"Yea!" And it was the third goal for Praana right at the stroke of the end. He was in tenth standard and had played many state level matches representing his school. Lo! The exams were approaching and he would have to abandon the pleasure of scoring goals as a center forward. He would have to miss a major tournament which was to be witnessed by the national coach. Though, exams were not the problem; it was the orthodox behaviour of his parents who wanted him to become a doctor for what he said,"That's the way the ball bounces." So he left the besmeared ground whose surface had trysts with the prodigy's skills. He retired to his room and draped into his chair with an indestructible obligation to study and work hard for the medical examination.
"Son, what is the status of the syllabus? Son, are you awake?"
She only saw well-arranged pillows placed under blanket. Out of the blue the phone started ringing and she discovered herself in the ocean of terror-
"Hello!"
"Ram Ram Ji! Your son is with me and if you want to see him happy and playing then surrender him to me for three weeks."
"Hello! Who is this? What do you want from us? Where is my son?"
"I want nothing but your son. I can track all of your phone calls so if you try to reach the police then you would see him beheaded, Ram Ram!"
And she cried. She wept and screamed and let away floods of terrified waters from eyes. Her husband, Ashok came just to see her wife fainting. He tried to wake her up; he sprinkled water on her face and asked the cause.
"Praana.. Praana.. He has been kidnapped, he has been kidna..."
"What! How do you know?"
"Just now, the kidnapper called and said.. Our son is with him and we dare not call the police or he would be found decapitated.."
"Oh No! Did he ask for a ransom?"
"No! He just said he wants Praana for three weeks."
She had never cried so much and it looked as if the weep was incessant.
Wiping her tears he consoled,"Ok calm down Richa, look we have a strong boy, he plays hockey, doesn't he? We will call the police..."
"No."
"Listen to me first Richa. Look we will stealthily call police. We have to, wonder what he could do to him in three weeks."
She nodded in accord.
From Hissar, Praana's hometown, he was taken to Delhi via bus and the kidnapper kept him in a guest house as his nephew. But he was not a normal or professional kidnapper. He took Prana to the ground and made him play hockey.
"All right, sir."
The kidnapper trained him hard. Undoubtedly, he was best in the business for Praana. He wanted to make him rock solid, a boy with nerves of steel and a great athlete, because he was one of those people who had scanned his calibre with the stick. The lethargic and sleep-loving boy now woke up at five in the morning. Stamina-building, skill-enhancing, trick-embellishing- all sorts of exercises were in the daily routine. For Praana, undoubtedly, this was the period of his lifetime. He could enjoy this even though he was distant from his parents. But he had to do this to keep them happy. Every night his eyes would drench for them, he would say Pranam and go to sleep fraught with dreams.
Two weeks of hard separation ensued for the parents. They would have sleepless nights, all of their day would revolve around police station; they were in a misery. Eversince they had called the police from a PCO, it had begun its hunt for the missing boy of fifteen. All over the state, ads were put in the local newspaper, on pillars, walls and where not. Officials were stationed at various places but there was hardly any sign.
But for Praana, he was on a campaign to bring his dream alive. After a fortnight of shedding blood, sweat and toil, he was ready to play a match the next day. The kidnapper was ebullient with the dedication and sportsman spirit of the young boy. That's the way the coaches feel when their student gives more than expected. He called up to the parents of Praana and said,"You have a great boy. He is a gem. I often find the skill in him to be like Major Dhyan Chand.."
"Hello! Who is this, from where are you calling?", Ashok was ready with line hacking setup.
"Just one week and your boy will create history, sorry, he will be history!"
With the help of police, the parents discovered that the number was from Delhi. They rushed to the railway station, booked tickets and now had to wait for just about an hour. Meanwhile the Delhi police was informed about the kidnapping that had taken place. They were now ready for another call and they would catch the kidnapper.
"Richa, you know, I think I have heard that voice before, but I don't know when."
"Don't worry this is happening because we are eager to meet our son."
"Is it so?"
"Yes."
So they were in Delhi on the night before the big day for Praana.
Praana was on the threshold of playing in front of the national coach and before joining his other teammates from various places in Haryana, he touched the feet of his teacher, who kidnapped him just to give the national team the diamond which they needed.
And the match began in the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Delhi. The ball was with the opposition for more than half of the first half. Praana's legs showed signs of keenness to play and his hands itched to storm the ball in the back of the net. And suddenly three goals landed through the goalie into the nets in a matter of four minutes. The opposition had taken charge of the game and the score uptil the first half was 0-3.
And the second half began and Praana was substituted for the center forward who had an average game losing possessions.
Meanwhile, the police after long sessions of inquiries and interrogations had traced the place where the kidnapper was living and soon they could ready a sketch of the person.
"Aaa!"
"What!", the parents were startled to discover that the coach of Praana was his kidnapper. The father was ready with his sleeve up and they were off with the police to the stadium.
"Yea! Yea!" Noises could be heard with the tinge of triumph. As the parents entered into the stadium, they were on their knees and broke down. The boys of Praana's team were galloping in groups with Praana on their shoulders lively and satisfied. His coach was dancing like a fairy and with the glimpse of the parents arriving, he greeted them along with the national coach.
"Are you Praana's parents? Would you fulfil a wish of mine?"
The parents felt embarrassed as they struggled to lift their heads and nod.
"Give him to me. He will be out there with the national team for the Olympics. I have never seen a dragflicker of fifteen with as great an accuracy as his. Four goals in four extreme corners while one through the legs of the goalie in the penalty corners. In the last minute, he scored two goals on his own dribbling through the awestruck defenders like a hurricane. He dived and intercepted some passes with the speed of a bullet. He is a live wire and he deserves to represent India."
"Take him. He is all yours," said Ashok disillusioned by his desire.
"Thank you. Mr. Baldev, call your heart."
"My heart?"
"Merely an expression of speech! Call Praana."
"Oh!" With a grin he called the player.The young boy jumped and broke into his mother's arms in ecstasy. His eyes could not be seen. All that could be seen was some rainbow-like tears which flowed in torrents out of the holes. He hugged his father tight."
Said Ashok, "My son! You have become a man your chest is quite taut."
The mother still did not have any words. She shed even more tears than when she heard of the kidnapping and was speechless.
"Son, what is the status of the syllabus? Son, are you awake?"
She only saw well-arranged pillows placed under blanket. Out of the blue the phone started ringing and she discovered herself in the ocean of terror-
"Hello!"
"Ram Ram Ji! Your son is with me and if you want to see him happy and playing then surrender him to me for three weeks."
"Hello! Who is this? What do you want from us? Where is my son?"
"I want nothing but your son. I can track all of your phone calls so if you try to reach the police then you would see him beheaded, Ram Ram!"
And she cried. She wept and screamed and let away floods of terrified waters from eyes. Her husband, Ashok came just to see her wife fainting. He tried to wake her up; he sprinkled water on her face and asked the cause.
"Praana.. Praana.. He has been kidnapped, he has been kidna..."
"What! How do you know?"
"Just now, the kidnapper called and said.. Our son is with him and we dare not call the police or he would be found decapitated.."
"Oh No! Did he ask for a ransom?"
"No! He just said he wants Praana for three weeks."
She had never cried so much and it looked as if the weep was incessant.
Wiping her tears he consoled,"Ok calm down Richa, look we have a strong boy, he plays hockey, doesn't he? We will call the police..."
"No."
"Listen to me first Richa. Look we will stealthily call police. We have to, wonder what he could do to him in three weeks."
She nodded in accord.
From Hissar, Praana's hometown, he was taken to Delhi via bus and the kidnapper kept him in a guest house as his nephew. But he was not a normal or professional kidnapper. He took Prana to the ground and made him play hockey.
"All right, sir."
The kidnapper trained him hard. Undoubtedly, he was best in the business for Praana. He wanted to make him rock solid, a boy with nerves of steel and a great athlete, because he was one of those people who had scanned his calibre with the stick. The lethargic and sleep-loving boy now woke up at five in the morning. Stamina-building, skill-enhancing, trick-embellishing- all sorts of exercises were in the daily routine. For Praana, undoubtedly, this was the period of his lifetime. He could enjoy this even though he was distant from his parents. But he had to do this to keep them happy. Every night his eyes would drench for them, he would say Pranam and go to sleep fraught with dreams.
Two weeks of hard separation ensued for the parents. They would have sleepless nights, all of their day would revolve around police station; they were in a misery. Eversince they had called the police from a PCO, it had begun its hunt for the missing boy of fifteen. All over the state, ads were put in the local newspaper, on pillars, walls and where not. Officials were stationed at various places but there was hardly any sign.
But for Praana, he was on a campaign to bring his dream alive. After a fortnight of shedding blood, sweat and toil, he was ready to play a match the next day. The kidnapper was ebullient with the dedication and sportsman spirit of the young boy. That's the way the coaches feel when their student gives more than expected. He called up to the parents of Praana and said,"You have a great boy. He is a gem. I often find the skill in him to be like Major Dhyan Chand.."
"Hello! Who is this, from where are you calling?", Ashok was ready with line hacking setup.
"Just one week and your boy will create history, sorry, he will be history!"
With the help of police, the parents discovered that the number was from Delhi. They rushed to the railway station, booked tickets and now had to wait for just about an hour. Meanwhile the Delhi police was informed about the kidnapping that had taken place. They were now ready for another call and they would catch the kidnapper.
"Richa, you know, I think I have heard that voice before, but I don't know when."
"Don't worry this is happening because we are eager to meet our son."
"Is it so?"
"Yes."
So they were in Delhi on the night before the big day for Praana.
Praana was on the threshold of playing in front of the national coach and before joining his other teammates from various places in Haryana, he touched the feet of his teacher, who kidnapped him just to give the national team the diamond which they needed.
And the match began in the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Delhi. The ball was with the opposition for more than half of the first half. Praana's legs showed signs of keenness to play and his hands itched to storm the ball in the back of the net. And suddenly three goals landed through the goalie into the nets in a matter of four minutes. The opposition had taken charge of the game and the score uptil the first half was 0-3.
And the second half began and Praana was substituted for the center forward who had an average game losing possessions.
Meanwhile, the police after long sessions of inquiries and interrogations had traced the place where the kidnapper was living and soon they could ready a sketch of the person.
"Aaa!"
"What!", the parents were startled to discover that the coach of Praana was his kidnapper. The father was ready with his sleeve up and they were off with the police to the stadium.
"Yea! Yea!" Noises could be heard with the tinge of triumph. As the parents entered into the stadium, they were on their knees and broke down. The boys of Praana's team were galloping in groups with Praana on their shoulders lively and satisfied. His coach was dancing like a fairy and with the glimpse of the parents arriving, he greeted them along with the national coach.
"Are you Praana's parents? Would you fulfil a wish of mine?"
The parents felt embarrassed as they struggled to lift their heads and nod.
"Give him to me. He will be out there with the national team for the Olympics. I have never seen a dragflicker of fifteen with as great an accuracy as his. Four goals in four extreme corners while one through the legs of the goalie in the penalty corners. In the last minute, he scored two goals on his own dribbling through the awestruck defenders like a hurricane. He dived and intercepted some passes with the speed of a bullet. He is a live wire and he deserves to represent India."
"Take him. He is all yours," said Ashok disillusioned by his desire.
"Thank you. Mr. Baldev, call your heart."
"My heart?"
"Merely an expression of speech! Call Praana."
"Oh!" With a grin he called the player.The young boy jumped and broke into his mother's arms in ecstasy. His eyes could not be seen. All that could be seen was some rainbow-like tears which flowed in torrents out of the holes. He hugged his father tight."
Said Ashok, "My son! You have become a man your chest is quite taut."
The mother still did not have any words. She shed even more tears than when she heard of the kidnapping and was speechless.
