an NHS experience

Circa August 1993.......in the 8th Standard E Section...The National High School, Bangalore.....

"This time, I am going to say firmly to ASM, to give our ball back," said Shreyas, the captain of the class basketball of eighth standard, 'E' section. The issue of the balls had been plaguing the team since its inception. There were few balls with the school sports management (management????...err.... could be termed as more of a mismanagement by the orange haired goblin, who considered himself to be the Salman Khan of the school, holding hands of any female who would come closer than 1 metre radius of him). Even the balls which the school had, carried the pet names Baldy ball ( the ball had no grip), Thooth ball ( the ball had holes at unusual places) and Tuss ball (had a bladder similar to that of a 70 yr old's biceps).
And there were the invincible 8C section team who beat us at every game, also managed to politically steal the good balls. The glamourous 8D section team stole the rest of the balls, leaving none for the docile 8E.
But things were going to change. Our 'Chreyas' (Shreyas renamed by ASM) was going to place our claim on atleast one of the balls.

That afternoon, during the games period, the carrot top (coloured hair) hulk came to the class. Shreyas told him that we need a ball permanently, for practising during the lunch breaks, and even after school. We could not go begging for balls everytime we needed to play.
"Do you have a ball now?" ASM asked.
"We have a ball sir, but C section guys would tell your name and take away the ball from us," complained Shreyas, mentally cursing Pradeep ( C section basketball team captain), who was always jumping around in the unwashed banians (yes, he was famous for that....also, there was rumour that he made it to the Limca book of records for not taking bath for the largest number of days).
"OK. I will tell them. They will not take your ball ever," said ASM. "THAT BALL IS CHREYAS. CHREYAS IS THAT BALL," he declared.
Shreyas is that ball??!!!

So, whenever we played basketball, Shreyas (the ball) was being thrown around.

But the actual impact of this declaration did not show up until the drop dead gorgeous female basketball team captain of our class requested our basketball for a practise session, and there..... Shreyas (the ball) was being thrown around by the soft feminine hands.

"Oh! Man. All girls are touching you," said Pummy (Pramod) "Only, if I were the ball instead of you."