Aaditya Sengupta Dhar

Mumbai, India

Tug of War

No bigger Cricket match: India versus Pakistan! The stadium, packed with fans, on one side a sea of Indian blue, the other, Pakistani green, taunting each other as emotions boil over. Virat Kohli sends the ball soaring into the crowd. Two boys spring up. One in blue, the other in green. They sprint towards the ball, eager to win glory for their side. They grab it simultaneously, tugging violently for possession. They see not another kid, but a representative of the enemy their fathers rant about. Their image flashes on the giant LED screen. The commentator’s voice booms out. “How wonderful! Two young fans from the arch-rivals shaking hands!” The two children stand still as some in the surrounding crowd begin clapping. Their grip on the ball loosens, and they look at each other sheepishly, finally seeing each other as people, not just a member of the ‘other side’. They’re in their early teens, virtually indistinguishable other than their t-shirt’s color. They grin and toss the ball back into the ground and sit together, watching the match, chatting. Much divides them – history, politics, conflict, religion, but in a small way, they discover that it’s always possible to find common ground.