Ummapalm

i just HAVE to record the absolutely completely THRILLING experience i had last night. relax. i went to watch a match in the stadium for the first time and maaaaaaaaaaaaan im floored!!! PLUS the stadium in question, DY PATIL, is like right behind my house. like exactly a stone's throw away. so here i was to watch 'Mumbai Indians' battle the 'Deccan Chargers' in slightly sophisticated ways. armed with bats and balls whose behaviour is directly proportional to the emotions of everyone present.

Prelude: -

match starts at 8. im in a train reaching nerul from my maasi's place. the train is full of people talking about the match. it halts at nerul and everyone in the unusually crowded 6pm sunday train head towards or enquire about the DY Patil stadium. step out of the station and entire nerul is ABUZZ. there is mayhem! groups in blue t-shirts, painted faces, and all the razzmatazz that accompanies a match...to be seen live.

the 5 minute journey: -

we enter the lane and its full with cars and people. we near the gates and i hear an unusual cheer. very very loud. in unison. my heart reaches my throat. one cough and it will be out. we look at each other and break into a run. we runnnnnnn and the final entry arrives. we run in and we stop. time stops. full stop. i have never seen SO many people in one setting at the same time. i was wondering how is it all fitting in my eyes. it was like a huge swinging iron ball of emotions has mercilessly hit me and blown me off. the sound. the lights. the EVERYTHING. i was SPELLBOUND. i was feeling courageous. i was delirious. i was in a dream. it is really crazy! for a first timer, it sure was! to say that i was blown is an understatement.

the match: -

for the longest time i was dribbling between spellboundedness and behaving like the crowdedness. i would stare around awestruck and then suddenly break into a disco for the four runs struck. its really another thing to watch a clean bold live. its another thing to join in the jubilation that started from one corner of the stadium and watch it spread to that massive mass of people. so many emotions let loose. the yyaaaahh's and ohh nooooo's. bursting out at the hit of play. isn't it amazing that some 50,000 people are feeling exactly the way you are feeling at exactly the same time. its like a nuclear explosion of happiness or grief, wahetever it maybe.

an absolute delight no doubt! i shrieked out alll the frustration, depression, lowdom, sick feelings there. a crowd of unknown people pulled me out of a state my closest friends couldnt. i feel charged up. like a new cell phone battery..operating at full form.

i shall never forget yesterday.