Cricket and Physics

 

 

Again, this is a NEET-centric story taking place in the same classroom but during a different subject. That subject was physics and thankfully, the lecturer was a very chill and humorous person. Humorous lecturer or not, I still had no intention of attending those classes whatsoever. Normal physics was already driving me crazy so why would I think NEET physics would be all rainbows and sunshine? The weather was breezy and cool and none of the students looked like they remotely wanted to stay for another two hours in that dimly-lit classroom (one of the tube –lights said “Sayonara*, losers. Enjoy the lesson in the dark”). The biggest perk that day was that the lecturer was very late and we had an additional one hour for a break. The principal wasn’t in the college that day and had left early, leaving her son as the in- charge (despite being as scary as his mother, he is very chill and easy-going.).

You might be thinking that I could have skipped class that day since the principal was not present but let me tell you, she personally made sure I was present in the class (I have a record of skipping without being caught).

So I was stuck there and decided to practice some of the answers from the lesson “Romeo and Juliet”. I didn’t remotely need any sort of practice for it but apparently, I couldn’t write the answers my own way during the exams (which is annoying) so I had to make sure I at least remember the beginning. I enjoy Shakespeare’s plays but the one play that never remotely made an impression on me was his famous romantic tragedy. The proses are beautiful but I couldn’t help but think about the fact that Romeo was such an ardent playboy who had a thing for pretty girls. I mean, if he loved Rosaline enough to creep into his enemy’s masquerade party, couldn’t he have pleaded his case more with her? Wasn’t the switch from Rosaline to Juliet extremely quick? Reading the entire plot, I guess it is sad for Romeo but why fall in love with the Capulets only? Also, Mercutio, I despise you for starting that chain of tragedy. You could have just listened to what Romeo said instead of acting all high-and-mighty. I know we all love a good drama in a story but don’t mistake me for not liking the play. The way Shakespeare describes emotions with those majestic metaphors and similes is just ethereal. My favorite lines from the play would ironically be the speech that Romeo made after seeing Juliet for the first time. The reason for me not fully liking this masterpiece could be that I didn’t understand the philosophy of ‘Love at first sight.

As I was immersed in my practice, writing down Romeo’s exclamation of love towards Juliet who still doesn’t know she has this masked figure from the Montagues staring at her with googly eyes, I overheard a few girls in front of me talk in earnest about the match between India and England. I have zero knowledge and interest when it comes to cricket so I just kept on writing when Aki burst from behind me.

“You watch cricket too?!” she exclaimed, her already big eyes looking magnified under her spectacles.

From then onwards, a very enthusiastic conversation of two cricket fans started. Aki is the only die-hard fan of cricket and unfortunately for her, we don’t exactly get hyped about it the way she does. You could say the same for me since I’m the only one who watches anime.

Human energies rub off of each other like static electricity. If one is lazy, the others in his vicinity may feel lazy too. Hearing this animated discussion about cricket, I kept my ears glued there since the way they talked about the cricketers felt mildly funny. They heaped praises upon praises over Virat Kohli, the Captain of the team.

“Wait, doesn’t he have a kid? And a wife?” an honest question that I popped at them. What was so pleasurable in crushing over a man who has a wife AND a daughter?

I was told to shut up by them.

The conversation then turned over to the match currently being played by India and England. It was one of the ODIs (One Day International matches) but I was in no shape to be keeping up with the outside world during that time so I mistook it for the World Cup. Anyhow, they both started to feel restless and wanted to know the status of the match since it was scheduled to end at six in the evening onwards (or, that’s what they said).

“I have a feeling we won”, Aki brooded.

“Don’t any of you have a phone?” the girl looked at us beseechingly.

Haya, Hana and I had phones but no way on Earth would we just whip them out to see the results of the match since we had a strict ‘no-phones’ policy in the college. Due to students misusing that freedom while in class, the principal had banned it and only allowed those who had issues with transportation. Hana comes from another town and my transport sometimes doesn’t show up so we both used to keep our phones in the office. My phone was the mini Jio phone. The one with the buttons. And no, I wasn’t ashamed of it. It was purely for calling purposes.

Anyhow, we awkwardly avoided that question and she pouted, desperation clearly on her face. 

“Can’t we ask the boys once they get back here?” she asked

The elite boys were out for a little break and were expected to come back by then.

The question was normal but it felt rather sketchy since the way she asked implied that we had a connection to at least one of them. By connection I mean Aki, Haya, Fumi and Kasumi talked with them platonically. The concept of platonic male friends doesn’t exist where I live so I never exactly breathed a word to any guy lest I be suspected of that. The guys in question were not a problem and they were very chill and fun to talk to (They stroked my ego with their unflappable, perfect, chill and carefree personalities. It’s funny how I didn’t interact with them until we graduated and yet their personalities annoyed me from a mile away). The girls were very chill too and kept that relationship to a limit. It was a good, friendly, un-complicated friendship that other girls misread as to be…romantic. But it wasn’t.

“I am not talking to them “, Aki said resolutely, keenly aware of where this was going.

“We’ll be going home anyway. Let’s just check then”, Haya replied calmly.

But of course, we didn’t know who won after all in the end. The girls were still clinging to the hope that maybe one of the boys would lend them their phone to check but no one was bold enough to ask that. I, on the other hand, passed that hour listening to their conversation while trying to remember the number of metaphors Romeo had for Juliet. The weather was perfect, the sky tinged with purple and blue. The lecturer’s sermon rang loud and clear through the whirring of fans as we struggled to see what was on the board (the light was faulty) and that was it. It was just another day but filled with a little bit of banter and humor to complete it.

  

 *sayonara means good-bye in japanese