The ground beneath his feet

Those weekends which interrupt my football games and training sessions feel like fillers as they are over before I know it. In the midst of my hectic schedules, tours and matches, a ‘perfect weekend’ seems a luxury. However, such breaks are electrifying when they strike just like bolts of lightning.

A long weekend or a big break is usually scattered in between an off-season. I take my car and drive away from the conundrum of the city. I love to spend time in scenic places like Coorg, Bandipur and Puducherry. I really miss spending time with my family at home, so if I get a three-day break, I grab the first chance and fly to Delhi. But such occasions are very rare.
 
I am lucky to catch a day off through the week during the training season. At such times, I limit my activities within the City. If I train on Friday and have a holiday on Saturday, I look forward to a deep sleep. I am relaxed when I know that I have an off the next day, because I can wake up late.

I get up around 9.30 am. It’s a delight to hear the alarm clock ring then, which is different from the tune I usually listen to, at 6 am. I enjoy a heavy breakfast and plan my day ahead with my teammates.

I love roaming in Bengaluru. It has a number of places to eat and relax. Apart from comfortable restaurants, it’s also a hub for art, culture and various events and is always buzzing of energy. It’s nice to go out here as the fans are very sweet and low-key. They don’t bother us when they see us on the streets but approach us politely, talk to us and take a couple of ‘selfies’.

On Saturday mornings, I relax with my teammates by the poolside at JW Mariott, enjoy long massages, brunches and watch movies. Some of the places we visit are ‘Shiro’, ‘Smoke House Deli’ and ‘Toscano’. We also go to ‘Arbor Brewing Company’ and catch a few matches on the big screen. We like relaxing at coffee houses towards the evening. Then we visit Orion Mall or Phoenix MarketCity and hound Zara’s to shop. My teammates love shopping! We also enjoy bowling.

Towards the night, we hang out late, till around 12.30 pm or 1 am in places like ‘Loft38’ and ‘Sky Bar’. I don’t organise these outings. The younger ones of the team usually plan the weekend; I am only the driver.
 
If I am off on a Sunday, house parties are additional perks. There is a different kind of noise here — we are in total control of the music. I enjoy genres like trance, RnB and Bollywood. Some of us pick up the guitar and sing to old country music as well. After all this, I like to sit with my laptop and watch various sports videos, funny snippets and movies.

Most of all, we enjoy spending time together on the weekends. This team is like a dozen rays of sunshine.  We pull each others’ legs and play pranks. There is always random banter going around, all in good fun. The best part is that there are no groups within the team and we are a one big bunch.

We don’t discuss football during weekends. The group is a melting pot of ideas and cultures and there is so much to learn from each other, so we take this opportunity to grow as a team and as human beings. I look forward to these discussions.

However, being the captain of the team, I also introspect on failures and how we can build our team better. The funny thing is that while training, I wish for a break but when on a break, I miss playing football! Though I am most comfortable on field, I enjoy the weekends that fly by like swallows during spring, which keep me going through the week.

(As told to Anushka Sivakumar)