Taken back to the cusp of my teenage years, I am the last player left to defend the school kho kho team, being chased by an opponent, on a rectangular playfield, the onus of victory resting on ten tentative toes. My petite frame, drizzled with fervour of a zillion, sun-tinged faces, whizzes in and out like a lit arrowhead through a row of squatting rivals, poised to tag me out.
spring fever
the meadow
a medley of colors
Ripping through the tight-lipped wind, a whistle’s screech announces the game’s end. I surrender to gravity with a thud after wresting a win for my side, thunder of applause, a thin murmur in my ears as I am pulled from the edge of blur to the scent of elation.
almanac
the wingspan
of a dribble of ink
Note: Kho Kho is an Indian game played between two teams where each player runs to tag the opponent player in the shortest possible time.