It’s the only time in my life I’ve posed for a picture with a celebrity. But I am from Calcutta. Even the shyest men tend to let go of their restraints when faced with football legends from Brazil and Argentina. In 2002, I was in Japan to watch the soccer World Cup. A sort of press conference had been organized in honor of the visiting Pele. Did.
When the time came, my tongue got entangled as I stared at the man I had admired since my school days. His eyes seemed bloodshot, and there might even be a smell of alcohol in the air. She said Calcutta.
At that moment, his face suddenly changed. He jumped up from his chair, put his arm around my shoulder and shouted, “Calcutta!” Everyone in the room turned around and noticed. Who was this young lad in which the great man shone? “Calcutta,” Pele said with dreamy eyes. “Yes, 1977,” I reminded him. “That’s right. What a city. I felt like I was in Brazil! A lot of people came to the airport and followed my car to the hotel. I felt like,” he said.
Pele did not make this up. I could hear the emotion in his voice and the pressure on my shoulders. Then he asked if I could take a picture with him. “As much as you like, my friend,” he yelled, calling one of the organizers to click one. As you can see from the photo, I’m like a little boy holding his chest up and rubbing shoulders with his great sports hero. I was in tears. Sleep tight, Black Pearl. You were very, very special.
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