The institution from which I graduated was not a renowned one. It lacked in infrastructure facilities. Even Sanitary conditions were under construction in my times. Then where would I think about Sports. As days rolled on College fun started. Ragging, forming groups, boasting about one’s department, making fun of staffs and much more. But the rythms of my ball game kept playing in my mind.
9 of us from my school had joined the same college. Three into IT, three into CSE and three into ECE. It was all a mere coincidence. The bus in which I traveled used to cross the Vandaloor zoo of Chennai. One of the staff used board there. How much ever late she came, the driver would wait with patience. But if any of us would do the same, he will lose his temper badly. I was wondering why the driver was so humble to her. Only later I learned that she had to travel form Madhuranthagam which is almost the next district. I also kept thinking why she had to work in my college with such difficulty when there were some good institutions in her locality itself. I started feeling curious about her and all I wanted to know was which department she belonged to and what papers she would handle for students.
One day my bus mate was absent. This lecturer lady sat beside me. She smiled at me and I smiled back. I didn’t know why, but my heart bet fast and I badly wanted to talk to her. I just asked her what papers she would handle. She smiled again and kept quiet. My mind went even more nagging. But I didn’t stop there. I asked “Mam, you belong to which department?” She politely replied” Physical Education”. I was completely perplexed. Joy, shock, astonishment all together was grinded in my mind. “Will anyone travel so much just to be a PT teacher in a college”? This was the first thought I had after her reply. Second was my realization that my college had some sports activities. Third was, was there a volley ball team, if so how could I make it there. I was totally restless all day and told two of my school mates Jeyanthi and Divya who had joined with me that our college had a sports department. Though they were not much interested, they didn’t discourage my passion. The next day in bus, I went and sat next to the PT staff and inquired her about the girls volley ball team. She smiled and said no such team exists. I was deeply disappointed. But she said we can have one, if you wish to. I asked her how I alone can form a team. She replied “it’s all about the sports spirit”. I thought she must be one mad woman. The same day a circular came to my class stating,
“Fomra Sports department has decided to set up a girls volley ball team. Interested can contact the PT staffs.”
I was not sure if this had happened just because I had asked or was it pre-planned. I took Divya and Jeyanthi with me to PT staff because one can’t roam alone in college corridors,. She smiled at me and replied “Good.. .See… in the morning you were one and now you are three”. I had no idea of what she was telling. Divya promptly replied “of course, slowly we will be a team”. I didn’t know if it was really she who told that. PT mam took our names, department, year and our contact numbers. She told she will get in touch shortly. Once we came out I asked Divya if she was really interested. She nodded and Jeyanthi told she too wanted to play, if not for passion at least for fun. We three together convinced few of our friends from our department to join us. All together we became 9 in number. We took permission from our staffs and assembled in one of the construction areas as we had no proper playground for practice. I saw my PT staff with the ball. The very vicinity of the ball itself gave me joy. But we had no net for practice. All we had was the ball and the team. Then we all tied a net using our duppatta from one rod that was hanging from the building to a pipe in the opposite side. That moment I missed my school. The facilities my school provided for grooming our passion. So it was duppattas for net. Rod and pipe for poles. Uneven ground for court. But one thing remained unchanged and that was the BALL
