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I was walking along the only road in Aihole and exploring the endless number of temples dotting the village. There were temples everywhere – to my left, right and ahead, and there were temples that I had left behind. At some point I came to a fork and was wondering where next. As I looked around, I heard voices of children near the bend. One of them ran into me and asked me, with a beaming face -
“What is your name?”
I answered. A few more kids shouted the same question to me from behind a fence. They were playing cricket. The typical Indi-street cricket – with a rubber ball, a stick for the bat and a few bricks for wicket. I think they found me friendly enough, I was invited to join them for a game. I could have done with some break from all the temple trotting and readily jumped in. Nice guys they were, they let me bat.
Cricket is not my favourite game and it has been a few years since I have played. I fumbled and stumbled but picked up a bit after a few minutes. And let me admit, the kids were good and some of the deliveries zipped off taking me by surprise. But I had my time with the bat too. After sometime, I started feeling guilty about monopolizing the bat, and opted out and fielded a bit. I also had turn with the ball and shared a few overs with another kid.
I must have played for a good half hour before I decided it is time to leave. I patted some of them for their brilliance and walked out of the tiny ground. As I moved into the road, a man walking nearby greeted me, and started with the usual question of ‘where am I coming from?’ I started answering him and heard the kids shout from behind – “Watch out for him, he will ask you for money”. In that last thirty minutes, we were friends already.
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How come no fotos of the kids…those seem be your speciality…Human intrest in Rural/ Heritage settings?
i dont know why. i like these snippets from your travel – with kids, the tea shop owner. keep them coming.
Thanks for the comments.
There arent any photos coz I was playing
[...] at Hampi* The days in Hampi* One evening, in Hampi* Badami* Banashankari* Pattadakal* Mahakoota* Playing Cricket in Aihole..* Aihole’s temples* Information: Badami, Aihole and [...]