Tip-Cat: Page 5

I feel surprised as to how I could have uttered these words then. It was like standing under the sun and saying that it was night! Both of us had seen the billet strike the tipper hard; but Gaya accepted that I was right.

"Yes, it must have struck the brick. It would not have made such a loud sound if it had struck the stick."

I continued with striking the billet. But after cheating Gaya so openly, I felt a pity for him for his simplicity. So when the billet struck the tipper for the third time, I generously relinquished my turn at striking and handed over the tipper to Gaya.

"It has become dark, brother. Let's continue the game tomorrow," Gaya said.

I thought tomorrow Gaya would have a lot of time and could make me chase the billet all through the day. It would be better to end the matter today itself rather than tomorrow.

"Oh no, it is quite bright still. Let's continue, and you complete your turn at striking," I said.

"You will find it difficult to catch the billet."

"No problem."

Gaya started his turn. He had no practice. He tried to strike the billet but missed twice. Within a minute he had lost his turn.

I exhibited my generosity. "Have another try; you missed in your very first attempt."

"No brother, it has become very dark."

"You have lost your skill. Don't you play nowadays?"

"I don't find the time to play, brother."

We sat in the car and reached the village even as lamps were being lighted in the houses. On the way Gaya informed me that a match of tip-cat had been organised tomorrow in which all the accomplished players would be playing. "Will you come?" he asked me. "Come whenever you find the time; I will arrange the match as per your convenience."

I promised to come in the evening. The next day I went to watch the game. There were a few groups of around ten players each. Some of the players were my childhood playmates, but most of them were youngsters whom I did not know. The match began; I sat in my car watching. Today Gaya surprised me with his skills. When he struck the billet, it soared into the sky. There were no signs of hesitation, diffidence, or lack of confidence which he had shown yesterday. The skill that he had acquired as a boy had ripened with age. If he had only played like this yesterday, he would certainly have caused me to sob in despair. His strikes were so powerful that the billet flew at least 200 metres away.

One of the opponent team members tried to cheat. He claimed he had caught the billet in flight. Gaya was sure that the billet had first hit the ground and bounced before the player had caught it. Both of them had a good argument over the matter and the youngster finally retracted scared by Gaya's flushed face. If he had not backed off I am sure there would have been a fight.

I was not playing myself, but the game provided me the thrill of my childhood days when we used to become so immersed in the game that everything else was forgotten. I realized that Gaya had not played with me yesterday; he had only pretended to play. He had regarded me as a person to be pitied. I had cheated, but he did not get angry because he was not really playing; he was only humouring me. He had made the pretence of playing merely to respect my wishes. He had not wanted to make a mince-meat of me. I am now an officer, and this position had created a wall between Gaya and me. As an officer, I could receive his obedience and respect, but never his companionship. As a boy I was his equal; there was no gulf between Gaya and me then. But as an officer, I can have only his sympathies. He does not consider me as his equal; he has grown big and I have grown small.

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