By Agastya Mittal
Far far away in a place called Shillong,
Lived a boy called Kartik who’d been playing tennis quite long.
But everytime he thought he was finally score,
He’d aim for the sky and hit the tin once more.
Today, he was set to throw his opponent to the floor,
but they were forced to quit the game because of a downpour.
He stormed out of the courts in extreme anger,
Sounds in his brain bursting like an ear - splitting firecracker.
He dashed inside the clubhouse waiting for the rain to subside.
He clenched his sturdy fist, and furiously, he sighed.
Getting very bored, his feet started to explore,
his toes took him to the fun indoor air-conditioned sports floors…
…and he arrived at the green tomb, with rules as formal as school,
where full pants are required as per schedule.
He gasped at the gargantuan tables, as green as grass,
which could accommodate many angles, he could not give it a pass.
His dad shouted, “Come quickly, as there is no parking on the gate!”
Leaving the door open, he instantly escaped.
Looking out of the window he yearned to play billiards
aiming to eventually make a couple of milliards.*
He learned how to cue with perfect precision,
Each added shot, a step in his snooker mission.
He started with a topspin follow - slow and steady,
a deliberate move, and then he was ready.
He glanced at a photo of a legend on the wall,
Ronnie O Sullivan, who’d mastered it all.
He saw a stick as long as a broom,
The tool that stands out for its brownish bloom,
It is called the spider, sometimes the rest,
A two-pronged weapon most players regret.
His coach said, “Your bridge should be resolute
So that your cue can go through acute.”
Kartik practiced seventeen hours a week
Aiming for his cue to start to speak.
His parents could not afford a cue, a case, and a chalk
Therefore he had to buy it from a second hand stock.
While he was walking home, he glanced at his draw,
He couldn’t help it, to the floor he dropped his jaw.
The Western India tournament was in Mumbai,
The urban city in Maharashtra which people eye.
He was already playing under eighteen,
a difficult competition as he was just a tween.
He found himself battling the winner of last year
That was why he was trembling in fear.
As soon as he walked into Khar Gym with his grubby case,
He was over- awed! It was a cavernous place!
Wearing a torn shirt and a bedraggled pant,
squeezed into his tight waistcoat which cost a few franks.
Aryan was wearing a new shirt with formal pants,
and a tailored waistcoat which cost a hundred francs.
He started the frame with an amazing break,
and his opponent’s eye could see that Aryan potted the ball straight.
Aryan’s feet were aligned to the cue ball’s call,
And his stick moved with grace, smooth and tall,
Despite that, he couldn’t pot anything after the black,
therefore he strategically snooked it far back.
Karthik’s feet trembled and his heart stumbled in the race,
There was no doubt, this game was a very tough case.
Karthik attempted the obvious blue,
And broke the bunch with a pull back screw.
He created a plethora of open shots,
While he would chalk his tip**, he would game plot.
Whispers turned to chatter, then a shout,
Breaking the silence, they filled the room with doubt.
He then potted the straight brown,
In order to make the ball’s arrangement down.
Suddenly a scream from the audience did fly
And for a moment, his focus just shrinked, oh my.
His opponent Aryan then played a snooker,
This cue ball couldn’t hit the red, it was a tricky breaker.
He took three turns for the cue ball to hit,
because when he missed it, Aryan respotted it.
Then Aryan demolished yellow ball to black,
One by one, not allowing any chance for a comeback.
Aryan smashed the ball-bunch and a red gets potted,
Unfortunately, he hit too hard so the cue ball inoffed.***
Karthik was leading by a small margin- four,
Because of the unintentional outscore.
His hand was very steady, firm and tall,
just like the Taj Mahal, a monument to all.
Karthik hit a break of 7-0 seventy,
Winning the frame and creating destiny.
Somebody in the audience farted,
Disturbing the players, their focus half-hearted.
Aryan was feeling as unsure as the weather man,
Making an extremely strategic plan.
Karthik broke the bunch and played safe
In order to make his opponent play in disgrace.
Aryan then sold him the frame,
Like a car for sale, ready to claim.
He hit an amazing break of sixty,
winning the game with flying colors, swiftly.
He had continued this determined spirit,
He earned the second prize which is an impressive merit.
———
Key
*Milliard- one thousand million
**Tip - The top part of your cue
*** Inoffed- when the cue ball goes into the pocket. This is a foul in snooker