The Trophy I Never Won

Final chapter

It was the night before the clusters and I had learnt that my dad had gone out-of-town and would be back only after two days!!

I rejoiced at the freedom of playing my football fearlessly.

The coach had advised me to have a good night sleep. But, I couldn't fall asleep soon, my heart kept racing every second I thought about the next days match and the fact that I had been elected the Captain of my team was enough to give my an adrenaline rush.

The dawn was finally punching in; I woke up with a smile. We had to start early since the match was to be held at a far off place.

I sat to eat my breakfast, Do well, all the best, my mother wished me while placing another toast on my plate.

When........

Suddenly, I heard blustering knocks, followed by the ringing of the doorbell, I opened the door in haste wondering who would it be at such an early hour, I saw a small girl in front of me, she was crying, before I could ask her the reason, she forenamed in her whining voice, Abba....fell down......no one is open.......opening the door, the ambulance hasn't come till now, she cried even more while uttering the last few words.

She was Karan uncles younger daughter and they were our neighbours. I rushed to their house and found Karan uncle unconscious on the ground, the only reflex that my mind could think of was to grab the spare keys of my dads car and drive uncle to the hospital. I secretly had learnt to drive my fathers car with the help of these spare keys. I, Karan uncles wife, his two daughters and the unconscious uncle rushed into the hospital and he was directly admitted in the ICU. Aunty cried uncontrollably, I stood there next to her, and thought that no matter how much we fight when we live in our own motherland, all Indians are a family when they live in a foreign country.

My line of thought was broken when the doctor stepped out of the ICU and handed me a sheet of paper, demanding all the enlisted items to be brought at once, and went back in. Their family hadn't seen the doctor as their heads were bowed down in grief, they could repay us anytime but worrying them with the bill then would only make the situation worse! I stepped out of the pharmacy and handed the items to the nurse, while suddenly, my phone rang, it was my coach! I hadn't realized that , it had been 2 hours since the reporting time, my coach enquired with the harshest tone his vocal chords could ever make, my lips trembled, and I uttered the words I would have never dreamt of uttering," I'm sorry sir I can't make it, there is an emergency!". A pang of pain hit my heart, tears trickled down my eyes, but I wiped them and went to see uncles family.

After four hours the doctor announced that the operation had been successful!! Alhumdulillah!

Back to present:

My ushered thoughts were disturbed when suddenly someone shook me from behind, Nizar didn't you go for the match? Still, with my eyes fixed on the stage I shook my head in denial.

I had been presented my trophy that day by Karan uncles entire family, though they had tears in their eyes; they smiled at me and wrapped me in a hug. The peace united with the gratitude on their faces was even more priceless and rewarding than 'the golden trophy that I had never won.'