It was the inaugural Coast Guard Golf Cup and the players
were going about their business at a civilized pace. Nidhi watched Tara busy
herself with photo sessions. A stunning woman in her thick auburn mane, Tara had
the height and that great eye to hand coordination of a good golfer but more
often than not, she struggled to convert her talent into winning scores. Her
apologetic air and under confident shots spoke of a diffident and divided mind.
The other women golfers were used to seeing Tara hurry and skip after her long
suffering caddy chanting, “I am sorry Mahesh! I don’t know what is happening. I
usually don’t play this badly!”
A stoic player by contrast, Nidhi was averse to playing with
women
for this one reason; they wanted too great an emotional management from
outside. It irked her when lady players tried to play down a brilliant shot
with a quick reassurance to the rest that it was just a fluke! She couldn’t
stand the self-berating and regular guilt trips that routinely unfolded on the
course. And woes betide anyone who chattered too much during a tournament. “No
histrionics please,” the other women were used to her forthright manner, “let’s
get on with the game, shall we?!”
The goody bags were being handed out. Their four ball made a
beeline for the washrooms in order to change into their spanking new T-shirts.
“I love the shoe bag, and look at this sleeve of balls. So glad I took up this
game. To think I had nothing but contempt for this game once upon a time and
not too long ago!” The women chatted easily and exclaimed over the colour combinations
of their golf attire and whether the caps matched the rest of the ensemble. “I
have not played in days Nidhi but you have been practising regularly!” Tara
complained. “I just hope I don’t mess up my chipping today. You have so much
more tournament experience than me.”
As they emerged from the Golf Hut, they heard crisp metallic
sounds from the Men’s tee. It was their turn soon enough. Nidhi drove her ball
into a spectacular flight; it seemed to sail along the white marker for the
straightest drive. There was peace for a while as the foursome worked their way
through the front eight holes, building their scores in relative silence, Nidhi
refusing to be distracted with self-recriminating debris from Tara. She would
not acknowledge the missed shots, the penalties or the sand skill with anything
other than a poker face. At one point Tara stunned everyone with the longest
yet driver shot, it went tearing towards the green to some 200 yards. Nidhi
applauded but retreated immediately.
Nidhi’s caddie was placing her T when she heard Tara mutter
under
her breath, “My three wood is giving me heart burn. Last time we played
on this course, I lost two balls in the water. And three holes here have super
high trees overlooking the greens.” Nidhi pulled her glove off and stepped back
from addressing her ball. She tugged at Tara and gently pulled her under the
shade of the small tree close by. “Look into my eyes Tara. There are so many
ups and downs while playing golf, it can drive anyone crazy with emotion. But I
am telling you, each one of us here is autonomous and the responsibility is
highly individual and personal. The challenges are not out there on the course.
Your tallest Everest is in your mind! Quieten those thoughts. Let’s just mind
our own minds! Play, shall we?"
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