WHO IS PRATEEKSHA KASHYAP? (PART-1)

PART-I

“The heart of a true champion is immutable” announced the commentator on mike as Lau Kashyap started winning every point of this historic game being played at Roland Garros. It had been only 7 months since Lau, 20, had turned pro; he was already playing his first Grand Slam final that too against none other than The King of Clay, himself. He, who had remained invincible for years in the French Open.

Lau played the game aggressively. His speedy footwork and tenacious court coverage made him a destructive counterpuncher.  The Spaniard was in complete awe of his shots. So much so that his uncle, who was also his coach, had to remind him repeatedly from the stand that he was on the court to defeat the Indian and not to applaud him.

After 5 hours and 45 minutes into the finals Indians had found their first grand slam winner.

The Master Blaster had taken retirement from cricket and the Indian Cricket fans had no one else whom they could look up to. Indian cricket was going through a rough phase. Fans were fed up of the inconsistency shown by the players, scandals, allegations and the commercialization of the sport which was considered as a religion in this part of the world.

In the mean time Lau Kashyap became a household name. Indians started idolising him for his courage and determination to succeed; his winning streak reminded them of their own God of Cricket. Lau attained divinity in the eyes of Indians when Master Blaster himself spoke about the Lau when he won his first Wimbledon title.

“I was a big fan of tennis legend John McEnroe during my formative years. I remember asking my parents to get a similar headband and wristband like McEnroe. Now I buy blue US Polo Caps and wrist band like Lau’s”

Probably for the first time since the time of Dhyaanchand, people in India had started watching a sport other than cricket. When Lau came out on the tennis court, people in India switched on their TV sets and switched off their lives” acknowledged an International sports magazine.

Another magazine summed it up all “In India, if you are in the same flight in which Lau is travelling, nothing can ever happen to you”

*******

Two years later, in the month of March, an event was organised by a major promoter of sports in India to honour players across different games for their contribution to the Indian sports. The event was followed by a party in which even Bollywood stars were invited.

Lau Kashyap wasn’t a party-person like others. Sitting alone in one corner, while he was enjoying his drink, he noticed a girl dressed up in a white saree constantly staring at him. He couldn't recognize her. She looked like a movie star. Lau was curious to know who she was. He decided to go and speak to her.

“May I have a pleasure of dancing with you ma’am?” he asked her chivalrously.

He noticed her white saree had prints of mustard and turquoise coloured flowers randomly painted all over it, something he had missed from the distance. Her long flowing hair, light skin and the matching red earrings made her look archangelic.

She accepted his offer and in a gesture of agreement offered her right hand to Lau. Lau held it. He felt the softness of her hand in his hand. Her hands were equally fair with no visible body hair. Alternate turquoise and red bangles complimented her attire to the perfection. He was infatuated.

They stepped on to the dance floor. He was aware that there were gossip-hungry photographers around in that party, but for some reason he felt least bothered. He was experiencing something, which he had never experienced before. Santana’s music was a catalyst in the romance that was brewing in his head.

The tennis champion was a novice on the dance floor. The girl quickly realised that. She took Lau’s hands and gently kept it on either side of her waist.

“What’s your name?” Lau asked the girl trying to be in sync with the tune.

The girl came closer to Lau, bent a little to reach his left ear and whispered in his ears

“Prateeksha Kashyap” her lips brushed against his ear lobe.

“Hey that is my surname” Lau stopped moving, gave her a sceptic look, then smiling, nodding his head in disbelief he started grooving again.

“I know that. You only gave me that name” she again bent forward to say it in an undertone. She kissed his cheek softly while retreating back.

Lau liked her kiss. They were close enough to feel each other’s breath now. The air around her was invigorating; her demeanour was so consuming that Lau couldn’t help controlling himself from falling in love with her. He couldn’t stop noticing her pink lips. He made the first move. They closed their eyes. Inhaling her air he asked one last question to her

“When did I give you that name?”

“When you married me, I am your wife.”

“Excuse me” Lau stopped where he was and opened his eyes to check if he heard the damsel right. But Prateeksha went ahead with the original plan. She gave a peck on Lau’s lips.

“I am your wife” she repeated opening her eyes after the kiss.

“I am sorry, I didn’t understand. I mean what are talking about?” Lau took away his hands from her waist and stepped back. Prateeksha kept quite.

“Excuse me... I am talking to you. When did I marry you?” Lau felt a bit irritated by her silence. He realised he have just had his first kiss ‘forcibly’.

“Will you please first behave yourself? Only then I will tell you everything” Prateeksha replied.

“You don’t tell me how to behave myself, crazy women” the romance had completely disappeared from his head. Lau was back in reality. In his 2 years of fame, Lau had seen many such fans who claimed Lau was their boyfriend, husband or son and then they did all kind of crazy stuffs to prove their claim. But none of them had ever dared to kiss him, the way she did. He suddenly felt disgusted about the kiss.

“Hello mister you better behave yourself or...”

“Or what?”

“Or else I will reveal our truth to the world”

“Really?” he said in a mocking way. “Go ahead, tell the truth” he turned and started walking away.

“Lau” Prateeksha called out from behind but Lau continued walking.

“Lau” she shouted louder, a few people in the party noticed a young pretty girl shouting Lau’s name, but Lau didn’t stop.

“Bloody fucker... COME BACK YOU BASTARD!!!”

Prateeksha’s cuss silenced every possible sound in the party. Heads turned towards her to see what had happened all of a sudden. Why was this woman screaming? And whom is she abusing so harshly? ­They saw her staring at one person constantly who was simply walking away unaffected.

Lau had no choice now, but he had to stop. As he turned back he felt as if all eyes in the party were blaming him for misbehaving with the girl, first kissing her and then leaving her just like that. After all he was the one who walked up to her and asked her for a dance!!! For the man who was worshipped by millions, to get abused by a woman in a party like this was the scariest thing he could ever think of. Lau was filled with embarrassment.

He looked at Prateeksha from his distance. He desired to be in her arms just a few minutes back.... what happened all of a sudden, he wondered. What conspired between them which lead to an embarrassment of this order? It was all going fine just like a fairy tale, wasn’t it?

“What are you looking at? Come here bastard” Prateeksha indicated him to come and stand at one particular spot near her.

As he walked towards her, Lau’s mind was still trying to analyse of what had just happened. He had fallen in love with her only minutes back. The beautiful girl who had smitten him with her beauty was now in an absolute rage. She was a different picture all together. Her eyes had turned red.

He kept walking towards her and though about the tender lady, whose soft hands were in his, was blurting out cuss words for him, throwing pellets of saliva out of her mouth as she shrieked. It looked like some ghost had taken a complete control of her.

As the crowd witnessed the scene, she dug her hand inside her purse and took out a photograph of a baby and displayed it to everyone present there.

Lau could not believe it. The baby’s eyes were just like Lau’s.

“Lau have balls to tell the world that he is your son?” Prateeksha yelled from behind as Lau walked out of the venue.

Next morning as soon as he came out of his room, his mother slapped him. Lau’s eyes fell on the newspaper which carried a big, bold headline on the front page which said:

“WHO IS PRATEEKSHA KASHYAP?”

The paper also carried a photograph of his alleged child and another photograph from last night’s party showing Prateeksha and Lau kissing each other. He noticed Prateeksha’s face was hardly visible in the photo, while it exposed Lau completely.

“The entire country is spitting on you for what you have done” Lau’s mother said in abhorrence.

For the next few days the same photo of the two of them kissing was in circulation and on display everywhere. Internet, newspaper, Radio, TV talked about a man who disguised himself as a saint all these days when he actually was a mischievous sprite. They compared him to the God of Cricket who never ever in his 24 years of career had given anyone a single reason to dishonour him. Lau was declared ‘a cheat’ in media. People took on to the streets and burnt effigies of Lau. They tore his road side advertising banners.

One of Lau’s ex-physio revealed that the baby could have been an outcome of the night in Paris when he first won his French Open two years back. He remembered that the entire team was so drunk after the match that they didn’t even remember where they had kept the prized trophy when they woke up next morning. Later they found it floating in the hotel’s swimming pool.

He alleged that he had seen Lau going to his room with a young lady, though he could not confirm if it was Prateeksha Kashyap or not because he, himself was very drunk.

Within a week all the brands associated with Lau started terminating their contracts with him. They stopped airing his advertisements. They removed all his pictures from the cyberspace to make sure their brand value remains intact.

Journalist crowded outside Lau’s house every morning waiting to catch someone from his family and question them just one thing: Who is Prateeksha Kashyap? The phones never stopped ringing, even after mid-night. Frantic SMSs forced Lau to keep his phone switched off all the time. Everyone had just one question on their lips, who is Prateeksha Kashyap?

NGOs working for women rights sent legal notices to Lau for estranging his wife and son. And when all of this wasn’t enough a few upcoming models seeking publicity alleged Lau had also fathered their child.

With all this around, Lau could no longer focus on his game. Mental stress and lack of practice made him cancel his participations in the tournaments. He lost his number one ranking soon. Critics wrote him off forever.

(To be continued on Friday, 13th July 2012.....)