Jab mera bara beta bara saal ka tha to woh apne hum umar khilariyon ki basketball team mein khela karta tha. Season shuru hone se ek hafta qabl main ne socha ke use aur us ke sathi khilariyon ke samne qubooliat ka amli izhar karun. Main ne ek maqami restaurant se ice cream ke bara coupon kharide aur unhein us ke coach ke paas le gaya. Main ne kaha, "Coach sahab, ye coupon in sab bachon ke liye hain." Coach muskara diya. "Kya baat hai. Kaash doosre bachon ke baap bhi aisi dilchaspi ka muzahira karte. Main pehli jeet ke foran baad inhein ice cream khilane le jaunga." "Nahin coach sahab. Main chahta hoon ke aap pehli haar ke baad inhein ice cream khilane le jayein." Ye sun kar coach pareshaan ho gaya. Use meri mantiq samajh nahi aa rahi thi aur woh samjha ke shayad main haar jeet aur achay khel ke inaamaat ke bare mein shayad kuch nahi janta. "Coach sahab, mujhe aap ka to pata nahi, albata main ne apne bachon ki parwarish is tarah se ki hai ke main un ki koshish aur jidd o jahad par bhi unhein utni hi daad deta hoon jitna ke un ki kamiyabi ko. Aur main un ki koshish ko bhi is liye sarahata hoon kyun ke main janta hoon in mein se har ek ko Khuda ne apni shabiha par banaya hai. Main iman ki had tak ye samajhta hoon ke mera beta bhi Khuda ki soorat par banaya gaya hai aur us ki is la-muntahi qadr, takreem aur qeemat ko basketball jaise khel ki haar jeet se ghata ya barhaya nahi ja sakta. Agar woh zindagi bhar basketball ki ek bhi league na khele to bhi mere dil mein us ke liye mohabbat aur qubooliat ka jazba ratti barabar kam nahi hoga." Mere betay ka coach kaafi der tak mujhe ek tuk ghoorta raha aur phir goya hua, "Wah, ye to bari achi soch hai." Jaise hi khelon ke match shuru hue to Shawn ki team pehle chand muqable mein yake baad digar jeet hasil ki. Magar teesre ya chauthe muqable mein woh haar gaye aur coach ne apna wada poora kiya. Us ne har khilari ko ice cream coupon diya aur woh sab akathay ho kar "jashn mananay" us restaurant mein gaye. Mere betay ne is mohabbat ka izhar karne par lag bhag paanch martaba mera shukriya ada kiya aur phir aglay do hafton tak us ki team ke baqi sab dost bhi bari bari aa kar mera shukriya ada karte rahe. Mujhe un mein se ek ladke ke alfaaz aaj bhi yaad hain jinhon ne kaha, "Janab, is qadr lazeez ice cream khilane ke liye bohot bohot shukriya. Wah! Aap waqai dilchasp insaan hain ke hum khwah jeetain ya haarain aap phir bhi hum se mohabbat rakhte hain."