When Father John Puthuva first met him,S Sreesanth sought his blessing. He was about to play his first international match,with a career as a successful fast bowler ahead of him. Soon,meeting Puthuva became a habit. However,when he met Puthuva on Thursday,it had all changed. Sreesanth was on a journey of another kind. It was one of disrepute. One which involved police,jail and trips to court. He saw Puthuva,and cried. This time,he needed salvation. He was like a child when I first met him. He was excited about every match and would often ask me to conduct a prayer for him before he went to the field, said the priest. Sreesanth lived two blocks from Puthuvas office in Palarivattom,Ernakulam,and visiting his family and conducting prayers had become a weekly practice. Every Tuesday,the Hindu family would accompany Puthuva to the church in Kaloor. Sreesanths mother Savithri Devi would call Puthuva almost every week asking him to conduct prayers at their house. Sreesanth would always be very excited to see me. He may be restless on the field,excited and full of energy. But he would look forward to seeing me and waited patiently for me to conduct the prayers. All he would say is pray for me Father, the priest recalled. Last October,Puthuva moved to Delhi and began working for Prison Ministry India,an NGO that counsels prisoners in Tihar Jail. For six years I had lost touch with Srees family. However,on May 15,I found out that he had been brought to Delhi. I tried meeting him at the Special Cell office in Lodhi Colony,but couldnt. It was only in Tihar that I met him personally after so many years, Puthuva said. On Thursday,Puthuva finished his rounds with other prisoners and undertrials and met Sreesanth. He saw me from a distance when he was being brought by the personnel accompanying him. He ran towards me and held my hand and started crying, he said. What have I done to be here? I am innocent. Please ask everyone to pray for me, is all Sreesanth said to Puthuva. He sat beside the priest while he conducted his prayers. I asked him to try not to get depressed. But he turned around and said,how can I do that? I have never been inside jail. I havent done anything to be here. He has lost about eight kilos and complained of a headache since he didnt have his contact lenses all this while. He hadnt eaten his breakfast in the morning. But as soon as I met him,he ordered lunch and promised me he would eat it later. When I insisted that he have something with me,he agreed to a glass of Fanta, said Puthuva. After about two hours of prayer and counseling,Puthuva was about to leave,when Sreesanth knelt and said,Please pray for me. I have done nothing wrong.
