Mainahy to ek baat notice kiya—English tourists aate hain, haath mein laminated card lekar 'onsen etiquette' padhte hain, phir bhi soap directly tank mein use kar dete hain. Hum Tau Devi Lal park mein roz ek hawaldar ko dekh rahe hain jo bina bataye apni water bottle ki cap seedha bench par rakh deta hai. Thoda apna ilaka chhodo, to pata lagta hai—jo riwaj bachpan se dekh rahe ho, uska ek na ek matlab zaroor hota hai, chahe woh Haryana ka kuan ho ya Japan ka kundi. Bas, baaki sab kehne ko hai.

Met a chap at the park who coaches table tennis at a local school. Told me the federation is picking players for their 'potential,' but who judges the potential, bas? My daughter’s tuition is due next week—I know hard numbers, not promises. Thik hai, potential might win you a junior medal, but it won’t pay for her college.

I remember the 2008 final—watching Yusuf Pathan's sixes from a rickety chair at a dhaba near Gurgaon, my daughter a little thing on my lap. Now these moneyball