My Friend Sunil.

A Story by Abhyuday Majhi

My Friend Sunil.

It was a beautiful morning I weak up and call my mother for a cup of tea, she didn’t response and then in gone to my mother room. She was busy with her household work, I can belief because it was just five o clock in morning, well this is a very common picture in every house. But what I saw after this was very surprising. When I get back to my room and open the window then the cold fresh air of Siliguri just charged me up. We have shifted in Siliguri, quite five years. My father was in the post of GRP in Siliguri station. It was a very beautiful place. We got a nice house from the Government. Our house was surrounded by large cultivation field. That morning between such beautiful things, I saw Sunil.

Sunil was my class mate and he is a very nice boy. He belongs to a farmer’s family. His parents always tensed about his future because he don’t like to study. Well this is a common habit of every teenage boy. He just like to play football. He usually bunk classes and in school to play football. I myself is a football lover and played many outside tournaments but his football skills is better than me. One day I thought to invite him to my house to shear my football memories and show him my trophy collection. When I show him my collection he was amazed, I was not making myself great, I just want to shear my memories. At that time I saw that he had become very eager to know about the football qualification system. His huge curiosity can give him a very huge result. Recently that time he had increase his playing time than studies and after some days he stop attending school. Every one including me thought that he was very serious about the football selection which was organized by the Railways. This thing was continued for two months and the selection was over, but Sunil was not attending the school. One day I was going back from school and thought to meet Sunil as his residence was on the way of my house to school. When I reached there I found that the house was locked and there was no one. I was surprised to see and came back to my house. I found nothing about Sunil but keep trying. One day when I reached school then there was a big gossip about Sunil. Then I came to know that his father had died by affecting with cholera and nobody knows that where he is now.

It seems to be a long time we had meet. As my father was a Government Officer I got a Government job very easily after my twelfth examination, and I had decided to complete my B.COM degree from an open university in Kolkata. It was 1998 I am going to Kolkata to attend my classes then suddenly near a coffee shop I saw a big crowd and they are screaming loudly, I was under the impression that what is happening then after sometime I remembered that the FIFA world cup is going on and all are watching football. Then suddenly I saw Sunil. Yes that was Sunil, I just can’t belief that. Then I called him and give him a hug, and he was also very happy to see me. Beside this happiness I had also felt very sad about his present condition. After his fathers death he stopped his studies and become a tea seller at Siliguri station. He and his old mother now lives in a small hut near the station. Then I asked him about his football passion, that he is still trying to achieve it or not. Then he said no but his eyes are still like the eyes that I has seen couples of year back. After that day I had thought about Sunil. I was also a football lover but with time and increasing pressure in studies I had lost my football passion. Now I am a busy person like other people. But suddenly I got an opportunity to bring back my football memories. This is month of May and next month there is a football selection in a club of Kolkata. The Eastern Railways Department have an quota to sent their favourable players. As a junior Government Officer I can request the department to send Sunil for the selection. But firstly I have to talk with Sunil. I thought that he will agree with my words but I was totally wrong. When I had gave him a proposal the he clearly said no to it. I can’t understand the exact reason for what he had rejected this golden offer. Then he said that he had tried this before but he failed. But still it is not clear to me. Then he said that after his fathers death when they escape from the village then they spent three night in the station without food. Then one night when the last mail train was going to Kolkata then he very silently hide between the cartoons and went to Kolkata. He said that he don’t know that why he is going to Kolkata. After reaching there he become blank, he don’t know what to do next. The situation is seems to be like a drop of oil in a huge pond. Then for some days he was lost in the busy street of Kolkata. After some days he found a big football club in Kolkata. Then when he had gone there to request the authority for a chance then they had insult him and throw him out. Then after some days he had came back to his mother to Siliguri and open a small tea stall. I saw tears in his eyes and felt very sorry for him. Then I told him that I can provide him a second chance through a very powerful source and there is no chance of failure this time. Then somehow, I had made him for the selection. I requested My department for the chance and accepted. After some days I, Sunil and his old mother went to Kolkata. As I told that this source is very powerful so my department made a chance to the most popular football club in India name Mohun Bagan. When we are entering in the club Sunil was very nervous and when I looked in his eyes then I can see the fire of achieving something in his eyes. After three hours of selection procedure he had been selected. His mother was very happy as well as me. He had been selected and now he have to go to Delhi to play a small league with the young players of all club. I any Sunil’s old mother came back to Siliguri. Sunil is now in Delhi, fighting for his better future.

It is the morning and I am seeing Sunil from my window and I am very surprised to see him. Then I ran to him and saw tears in his eyes but this tears are not about the failure this are expressing something very precious. Then he told that he has selected in the team of Mohun Bagan and now he will play I-League very soon. I was very happy after hearing this news and feeling proud that I had kept alive the football passion in myself and also in my friend Sunil. Now Sunil and his old mother can shift back to their residence very soon.