Redemption

T20 World Cup Final has truly changed my brain chemistry

A New Funda

If you have any painful memories associated with a place, you should return to the same place and create a good memory.

If a place is associated with a good memory that hurts you now, you should return to the same place and create an even better memory.

This is my new funda. I’m slowly implementing this step by step.

• I did this first with Jaipur.

• Then, I did it with Leo’s Pizza.

• Yesterday, I did it again with Saket Social.

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For Every 2023, There’s A 2024

I was standing on Lala Lajpat Rai Marg in front of the 24/7 outlet. I smoked a cigarette and continuously watched several reels about India’s victory and I cried. There was no better response to the result than this. Nothing else would have worked.

I could not sleep till 4 am because I had to digest all this joy and appreciate how it had undone all my painful memories from November 2023. One among those was India’s loss in the WC final.

I bought an India jersey for the first time in my life to cheer for my team in the final in November 2023. We had lost that day. And I felt sorta let down and never touched that jersey again for months.

I thought about wearing the jersey for the semi-final match against England. But I didn’t quite act on it. What if they lose the match? However, the final against South Africa provided an opportunity to wear the jersey again.

With some fear and tons of hope, I picked it up again. Win or lose, it is important to support your team with all your heart.

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Rockstar, Last Five Overs and Redemption

I remember the dialogue from the movie Rockstar where JJ says that his heart should not be shattered. He has no control over the situation that is unfolding. But he believes that his heart should not be damaged.

My inner monologue was very similar during the last 5 overs of the match. As I was standing among hundreds of fans at Saket Social, I hoped that the dream of seeing India win with me wearing my jersey would somehow come true. But it wasn’t happening.

Klaasen was hammering Axar Patel and the required run rate was down to six runs per over. South Africa’s batsmen were in brutal assault mode. It didn’t look winnable. I didn’t want to go home with another painful memory.

If JJ was saying “mere dil nahin tootna chahiye” to Khatana Bhai, I was saying the same lines to god. And maybe millions of fans were also saying the same. And probably, the gods heard us. But even before them, the Indian team heard us. Even they had to redeem themselves.

So they got their shit together and won the match for us. While they were at it, I was screaming at the top of my voice at every positive turn that the match took during those five overs.

The unbelievable catch by Surya Kumar Yadav made me scream so loudly that I was unable to speak properly till the next day. Something had happened to my voice after all the screaming.

Maybe the cigarettes, beer and the change in temperatures after moving out of AC had some impact on my throat.

But I don’t remember me being so emotionally involved in a match. Even Rahul Dravid broke his regular frame and opened up in front of the entire world. It was a true moment of joy and redemption.

Redemption.

It’s possible.

You just need to believe there will be a day when all debts will be repaid.