Playing for the Carrom Title in Hyderabad

Following photo is courtesy of Farhan Khan of APP. You can make your own story of what is going on but here is my ‘tasweeri kahani’ (photo story). Letters in bold are facts. Rest is fiction. On the hot sunny afternoon of June 27, 2008, some nieghborhood boys gathered under a tree on Airport Road, Hyderabad. Somebody brought a Carrom Board from their home and then they played for the title championship.

A donkey cart boy also stopped by to get a peek at the Final. There were no strict rules in the games as was obvious from any markings (baselines, center circle) being absent from the Carrom Board. The striker was of doughnut shape and boric acid was missing from the surface too. The game was so intense that only three boys (including the donkey cart boy) were looking towards the camera, and one looked away. All otheres were transfixed at the board.