TALL and HANDSOME

As the title goes, tall and handsome was how my mom described Karthiban to me over the phone. And I had absolutely no problem in identifying him when he came over to our house. Even though he was so tall and quite well built with big muscles and stuff, he had this "I am a nice guy" demeanor that I remember so well. He almost immediately became one the most respected friends I had. As time passed by , I noticed that he was becoming more aggressive and especially when we played a match in Anna Nagar, he had this "Don't mess around with me" kind of look with a swagger to boot. I guess staying alone , away from home , in a big metro like Chennai inevitably brings about a change .
This "I am a nice guy " look I mentioned changed the moment he stepped on to a cricket or a football field. I haven't seen him playing any other sports , but from what I have heard, he plays all other sports excessively well too(especially basky). I don't know why but I distinctively remember the first over I bowled to him. My first delivery was a wide way outside leg stump and he gave me a look which kind of meant to say, " Gawd! why are you even trying to bowl with all that baggage around you?". I focussed a lot more on my next delivery and managed to bowl a decent delivery on middle and leg, just short of good length. Bunny brought his front foot down and with a very, very casual flick of his wrists, smashed it over mid-wicket for what would have been a six on most grounds. Next ball. Same length. On middle and off.Same result. Same look as the one after the wide. I don't remember what happened next but I am sure as hell that he was the one who was the king that day. As was the case on most days. When I came back after my JEE though, I remember getting him bowled the first ball I bowled to him. Inga comedy ennana , it was a full toss.The kind which everybody whacks for a boundary. Guy must have been pretty distracted that day. One other cricketing incident I remember is hitting him for four successive boundaries off his bowling in an under-arm match at a time when everyone else was struggling against him. The fact that I got out in the next over is a completely different matter.
And of course, I remember the day when he swallowed some petrol from his bike and how mokkai (a) sriram came inches close to being beaten to pulp. For furter details, see raju's post below.
Bunny wasn't a very close friend of mine. If you had asked him to name his friends, I doubt if he would have mentioned me. But as far as I am concerned, Bunny was one guy I respected a lot........a hell a lot.


P.S.The above photo is a shot taken from the bowling crease at the driveway in 22,station view road....also known as The MCC . This is where most of our cricket was played.