Bewilderment...

“So, I may take it as a yes. Good choice, I must add. Don’t worry, the money shall arrive at your residence in a day. Make us proud.”

He had greased a palm of an innocent budding Cricketer, “Anvay”. Poor chap, had nothing else to do but accept it or pay the price of getting killed. They wanted him to under-perform for the much awaited India under 19 World Cup Final Match against Netherland.

On the D-Day , he played his shots. Looked in great touch.. But the very feeling of the consequences marred his intention. He could almost foresee the outcome of his ‘good play’ and ending up in a graveyard.. He was a fighter and lead a life of principles. The ideals failed to avoid the inevitable though. He gave away his wicket and was out for a decent 22.

“The match fixers must be delighted”, thought he, “sending flying kisses to me”. He was torn apart. It was the last thing he had ever imagined. But, they say, when it comes to securing Family Future, everything is fair. India Under 19 team lost the match. Anvay was their trump card.

Prior to the match, Fixers played a bet game on Anvay mentioning that he would flunk big time in the final and be out in the twenties. Seeing the form Anvay depicted, it was next to impossible. Well, the betters i.e. the fixers won a huge amount. They succeeded. Anvay was dejected by the performance he had to show. The sense of guilt could not allow him sleep for days.

So far so good.

But the scene was not so rosy as it appears. An inquiry was called off to investigate what led Anvay to give away as a “hit - wicket” (when the batsman accidently hits some part of his body or bat to the stumps in attempting for a shot) .

Anvay kept mum.  He spoke about none. He knew what would have happened had he attempted. His behavior towards family changed. He was not that jolly person after the match. But then family hoped it as an one-more-post-lost period…

A week later, the evil heads, fixers, sold the tape of bribing Anvay to a media channel. He was bribed by people wearing some masks and speaking with a modulated voice… The case was out leading to Anvay's arrest straight away...

Anvay was caught in a soup. He was behind bars the very same day. His dreams, aspirations and everything broke into shards.. On the other hand the baddies, fixers enjoyed the luxurious life… They had played a double game and earned hefty amount from the media too.

Anvay tried defending his stand for the kickback.. He is in jail for now.. The case is still on and the file is somewhere shelved in the storeroom dust… Anvay’s jail room is his world now. Family keeps visiting hoping for the judiciary system to deliver….their only hope ! But with the pace, the system crawls it seems not to occur soon...

 Poor chap Anvay, caught in the web of this forged politics !