blocked at kurla due to some work and the fast trains will not stop at matunga. I called up Nagesh and my brother and we decided to get together at Ghatkopar and we’ll go together from there. Luckily we got the bus which was going to Tardeo, meanwhile Deepak had reached the venue before 4:00 PM itself, and we had a journey of half an hour to cover. Luckily the traffic was not much. We reached king circle and after getting down Nagesh told that the girls group that were in the bus were having a stare at Ananth (that’s me) and I was like “Why in the world would they stare at me I’m not that good or smart for such looks, probably they were eying you buddy”.

We reached Idli house and we had Deepak waiting for us there. Ganesh was on his way and we decide to wait for him to come, there came the person again and we were describing about the person to Deepak. We decided to have tea at the stall there and we were contemplating about the Idli house. After 20 minutes Ganesh had come there. Even he had a cup of tea, after a session of photography we went into Idli house our new venture, as everybody had heard of it but no one had tried it. Abhijit, Deepak and Ganesh ordered for Khotto (The batter of Idli is steamed in a jackfruit leaf shaped like a cup and can), Nagesh went for Oondi (Ground rice is semi- cooked and to that a tadaka of sesame seeds and kadi patta is added and the whole is made into a mixture and it is made into round shape with a depression at the centre and cooked) and I took Mysore Idli. Well one thing special was that the coconut chutney (a favorite of mine) was not served in a bowl of ½ cm in depth and 4 cm in diameter as it is customary with Mumbaia hotels, the depth varies from ½ cm to 2 cm . The waiter brought a big tumbler like container and “Poured” chutney with a big spoon, the quantity was for us to decide. There was pudi chutney with coconut oil over it. Everybody loved the cuisine, it was like we were eating a typical home made Konkani cuisine and eventually everybody ordered for a second round. There has to be a coffee or tea after such a cuisine and on knowing that there is filter coffee everybody went for that. Deepak liked the filter coffee and ordered another without sugar. There was a small dialogue between Nagesh and Deepak and I’ll write it that way to preserve the originality.

Nagesh: Deepak why didn’t you ask for sugar in your coffee ?

Deepak: The coffee is like godda pank (sweet syrup)!!!

Nagesh: Tu tamilian se hi shaadi karega!!!

Nagesh: They require a truck load of coffee and even a little of sugar (literally showing with his fingers) and still it’s sweet for them. Are kidney mar jayega, aisa strong coffee piya to.

We came out, and interestingly the bill came at Rs. 30 per head. Nagesh had a small chit chat with the person who was at the cash counter (son on the owner), and we had a formal introduction of the owner. Deepak wanted to go as he had a meeting with another group of his. We were waiting for Pravin Da whom I had heard about from the other people and had to meet him face to face, he a very active member on Orkut and known as Phatka master. Actually he wanted to join in with us but since he had upavas of Mahashivaratri, so he didn’t join us for the Idli house venture. He arrived in about 20 min, we had an informal introduction of all again. He came in with a plan of going walking to Shivaji Park and coming back so it would be a good 2 km evening walk. Everybody was ready for it, Nagesh told that he would be leaving us from the matunga station as he had to meet somebody. We started our walk he started to tell about his old day stories and how he and his friends would go walking around this stretch. He even showed the place where we can get Kulfi's even at 12 in the night. We went over the Z Bridge from king circle to matunga, we could see the railway workshop adjoining the bridge and even got a sneak view of the interiors. Nagesh separated from us at the matunga station and we moved on further. Meanwhile Pravin Da asked that there is a mall called Magnet there and his friend was telling him about visiting it atleast once, everybody agreed to it, I said “Neki aur puch puch “. He started to search Karnataka sangha hall and we saw it atlast after a big roam around here and there. Form there on we went into the magnet mall. It’s a good place to do shopping and especially ladies would love it, its got all from groceries to clothes to utensils et all but one thing is that you’ll have to look for is the cost, if the cost is ok with you then you can go and have a nice weekend shopping. They are not too high but maybe a bit (I didn’t went into details of the cost much but rather I was doing window shopping and accompanying Pravin Da in his new venture). We split into two groups me and Ganesh and Praivn Da and Abhijit. We both went on to explore the whole mall and later even went on to contemplate some ideas of marketing, Ganesh was sharing his lessons he had learnt at his company and I was sharing my own observations, but it was fun and most importantly we both wee enjoying it. I was looking at some of the items that are used for house decoration and was making plans to get some of those types for my new house. We moved out and Pravin Da broke his upavas with Britannia cheese over biscuit, which they were giving for marketing the product. Pravin Da was to go by bus as he was used of that but we were used of trains in Mumbai and it was the first choice over bus. He asked us whether we were interested in going to Shivaji Park, but since it was around 8 Pm in the evening we rejected that idea and Pravin Da also came with us till matunga station with us. The discussion on the same person came here too as even Pravin Da knows about the person. We crossed the Z Bridge again and we were at the matunga station and Pravin Da said goodbye to us and we were in the next available train. I split from them at kurla station as I have to change my train.

Traveling towards my house with the memories of the flavor of the Konkani delicacies we had at Idli house and also meeting two new personalities. One thing for sure is that after 2 years in Mumbai I can take somebody to this place to have this Konkani delicacies, and atleast nobody will tell me that you know nothing in Mumbai even after staying for 2 years. I would recommend the readers, who stay in Mumbai and persons visiting Mumbai to have a taste of the delicacies of Idli house. It will be open from evening 4 Pm to 8 Pm. Mornings are to be avoided as there will be a lot of rush at this very place. It would be a best thing to club a small time at Idli house and have a walk till Shivaji Park.

Images Courtesy Nagesh. Click here

The evening with Spirituality

The plan to go to this event was organized in a hurried manner. On Friday 3rd march night, my cousin brother calls me and tells that there is an event or rather a musical evening at Bhavans college Andheri of Shri Upendra Bhat. He said that he will go via ghatkopar so I could meet him there and we could go together to the venue. I told him that you can call nagesh also as he stays there only and even he could join us, to which he said “Is plan ka sutradhar to wohi hai”( The main organizer of this event is nagesh). I said ok and the next day on a conference we decided that I would come to andheri station directly and these people will be coming together from ghatkopar. The target time was 5:30 PM as the show was to start at 6:00 PM. I reached andheri at around 5:20 PM but the these people hadn’t reached there. On calling them I came to know they were at chakala and it would take another 20 min to reach there. So instead of waiting I decided to do some window shopping. The items that were there tempted me to buy some but I decided not to go for them. In the meanwhile they had reached andheri and were standing near the McDonalds. I joined them leaving my window shopping halfway. The Konqueror group meet again but this time only the three base members were there and a new entry to the group of Konquerors it was me, nagesh, abhijit and the new entry of ganesh. My bro introduced ganesh saying that even he’s from mangalore (my home town) and you people can chat about yourself. There on we moved to have sugarcane juice, and we thought of walking the distance rather than taking bus or rick, as we would reach there earlier than those.It was about 10 to 15 min walk and we enjoyed chatting with each other it was like abhi and nagesh were in their own world and me and ganesh in ours. We reached Bhavans college at around 6:10 PM and we noticed that there was a board saying that the program will start at 6:30 PM. Further moving on we say another board with the event timing 7:00 PM. The venue was good one and the place where Shri Upendra Bhat was to perform was next to a shiva temple and the next day being Mahashivaratri. It was a perfect thing to have a bhajana sahdya the evening before Mahashivaratri. The show only began after 7:20 PM. How could we forget one person we three share in common and I feel this persons venture surfaces when we meet together. The surrounding was too good for such an event with trees around, and birds had come to their nests after a long days work.

One person came on stage to introduce Shri Upendra Bhat who is a disciple of Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, a vocalist. His voice was like our famous radio personality Ameen Sayani. He went on to tell about this show and when it came to introduce Shri Upendra Bhat he was reading a manuscript (along with mistakes). When the show started the birds started to fly around and it looked like they were encircling the shiva temple and offering their prayers to him. The flock of birds looked like white waves in a sea. The whole environment had something spiritual and it had a soothing effect, all I had to do was close my eyes and feel it.
After a few songs we went out to have something and nagesh told that we could try vadapav as he had already certified it as good. We all had vadapav and returned back to the venue but our seat were occupied by somebody else, so we had to sit behind. After one bhajan the organizer thought of taking a break and everybody had gone for filling their stomach so did Shri Upendra Bhat. We had the opportunity to meet Bhatji as nagesh’s father knew him and he was there on the stage accompanying him. We had already filled our stomach and we had to wait there till other’s had finished their break. Meanwhile we got our seat back. After about 20 minutes the show resumed and Bhatji told that he has got a lot of request of songs from the people gathered. In the second half of the show he began with explaining the details of various ragas and how and when they are used. He went on to say that nowadays the Bollywood music industry takes music from classical background and those songs go on for a super duper hit.

The song Saa ni pa … Tu cheez badi hai mast ( from mohra) “Ye saab to hame pahile sikhaya jata hai, agar koyi naya vidhyarhti aata hai to haam usse yehi dete hai aur che mahina yahi seekhane ke liye batate hai” ( We are taught the same thing when we join to learn classical music, and when any new person joins we give him the same thing to learn for 6 months)

“I had asked a person what is the next line of Dhoom macha le dhoom and interestingly they couldn’t answer that, today’s music are not like the olden days music which can be remembered”

Continuing this he went on to sing bhajans that were requested Baje muraliya and even one kannada bhajan of “Namamma sharade..”

Finally the event came to an end at around 10:45 pm. We moved from there, all of the other people had to take a bus but I had to take a train. I stood in the line for the ticket and in the mean while this incident happened there.

There was foreigner lady standing there and probably waiting for somebody, and a local lady comes there and starts to talk with her, initially I thought it was something casual but it was something different, as the foreigner was using worse words with her. The local lady looked rather an illiterate lady and with some screws loose probably. The worst part was the area got crowded there and everybody was there enjoying the treat instead of saying the local lady to stop, somebody even took snaps of the verbal fight. Later a lady ventured to sort out the fight and yelled at the people saying “Yahan kya tamasha ho raha hai kya, Dusara kaam nahi hai kya aap logo ko ?” Is there a play going on, you people don’t have any other work or what? She came back as her husband was standing there in the line and narrated about the incident. The funniest part was a person who was totally drunk got the ticket and while moving went on to praise “You are correct madam” literally swaying here and there.

Amidst all these I had been calculating about the time of the last train to panvel from kurla, whether I’ll get a train or not. Finally I got a train from Andheri to Dadar and from there to Kurla reaching just in time to catch the last train to panvel that night at 12:15 am. I reached home at around 1:30 am.
All this time while traveling I was thinking about the two contrasting thing happened that night one was a splendid performance of Shri Upendra Bhat and the fight that happened at the railway station which was rather useless altogether and over that the public stand there having fun at the verbal fight.

Kurlavale Kup LeGaye

I had been to dombivli for witnessing an inter saraswat match on 15/01/2006, thought of writing it down on my blog. I thought that it would be better to pen down the things that happened off the field with some infield excitement and catchy moments, because I’m pretty bored of the cricketing column of the newspaper which are filled with cuisine called ganguly served in different magnificent dishes with some toppings every now and then. One thing for sure is that my narration wouldn’t be better or comparable to the expert columnist of the daily newspaper and secondly I don’t know much of the names of the people involved in this event. It would be incomplete without the names of these people but putting all the names would look like a census list which I was not there for. But actually I was hoping to get a place in some playing eleven just for the sake of playing which I hadn’t done for almost 2 years of the sport I savor the most.

Some history to start with.

This event was started last year and the brains behind this event were the GSB youth wing of dombivli. This year it was initiated, coordinated by two persons namely Nagendra Bhat and Prashant Kini, ofcourse there was the help from the elder members too.

How the day went for me

The whole event was to be started at 8:30 in the morning on a beautiful Sunday morning of 15/01/2006. All the organizing members and the team members of the first encounter were called at 8:00 am itself. So I was accompanying my cousin brother, the official scorer of the match. We reached a bit late though the teams had arrived for the first encounter of the day. All the arrangements were made the commentary box, the pitch etc. Now at around 9:00 am it was time to start the matches. As per our traditional values any event would start with a puja to god and breaking of coconut. The same was here the inaugural puja and lighting up of lamps was done by Mr. B.G Pai, Yogesh shenoy and yogesh shenoy’s father. After the puja at the commentary box it was time to break the coconut at the pitch, this was done by Mr B.G. Pai, after which the toss was done between the two teams who had the first schedule for the day it was between GSB dombivli and RSB dombivli. The toss was won by GSB dombivli and put the RSB team to bat. It was an easy cake for the host team though and the GSB dombivli team won in the end. I had the opportunity to be a spectator and that to be in the commentator’s box. One person was pestering our official scorer about the surety of wining of the RSB team (since her brother was also there in the RSB team). The commentary of the proceedings was done by Sai (Sainath pai) and Ashwin kamath.

The second match was between GSB Seva Mandal Sion and GSB kurla. The kurla team won the match but one exciting thing was the hattrick wicket taken by vignesh of GSB seva mandal Sion. It was a splendid piece of bowling with two wickets in last two balls of the first over and the third in the very first ball of his second over, this was the first time that any bowler had hattrick this tournament. This is a record set this year only, the commentators confirmed that even last year nobody had achieved this feat and Vignesh being first one to achieve. The third match was between khardanda and saraswat from santacruz. This match was another one sided match with santacruz team winning it without loosing any wicket. The commentary team was joined by Mr. U.P. Pai. One thing everybody would like to do is leg pulling of the engaged couples (yet to marry ones) and the same was here, Sai (recently engaged) was not in the team of GSB Dombivli as he had made up his mind to play in the longer version of the game (life) than be in he shorter version (Everybody would love to play a longer version of the game of life). Later on he was found having some practice of cricket with his would be wife. The intermediate moments of the cricket proceeding were filled in by singtunes and ringtunes of mobile phones (they couldn’t get a cdman as planned earlier). Both the organizers Nagendra bhat and prashant kini were looking a bit excited or to say somewhat impatient to see that everything worked as per the plan. At around 12 o’clock in the noon I thought of having some breakfast, it was missal pav and tea. Coming back to the game it was the last league match between the borivili team and the wadala team. The star attraction was the superb batting performance of guru who took on sunil of borivili to 18 runs in an over with 2 sixes and 1 four, eventually the wadala team wining the match and making it to the semis.

Now that the league match was over and the lineup for semi finals was ready it was time for some real action on the field. One thing I really appreciated was the voices of cats and dogs that were beautifully reproduced by Mr. C.N.Prabhu. when he did it for the first time I thought that it was from some mobile but looking around I couldn’t get one near the mike but when he did it the second time I came to know that it was him (I was sitting next to him in the commentary box). I didn’t have my lunch neither did any of the host team members. It was time for the first semifinal match between the host team (the winner of the tournament last year and the favorites for this year) and saraswat santacruz. By this time I had moved from the commentary box to a different place of the ground with some new friends who were introduced to me by Chetan. We saw the host team struggling to get some runs initially but later on they put on a respectable score of 58 for the loss of 2 wickets in 8 overs. It was time for the santacruz team for batting. The host team had made a good show of bowling till the last over, and santacruz team required 19 runs to win in the last over. It was difficult task to get those runs but not impossible. One thing for sure is that mihir will haunt even in the nightmares of one person who bowled the last over. Mihir took his team to an unbelievable victory by scoring the required 19 runs in the last over. This victory had the winning team in excitement (which was obvious) and resulting in an unwanted incident (one of the team member went onto uproot all the wickets with his legs, which I thought was unethical and not good for the spirit of the game too) later on there was a heated drama between one of the organizing member and the santacruz team. It was later settled down by the person admitting his fault and terming it was due to sheer excitement of the victory. The host team was low after an unbelievable loss even though they were in the winning seat. This is what the game is all about, as I have heard many a times that the “game is not over till the last ball is bowled”. It looked very true today in this particular match. I went for having lunch with my bro and my friends (old and new ones). The recipe was pullao, salad and kurma. It was really good to have it, though the home team didn’t enjoy it as they would have liked to.

The second semifinal match was between kurla and wadala. Though there was not much of an excitement as it looked like a one sided match. The kurla team looked solid in front of the wadala team, they made a good score and later on won the match.

Now it was time for the grand final between santacruz and kurla team. The kurla team won the toss and elected to bat. The kurla team as in the previous matches started of slowly but later on increased their speed of scoring and set a victory target of 65 for the santacruz team. The start was shaky as they lost their 1^st wicket early. One thing was clear that wadala team had picked venkat of kurla team as the target and were hitting the ball near him duly because of his sloppy fielding. They had taken almost 12 to 15 runs around him. After the change in field position of venkat another wicket fell. One thing for sure was that had it not been venkat bowling an over santacruz team would have scored more runs around him. The tormentor (Mihir) of the previous match couldn't take his team to victory, he got out due to a beautiful catch taken by Jaywant in the deep. In the end kurla team won the final.

It was time for prize distribution ceremony and the dignitaries were Mr. B.G.Pai., Mr. V.M.Nayak, G.S.Nayak, Ratnakar.Bhat. and Vinayak Kamath (Representative of youth wing). All the winning and the runner-up team members were given a momentary medals with the GSB Dombivli logo on it. The player of the series was given to Jaywant Bhandarkar, the best batsman to Ganesh Shanbhag and the best bowler to Rohan Nayak, all the three from the kurla team. Sai had called both captains for a small talk and the captain of kurla team confessing that last year when they were runners-up, he had made up his mind that they would win it this time. The captain of the runners-up team told that they would come next year and go for the kill for winning the trophy. Everybody was happy and pleased about the arrangements. One thing I could observe is that some of the santacruz team members had decided that they would go for the trophy next year. Now the big question does history repeats its trend? Well have to wait till next year for that.

The two key and important persons nagendra and prashant kini received three cheers from all of the youth wing members and me too, simply because the arrangements were top class and setting up the example ahead to other organizers the other saraswat teams were planning to match this level or even outperform.