Novelist Tushar Raheja follows his first novel Anything For You Ma'am with another emotional saga - Run Romi Run. The story is not just about cricket – it's about how the game binds together people from different walks of life. The story revolves around Romi and his friends- Sukhi, Golu and Sunny, and how these 13-year-olds achieve their dream of lifting the annual inter-school Cricket Cup-Eagle.
School life
The story takes place in the picturesque town of Mauji. Usually calm, the town buzzes with activity during the cricket matches. There are various scenes which are like typical Bollywood potboilers, yet they seem so real. The scene where Romi punishes himself for stealing precious cricket balls from the P.T room needs special mention.
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The parts involving street fights, conflicts between seniors and juniors, ragging, procrastination of studies, Romi idolising Sachin and his father will remain etched on our memories.
Training
Victor sir plays a pivotal role in the story. He demands respect from the students and questions the credibility of the education system. Raheja takes a dig at the education system and also delineates the importance of sports in school. Victor sir's unconventional methods to train cricketers impressed everybody. The students were transformed from loafers to disciplined young men. Sukhi is the group's angry young man, always ready for a fight. Sunny was always carefree with jokes up his sleeve even in grim situations. It was this quality of his that made him the jaan (life) of the group. In the end, there is an interesting twist in the life of Sunny- which made him more responsible in life. Golu (aka Gopal) was the gullible one, always ending up as the butt of all jokes.
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Run Romi Run is a piquant tale of chasing your dreams and a reminder that there is some innocence left in everyone. It is a must read for all!
Title: Run Romi Run
Author: Tushar Raheja
Publisher: Roli
Price: Rs. 250
Gaurav Dangi, II Year, B.Tech (Nanotechnology), SRM University