1. THE CHESS PLAYERS

“Anmol, come here.”

Anmol closed the novel which he was reading and got up. Patience was not a quality his ma was very famous for and one of the zillion things which irritated her was a late response to her summons.

“Yes, Ma?”

“Your papa just rang up. His promotion order has   come out.”

“That’s great news, Ma. What will be his designation now?” Anmol asked.

Anmol’s father Ravi Sinha was working for Steel Authority of India Limited, in its Central Marketing Organisation.

“He has been promoted to the post of Senior Manager. But there is a catch.”

“He will be transferred again,” Anmol said, his tone conveying a sense of resignation.

Anmol was quite used to these transfers. Every time his father was promoted, he would be shifted to some new place. It was the company’s policy and no one could do anything about it.

“Yes, but this time not to any office in a city. Ravi has been transferred to Rourkela Steel Plant.”

“Where’s that?”

“It is, as the name indicates, in Rourkela, a small town on the north-west tip of Odisha.”

“I haven’t even heard of it.”

“Not many people have. But your papa was saying it is a beautiful little town, very clean and green.”

Anmol merely shrugged.

“I know it will be tough on you. Once again, a new school, new friends - lots of adjustment.”

He kept quiet. He was not really bothered. He had got used to it. As far as making friends was concerned – that was the last thing on his mind.

Ever since he was a kid, Anmol had always been a loner - absorbed in reading and his main passion, chess. Anmol was obsessed with chess. His fixation had started when he had been taught the game by his nanaji, at the age of seven. During the initial years, as he had picked up the nuances and started beating players much older, his parents too had encouraged him. Later, as the load of academics increased, his love for the game became a major distraction. An above average student in the primary school, he started performing badly in higher classes. Chess was now banned at home and outside.

Anyways, finding friends in a new place was something Anmol was just not bothered about. He knew he did not need friends.

 A month later they shifted from Kolkata to Rourkela.

Anmol found Rourkela to be a tranquil place, very scenic with well laid out roads, several parks and a luxuriant canopy of green. The township was divided into 21 sectors which had been set up along a wide road that girdled the township. They were allotted a flat in Sector 9 which was at the farthest end. Beyond this sector, the place was desolate with a vast open ground dotted with trees, leading to a hill range that flanked the township.

He joined Delhi Public School, Rourkela in class 9 A.  Since he was comfortable with himself, he had no problem in adjusting. He rarely spoke to anyone and hardly anybody talked to him.

In the evenings after school, he would set off on his bike to explore the township. His father had been sent to Germany for training for six months and his ma was busy setting up the new house.

One day, he decided to explore the area behind his house. He took a narrow footpath which passed through a huge field where trees had been planted by the management of the Steel Plant. The trees had grown quite high and he felt he was passing through a mini-forest.  He went on cycling determined to see what was behind the field. As he was half way through the plantation, he saw a building looming in front. It looked like a church and seemed in quite a bad shape.

Anmol cycled on passing through the plantation and emerging in a clearing which was beyond. The church stood right in front. Its walls were different shades of soot black and dirty brown with the paint peeling off.  He parked his cycle and went around the building.  It had two windows in the front and two at the back. All four were closed. The door too was shut.  The condition of the door and windows was quite rusty and it was clear that the church had not been in use for quite some time.

Just then there was a clap of thunder and Anmol looked up. In his excitement at discovering the church he had not noticed that the sky had turned an ominous grey. 

Without further warning it started pouring.  Anmol looked around for shelter.  The only place with offered a semblance of a refuge was the awning of the church. He stood under it shivering. It was getting dark, there was a breeze and it was rather cold. In a few minutes he would be soaked to the skin. In desperation he pushed the door of the church. To his absolute surprise it opened. He entered inside. It was dark and he could barely make out anything. He looked around for a switch and finding one, turned it on. He was quite sure that there would be no bulb and even if there was one, it wouldn’t have any life left.

But to his amazement the light came on.