Rebirth
Personal Story
I looked at the scoreboard. Meghna needed 10 runs off 8 overs to win. We needed 3 wickets, and I had 3 balls left in my final over.
The start of my cadet college life was not easy. Anyone with a face that looks unfriendly at first glance might relate to this. On top of that, I had joined college a year younger than most, thinking I was being smart about it, but physically I could not keep up. In class eight, despite standing at 5 feet 7 inches, I could not clear a 6-foot wall in obstacle course, and I became a laughing stock across the entire college. I remember that day clearly. I probably always will. "Minhaj, I heard you couldn't clear the six feet wall??" I was so ashamed of myself. My days became about slipping in and out of my room unnoticed.
Class nine. We are leading the junior group. We came second in basketball, second in volleyball, second in football. And somehow the blame always found its way back to me. "What was the point of being that tall? Can't smash, can't rebound, he also let the goal be scored right in front of him?"
Class ten. Inter house cricket. I was not included in the cricket team as I was technically good for nothing. Although this is the only game that I loved and played since my childhood. So, there I was, not in the team but just standing and observing the players practice and prepare for the tournament. After the junior group's practice ended, I stayed back and watched the senior group's practice. Suddenly Kayes bhai called out, "Hey Minhaj, pad up. Let Pronoy bowl for a bit against you." Since it was the last day of practice, there was not much of a crowd around the seniors' practice net. I batted a few fast balls from Mahmud bhai and Pronoy bhai, then went back to my room.
When I sat down in the classroom during prep time (prep time is when we get back to our classroom at night to study ourselves in Cadet College), I found a serious discussion underway. A friend came up to me and said, "Listen, Kayes bhai wants you to open the batting tomorrow. But you don't have strong arms to hit sixes. If we take a junior instead of you, we could do better. Go tell the bhai you can't do it. Our junior group team doesn't have a single gold medal as it is. Stay as an extra; you'll still get a medal."
I might have accepted this proposal, because by then I was a person with zero confidence. I don't know what made me not go. I decided I will not go to Kayes bhai and, I would open the batting for my team tomorrow.
That night's prep decided that the next day, if Meghna won the toss, they would field first, and if we won, we would bat. That meant it was confirmed: I would face the very first ball of the day. I couldn't sleep that night. I kept thinking that tomorrow's opponent was not just Meghna's 11 players I was playing against my own team as well. And if I made a mess of it again, the rest of my college life would be hell.
I got up in the morning and went to the field. Although I was a Cristiano Ronaldo fan, I didn't dare to ask for jersey number 7. I was happy just to get number 9, padded up, and walk out onto the field.
The moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win.
Kobe Bryant
Basketball Legend
First innings over. In 30 overs, we scored 77. I made 35; extra runs conceded were 37. The second-highest scorer on the team was Shakil, with 4. It still sounds unbelievable to me. I batted from the first ball of the innings to the last, and the miraculous part of the story was not over yet.
The second innings begins. Our bowlers bowled brilliantly. We took 7 of their wickets for 67 runs. They needed 10 runs off the next 8 overs to win. I had 3 balls left in my final over. The entire field was chanting "Meghna, Meghna." I bowled the 4th ball of the over. He pushed it to long on and went for a single, but junior Adnan's brilliant throw ran him out at the non-striker's end. Two balls left. I bowled the 5th ball, an off-spinner that turned past the bat and pad and hit the stumps. One wicket left. The whole field was still roaring, Meghna! Meghna!
The 6th ball was bowled again.
I could see the ball was again going past between bat and pad of the last batsman, Zihad, from Meghna house. Time seemed to stop for me. Like one of those anime hype moments. Then chaos all around; everyone came running toward me from the gallery. I had never felt so needed in my life before. My roommate Labib lifted me onto his shoulders. They were chanting my name.
Receiving the Man of the Tournament Award
Then I went on to win the entire tournament for my team. I was the second-highest run scorer and second-highest wicket taker. In the end, they gave me the man of the tournament award. The ones who doubted me watched me prove them wrong. The only gold medal they had amongst all the junior group tournaments, it came through my hands.
A small break in the story here. February 5, 2013, which happened to be the shared birthday of Ronaldo and Neymar. On this day, I learned the greatest lesson of my life, and that is never let anyone tell you you can't do it.
In life, God can turn everything around for you in your last 3 balls. I still run on the life force I earned that day. From then on, I never let go of any opportunity to play any sport. Whether I could do it or not, I kept trying. I got trolled to some extent, but it could never stop me from showing up on the field.
Just as Kayes bhai came into my life, gave me a chance, saw value in me, and trusted me when no one else did. Just like him, I tried to be that same person for every junior who came into mine.
In class seven, my room leader once showed me his volleyball jersey (he was the extra member of the junior group) and told me I would never be lucky enough to wear one. By the time I left college, there was no jersey I had not worn.
Those three balls on February 5, 2013 remain the cornerstone of my life. Everything about who I am today traces back to that morning. The boy who could not clear a six-foot wall, who could not hold his place in any team, ended that day on the field. A new one walked off it. That was my rebirth.