Football

 I pushed back to Baba so much for his insistence that you start football. You had grown quite fat after the second lockdown, and i was worried that you will hurt while running or working out. But Baba insisted that the solution to every problem was that you should play a team sport. So i am taking to you to Football everyday. Some days, you came back tired from all the running, and some days, I saw you on the field, just standing in a corner, not trying to run at all. But Swapnil joined the class and there were selections for the next match. You did not get selected, but he was told that he was almost selected. That made you feel so bad, and you cried.

I gave you one of my lectures about not giving up and keep trying and you felt better.

It is almost 5 months since then. You are a lot leaner. You run fast. You make goals. You have triumphant matches. Kanv has joined you at the class. He is a good player and he respects your game. 

It is a pain to sit by the bhaji-mandi, smelling filth for an hour. But your jubilant smile after the games makes it worth it.