I didn't want to have a Gelato for dessert. My whole being craved some ghee-laden Indian sweets. And the trays at that shop in the mall were laden with exactly that :-) After the selection was made I realized that 2-3 people were staring very intently at something in one corner of the shop. If you are in India and there is a cricket match going on, it is safe to assume that the center of such attraction is a TV set tuned to the sports channel airing that match. Sure enough, as I ventured to the corner I came face-to-face with a small TV set with its volume turned very low. India was bowling and Pakistan was batting. My stomach churned at the thought of the Indian side having to chase at least 275+ runs. Plus I could see that no wickets had fallen yet.

"Can you believe it? No wickets yet" I yelled at my family. That caught the attention of the attendants watching the game. One of them smiled knowingly. But one of the owners who was sitting nearby seemed completely unfazed. "Chinta mat karo, India hi jitega dekhana" - Rest assured that India will win - the old man said smiling confidently. I smiled back politely but shook my head in frustration as I walked back to devour the sweets.

I thought of the shopowner as I stared at the score of 329 in disbelief that evening. What are the chances that our so-called 'top' batsmen will dig in their heels and chase the target bravely? Still, I couldn't help but keep stealing a look at the score every now and then as I watched other programs. Miracles seemed to be the norm of the day. Tendulkar, Kohli and Sharma steadily chipped away at the huge target. I so wanted to watch the match after they crossed 300 but didn't want to take any chances. What if the wickets start falling as soon as I start to watch? Better to watch the highlights later. My engineering and MBA education takes a back-seat to blind superstition when India is playing. What to do? :-)

Needless to say that I thought of the shop-keeper again. What made him so confident of India's victory? Maybe, he can see the future. I must ask him next time I go there to buy sweets. :-)