A Passage Through Perseverance

In the ensuing days, my press conference had become the gossip du jour. It was scrutinized and discussed by news outlets and social media alike. My phone rang incessantly but the only person I wished to hear from - my mother - hadn't called. All she got from me was a curt 'Call you later' text.

"Oye, Vipin," Yuvraj ribbed me, "people are liking what you said, huh?" His humor fell flat on my troubled state.

"Don't poke fun at him, Yuvraj," Dhoni intervened, "Look, Vipin, use this as a lesson. Your words carry weight now. You're not just a player, you're a figure of public interest. Next time, just say 'No comment' and move on."

"But what about all this mess?" I asked.

"It'll pass. Just lay low for a while. Maybe get your family to come down here. Spend some quality time with them. It'll do you good," Dhoni advised.

Without wasting another second, I dialled my mother's number.

"Hello? Vipin?" Her voice came through, laced with concern. "Why weren't you picking up? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Mom. Just been busy...and missing you."

"Oh, so you miss me but don't have the time to answer my calls?"

"I'm sorry, Mom. Could you come down here? I can't really go out with all this happening."

"Everything will be fine, Beta. I'll be there soon."

The call ended and I felt slightly more relieved. Later, I attended the day's team session.

Meanwhile, the protest only grew in intensity. My statements were being manipulated to fan the flames, turning me into the unwitting face of the uprising.

The BCCI, alarmed by the situation, convened to discuss the potential implications for the team's image.

"What should we do about Vipin now? His comments are hijacking the original issue," a bald man pondered.

"So, does BCCI now operate based on public sentiment?" another man countered, "We're not a political party. We nurture talent."

"But we also need the public's support. If they stop attending matches, where will our funding come from?" an old man chimed in.

Eventually, the decision was made to drop me from the playing eleven until the controversy simmered down.

Dravid was contacted and informed of the decision. He voiced his concerns, highlighting the impact my absence would have on the team's performance. He hoped the decision wouldn't come back to bite them.

The news of my dismissal filled me with disappointment and frustration. I was merely expressing my honest opinion, not seeking to stir controversy.

Soon the team for India's Tour of West Indies was announced. Though I was sure of my place in the team but I knew I won't get to play. Could there be anything worse than that?

The Team was as Follows:

Robin Uthappa

Virender Sehwag

MS Dhoni (†)

Rahul Dravid (c)

Yuvraj Singh

Mohammad Kaif

Suresh Raina

Ajit Agarkar

Harbhajan Singh

Munaf Patel

Sreesanth

Wasim Jaffer

VVS Laxman

Anil Kumble

Vipin Chaudhary

'I was at the very end of the list, well on the other hand, at least I was in the list and not dropped,' I mused. Days rolled by in their usual rhythm, until one afternoon when we were mid-practice, the team manager came rushing towards us.

"Vipin, CBSE Board results are out. Have you checked them?" he asked me, his voice echoing across the field.

"Lower your voice," I retorted, my eyes darting around. "I don't want others to know."

Just then, I felt a familiar pair of arms envelop me from behind. "What you don't want others to know?" Yuvraj inquired, his curiosity piqued.

I sighed, "Oh… Yuvi Paaji. It's nothing."

"Arey, tell naa, I won't tell anyone," he assured me, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Promise?" I prodded, my eyes narrowed.

"You don't believe me?" he replied, his tone teasing.

Reluctantly, I confessed, "Fine, my results are out."

His eyes lit up, and before I could stop him, he was shouting across the field, "What, Your results are out? I won't tell anyone?"

I slapped my forehead in exasperation. Why on earth did I believe him?

---------------------

My room was bursting at the seams with people, all the team members, including Sachin Paaji. Even before I'd checked my result, they had brought a box of sweets and had started munching on them.

"Do you guys really have to stand here watch me?" I asked, my nerves tingling. "I will tell you."

"Don't worry about it," Raina assured, a mischievous grin on his face. "It is a custom here that everyone checks their results in front of the whole team."

"Really?" I questioned, skeptical.

"You don't believe us?" Dhoni chimed in, his voice steady and serious. Given that he was the most serious guy after Gautam Gambhir, I was inclined to believe him.

Reluctantly, I navigated to the results page, typing in my roll number. With the painfully slow internet speed in 2006, the page took its sweet time to load. As the page began to load, I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Please look at it on my behalf and tell me what happened?" I requested, not daring to meet anyone's eyes.

A wave of murmurs washed over the room, akin to the solemnity of a funeral. Did I fail?

"What happened? Did I fail? Say something?" I implored, the room falling ominously silent.

"Don't worry, Vipin. It happens with everyone," Sachin's voice broke through, a note of sympathy in his tone. "We will meet you in the training hall."

Hearing this from Sachin Tendulkar felt like a weight sinking in my chest. Did I fail? Did the girl I cheated from also fail? That must be the case.

Summoning my courage, I opened my eyes, my gaze falling on the last second column. My heart pounded in my chest as I focused on the four letters written there.

PASS.

My heart leaped, and I whirled around, only to find everyone behind me, their faces alight with anticipation. As they caught sight of my expression, the room erupted into a cacophony of laughter and congratulations.

"Hey, where are the sweets?" Raina called out, looking around.

"Well, in the tense atmosphere, I munched everything and now there's nothing left," Yuvraj confessed, sheepishly.

"So, do everyone of you guys share your results?" I inquired, glancing around the room. In response, an uneasy silence fell. I could see it in their eyes - I had been played. Everyone here had already completed their 12th when they joined the team.

"I got played, right?" I sighed, resigning myself to the truth. "Let's go. Raina, I need someone to play my bouncers."

"I have a leg cramp," Raina retorted, and the room once again filled with laughter.

Despite the roller coaster of a day, I felt a surge of relief wash over me. I had passed my intermediate with 51%. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough for me, and for now, that was all that mattered.