PUNE, March 30: It was an unexpected act, with the initiative coming from none other than Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga, that will be the most treasured memory for a 12-year-old all his life.
Ajit Kunte, from the Centre for Special Education for the physically handicapped children, had just one dream when he stood at the Nehru stadium entrance yesterday — of seeing his favorite stars up close. And after two hours, the standing patiently with the support of elbow clutches paid off.
For when Ranatunga came out from the dressing room after net practise, the Sri Lankan skipper immediately headed towards the boy, greeting Ajit by shaking hands. Ranatunga was soon followed by the other cricketers from Sri Lankan and Indian team as and when they came out, who took the kid among their fold, lavishing him with autographs, and above all, their heartfelt love that would have warmed a million hearts. The cricketers invited the boy to see the match, however, the boy did not turned up due to his annual examination.
Aravinda de Silva, touched the most by Ajit’s afflictions, gifted him a self autographed T-shirt, even as the boy himself was too emotional to speak. A small act of kindness can certainly go a long way in changing a life.