Meeting Brett

Source: Sneha

When the Australian team landed in India to play the seven one-dayers, I was elated. At that point of time I was determined to get match tickets. As days passed, a morbid realisation dawned upon me.....my dream of going to the match may just remain a big dream. since the Indian team had been doing so well till then...the tickets were sold out faster than hot cakes.

Now, let me introduce you to Susan. She happens to be my classmate Sarah's sister. More importantly she adores Brett Lee. We were conspiring to get match tickets, but all our devious plans failed miserably. Finally, two days before the match I return home school. While I was eating, Suz calls up and tells me that her dad knows someone who works in Taj Krishna...well, that's the hotel where the teams were staying. I scream in delight! YES! Finally I might just get to see or, maybe even meet Brett.

Next day Suz's dad takes us to the hotel. He asks us to wait in the lobby and goes in to meet 'Susan Aunty'. Ok. We wait...our eager eyes scanning the lobby for any trace of the "Aussies', well… more importantly any of the cricketers. We were tooo excited to even speak to eachother. Then Suz lets out a gasp...I look that side to see Stuart Clark , just two steps infront of us. Well, paradise didn't last long...precisely at that point of time..a stupid security guard comes up to us and asks us to leave the lobby, cuz "the Indian team's coming".

Stuey puts his kit there and leaves. We had a tough time explaining to the Guard that Suz's dad was inside. Well, the he just assumed we were a bunch of autograph hunters who managed to sneak in!Exactly at that time Suz's dad and that aunty come in. PHEW! Then that aunty tells another security guard(let's call him the sweet uncle) to look after us. We had to do what he said. Ok. No problems. Suz's dad leaves.

Suddenly, sweet uncle looks into the reastaurent, and says "Hey look that's Matthew Hayden there, Why don't you go talk to him?" And…yes! He was there, in the reastaurent. Sitting majestically. So we walk slowly. I muster up enough courage to walk upto him and ask him for his autograph, which he politely gives. So then, we chat with him for sometime. Well, he takes some time to pronounce my name.

Then we walk back to the lobby. We show sweet uncle the autograph. He was as delighted as we were. We sat and waited for more of the aussies to turn up. This time it was my turn to let out a gasp! Michael Clarke and this Indian guy were walking towards us. Suz and I get up and almost run to Clarke. And do you guys know what he said "NOT AT THE HOTEL" How mean! I never thought Clarke was a Snob! Hmph!

We go back to the place where we were supposed to be sitting and sweet uncle was all "So?" We tell him what happened and he says: Where else? STUPID Fellow! We burst out laughing. Ok...we pull ourselves together. Then we see Gilly, Hogg, Bracken all walk into the restaurent...but now.. since the Indian team's gonna be here any minute the restaurent's a part of the restricted area. We were not allowed to get up.

We also see BINGA! We wave at him and he smiles back. Wow!!!!!! Then Mitch, Stuey, snob...I mean Clarke...they all go into the restaurant.

We couldn't quite figure what was happening.And sweet uncle was not around. So Suz pushed me to ask a tall Ausssie bloke, sitting next to me.

Here's our conversation:
Me: Hey, are the Aussies gonna leave for practice after they have lunch? At what time is that gonna be?
Bloke: Why? U wanna go with them?
Me: I wouldn't really mind!
( I turn to Suz and say…….f%^&***^~)
Bloke(expression completely changed): Well, what's happening is, the Aussies will leave when the Indians come.
Me: Thanx.
Bloke: Okey.

Suz and I were still cursing that bloke, when Suz goes-"STEVE BUCKNOR!!!!!!" We walk upto him and take his autograph. He says" Enjoy your day" Then the Indians arrive, ok. Big deal. The Bloke says," Look your Indians" , I was like : We've come to see the Aussies. He looked shocked!

There was a huge security cordon. They just walk off. Zaheer Khan looked like he was looking at us...but then, we figured out he was looking at a skimpily dressed girl standing in front of us! After the Indians go to their rooms, the Aussies leave for practice….We shook and hands with them as they left. We were the only two kids in the lobby. And finally it was our turn to meet Brett. I walk upto him and say," Could you please sign here?" He's all," Sure, Honey".Then I said," Iam a great fan of yours, I love the way you bowl,U sing damn good, and preston is really adorable", all in one single breath. He took some time to comprehend what I had blabbered.He was blushing till the tips of his cute ears!

He could actually pronounce my name. Well, it was,'Sneehaa', but still. He was really happy when we told him we could both sing .He seemed to be shocked when I told him I wanted to become a Criminal Lawyer..and also a sports writer.He said,"Never give up on your dreams, and don't take anything in life for granted" We wished him all the best for the next day…,and he ran for his bus, ok not run...but he did walk fast.

We were beaming...as their bus left. We thanked Aunty, and left the hotel...feeling like we had just won a billion dollars! Next day, Binga took 3 wickets, this best in this tour. Then even as India lost...I was secretly very happy. That was when I realised...Dreams do come true.

This story is used with permission from Sneha. Please do not take anything here without the prior consent of the webmistress.