Summer Holidays at a Chawl

They sit at the end of the corridor. Five boys and a carom board. Four in the game. One patiently awaiting his turn.

Unmindful of the Diwali decorations recreating the ocean floor on the ceiling. Impervious to the heat and the humidity. Oblivious to the last rays of the setting sun streaming in from the large window.

Watchful only of the striker hitting the coins. Of the distribution of the coins on the board. Calculating trajectories. Evaluating strategies. The pursuit for the red coin that will end the game.

Summer vacations! Can anything get better than having time to play?