Ways of the boy next door

Our Punjabi munda is as charged about his game as he is emotional about his family. He loves spending time with his mother and sisters, and freaks out over mom-made aloo ka paranthas and kadi chaawal. Minna Zutshi zooms in on Bhajji and his family

Harbhajan with his maternal grandfather, mother and sister. — Photo by S.S.Chopra

There’s nothing like a bit of ordinariness to give an extraordinary spin to life. The lanes are dusty and rutted and the locality (Daulatpuri in the heart of Jalandhar) is that typical not-so-posh area where aspirations take root without any glamorous innings. Children, who can be seen playing cricket, trot out the "bat-ball" jargon with alacrity. Being the neighbours of Harbhajan Singh, better known as Bhajji, has its own charm.

"These youngsters troop into our house when Sonu’s (Harbhajan’s nick name) bowling. They are excellent cheer leaders. And the moment he takes a wicket, they’re thrilled to the marrow of their bones. It’s an interesting sight to see these over-enthusiastic youngsters prance about animatedly," says Amrit, Harbhajan’s elder sister. And these young spectators are more than welcome in the house. They are part of the house so far as Bhajji’s game goes.

When a match is on and the television is beaming it, Bhajji’s home gets charged with excitement. The room is packed to the hilt and each member of the audience there has an agenda clearly etched out.
Youngsters all eager to emulate Bhajji’s game shout gleefully while watching their favourite player give his best shot. A running commentary keeps track of each minute of the match. For family members, the hours are tinged with anxious moments that often get transformed into rightful pride.

Harbhajan’s sisters sit glued to the television and his mother, Avtar Kaur, prays for her son’s success. "I guess God has a special place for a mother’s ardas," remarks Amrit, even as her mother gives an indulgent nod.

Cut back to 12 years and there’s a lanky lad of 13 who is rather reluctant to leave his home. Tears stream down his face as he leaves the snug comfort of his home to put up with the rigours of three-year academy life in Chandigarh. The mother, too, is reluctant to part with her only son.

"It was a tough time. I knew it would be equally difficult for my son also. A mother’s instinct told me he would feel lonely and out of place. But I had to rise above the feelings that made me weak. I am happy that I got over those apprehensions and let my son follow his calling," says Avtar Kaur.

Success seldom follows a linear path; ups and downs tag it. Bhajji has had his fill of both, but his mother says he has not changed "even a wee bit" over the years. He’s the same home-loving son who finds his mother’s culinary skills just irresistible. first thing he does when he comes home is to eat the paranthas made by mother. He finds them delicious," says his sister in a matter-of-fact voice.

His mother, like most indulgent mothers, gets a trifle emotional when she talks about her son "missing home-cooked food". "Like any Punjabi with a robust appetite, he loves to have his fill of aloo and gobi paranthas, rajmah chaawal and kadi chawal. When I ask him if he gets to eat paranthas when he is away from home, he mumbles ‘Yes, sometimes. But`85’ I can understand that my son misses home-cooked food."

He’s a caring son, who seldom forgets to call his mother daily even if he is busy with his matches. "His phone calls invariably come every day. If he is free even for two days, he drops in here. He’s a person who finds home his comfort zone," says Harbhajan’s mother. "I could not have dreamt of a better son."

Dreams often fly tangentially, but once they take their roots they become focused. And this focused approach gives dreams a brush with reality. It was the dream of Harbhajan’s father, Sardar Sardev Singh, to make his son a "top sportsman". Though he himself was by no means into sports (he ran a hand tools business), he had pinned his hopes on his son.
It wasn’t that Harbhajan’s path was clearly chalked out right at the beginning. A teenager’s wavering mind and desire to play sports in a sweeping style of a youngster had him take a shot at different games. "But our father told him that he must stop this shifting-spree and stick to one game," says his sister. And then Harbhajan "happened" to cricket.

Of course, there were many people like his cousin Kartar Sehamby and coach Devinder Arora who helped Harbhajan become Bhajji. "His talent was teeming with potentialities, and his dedication cut him above the rest," feels Sehamby. But it is Harbhajan’s persistence, says his cousin, which has kept him going, as all other qualities fail to click when persistence is missing.

Harbhajan’s own dream (he is quick to add that he eschews dreams and lives in reality) may be about excelling in his game and becoming like Sachin Tendulkar, but he has already fulfilled the dreams of his close ones. "It’s a dream come true when people recognise you because of your son. You are a non-entity, yet people acknowledge your presence. People ask you about your son’s welfare. It seems so satisfying," remarks his mother. "I am thankful to God that Sonu has lived up to the expectations of his father who is no more. I am also thankful to God that my son is the same simple Sonu — still works hard and finds joy in small things."

Zipping past in a sports car is something Bhajji loves. He plans to buy a sports car soon, though he’s still debating about the best car that would give his adrenaline a surge.

His preferred pastime, though he hardly finds time for it, is listening to music and watching Hollywood movies. "I have my music system back home in Jalandhar. When I am here it’s me and my music system," Harbhajan explains.

Though not much of a movie person (he finds it tiresome to spend three hours watching a film), Hollywood movies of Desperado and Destination II genre interest him. "Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger are the actors I admire. Sylvester is cool and has a real attitude. I would like to meet both these stars if I get a chance."

And when Harbhajan has yet more time at his disposal, he would not mind "fascinating" getaways like Australia. In India, Himachal Pradesh is his favourite haunt. "The snow-capped mountains and the sun playing hide-and-seek as clouds roll by is a mesmerising sight."

One place that he would like to visit is Kashmir. "I have heard so much about its beauty that I want to go there and have that experience of swarag. I am sure the mountains and the valley must be ethereally beautiful."

Bhajji enjoys spending time with his sisters too. "He tries his best to play up one of us against the other. He’s almost successful many a time, but then he himself unveils his prank. Of course, he doesn’t want his five sisters to be squabbling amongst themselves," says Amrit as she segues into recollection mode.

"We remember how as a child he would scamper off to play. He used to be lively and mischievous." As an afterthought, she adds, "He’s not the quiet types. He’s open and expressive and can be in an expansive mood, too. He’s not the one to keep things to himself; he likes to share his experiences with us."

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