Cricket Anyone? India vs Australia

He looked up sharply, then broke into a broad grin. "There's a couple of one day games and some twenty-twenty Big Bash matches coming up. They're not as good as the IPL, but they're fun."

He quickly finished processing Madiha's documents and handed them back. "Enjoy your visit. Take it easy and don't work too hard. And be careful. It's very hot today."

Madiha thanked him and moved towards the exit. 'Don't work too hard?' She wondered what he meant by that. Working hard was the whole point of her visit.

Out in the arrival hall, she looked for anyone that may have been her ride into the city. There were a lot of people holding signs or tablets with names on them, but none of them hers. Frustrated, she checked her phone again then realised that it was only a bit after 5 am in India - too early even for Neha to be awake. Madiha grated her teeth and kept searching for her driver.

After an hour it was obvious something had happened, so she found a seat so she could think. Her body suddenly realised the time difference and she was getting tired, hungry and frustrated. 'Right,' she thought. 'I guess I'll have to get a taxi. I was given a credit card for emergencies. This is certainly an emergency.'

She downloaded a map giving directions to her apartment, and an app that gave her an estimated cost for a taxi. Madiha had been caught before by unscrupulous drivers, so she thought a little bit of research was time well spent.

Madiha looked around and saw the signs pointing to the taxi rank. With a renewed sense of determination, she shoved the trolley towards the exit. This was becoming a nightmare. No phone, no driver, no food, no help. She just wanted to get to her apartment, have a shower, get changed into some fresh clothes and eat. Then sleep. She was sure she could sleep until Monday morning. Or whatever time her body thought it was.

The automatic doors opened and Madiha was hit with a wall of heat. It was like nothing she had ever experienced. The wind felt like it came straight out of Hell, sucking every scrap of moisture instantly off her body. 'Oh my God!' she thought, watching people go around their normal business, 'This is crazy hot! How can people work in this heat and wind?'

She joined the taxi queue and mercifully got into one before she collapsed. The driver, a cheerful middle-aged Indian man, swung her luggage into the boot while she slid into the back seat.

"Where to, madam?" the driver asked.

Madiha gave him the address in Docklands and the driver took off. "Is it always this hot?" She squinted at the driver identification tag, "Ravi."

Ravi laughed, "I come from Jodhpur, so I'm used to the dry heat. But I do admit, it is rather warm today, even for me." He flicked a glance at the rearview mirror to admire his fare. "By the look of your baggage and clothing, I'm guessing you're here on business?"

Even with the air conditioning on full blast, little rivulets of sweat were running off Madiha's body making her feel very uncomfortable. "Yes. I have a three-month project in Melbourne. I start Monday."

Ravi nodded, "I thought so. I don't see too many Brahmin women here by themselves. So," he turned and looked at her "how would you like a personal chauffeur? I've been in Melbourne for ten years, and I can show you some very interesting sites. And my rates are very reasonable. Or even free."

Madiha rolled her eyes at the toothy leer Ravi gave her. "No thank you," she said curtly, "I don't intend to spend much time socialising. I have more important things to do." He tried to engage her in further conversation, but she kept her answers short and noncommittal, particularly when his offers to 'show her the best of Indian Melbourne' became more direct and lewd.

She looked at the map on her phone. "Where are you going? This isn't the direct route."

She instantly saw a change in Ravi, and she regretted not eating anything since breakfast on the plane. Everything going wrong had put her on edge, and being hungry didn't help her attitude at all. She also realised that she hadn't any Australian currency, so getting something to eat was going to be a big problem when they stopped.

Ravi glared in the mirror at her and said, "Roadworks. Always roadworks on the freeway. This is the quickest way. I've been here for ten years. I know this town. You should trust me." He then muttered something under his breath about how Indian women should know their place.

The rest of the trip was in near silence. Madiha was embarrassed at her outburst and tried to apologise.

"No need madam. I'm just your driver. I will get you to where you should be as quick as possible. After all, I wouldn't want to inconvenience such an important person as yourself," Ravi frostily replied.

Madiha decided to just sit back and watch her new surroundings. She had to admit the route Ravi was taking through the suburbs was more interesting than just going along the freeway. He drove down streets of detached brick houses, through shopping areas and past trams. She was amazed by how little traffic there was on the roads compared to nearly every Indian town she'd lived in or visited. She suspected the heat was keeping a lot of people indoors.

After about an hour Ravi pulled up in the Docklands area. "Docklands, madam," He said and unceremoniously dumped her luggage on the footpath.

Madiha looked at the fare and tried to convert it into rupees. It seemed very high, but she paid with her new credit card as she didn't want to antagonise Ravi anymore. She looked around. There were a lot of high rise apartments by the waterfront, a shopping area down the road, office buildings nearby, closed restaurants and tram tracks. No people though, and no obvious signs pointing to her accommodation. "Where's the apartment reception, Ravi?" she asked.

"Over there," Ravi vaguely waved at a building over the road.

"Can you please help me get my bags to it?" Madiha pleaded.

"No. Sorry madam, I'm not a porter. I have another fare. Enjoy Australia," he said stiffly, followed very quietly by, "Saali kutti..."

Madiha's jaw dropped. 'Saali kutti? He called me a fucking whore of a dog!!!' she thought angrily.

Sarcastically she automatically replied, "Gand maraa behenchod!" (Go fuck yourself, you sister fucker!)

Ravi glared at her and jumped in the taxi, sticking his middle finger up out the window as he drove off, "Bitch!"

She yelled after him, "Gand maraa, asshole!" (Go fuck yourself, asshole!)

Madiha watched the taxi turn a corner and out of sight. Furiously, she stamped her foot on the ground. "Why are fucking taxi drivers the same the world over?" she swore at no one in particular.

She took a deep breath and forlornly looked around, 'So, I have no phone, no idea where I really am, it's late Saturday afternoon and there's no one around in a fucking huge city. I'm tired, hot, hungry, and just a little bit upset. What the hell am I going to do?'

Madiha looked at her useless phone again and started cursing out loud at taxi drivers, bigoted males who hate seeing women get a promotion, fucking useless telecommunications companies, and the world in general.

"Oh, this is just wonderful! Is there any more shit you'd like to throw at me?" she asked the bright steel-blue sky.

"G'day miss. You ok?"

She whirled around to look at the voice, tears of frustration just starting to form in her eyes. Madiha squealed and involuntarily took a step back as she was confronted with the grinning face of the Demon Ryuk from Death Note. She stumbled over the cursed box of training materials but a hand shot forward and grabbed her arm tightly before she fell completely.

Madiha gasped in shock and looked up at the owner of the arm. A fairly tall youngish man with red hair was looking intently at her with concern.

"Geez, be careful." He hauled her upright. "I didn't think I was that scary."

Madiha laughed nervously. Falling on her backside would have really finished the day nicely. "Thank you. Well, I'm a bit lost. And you're not scary. I've had a terrible day and staring eye to eye at a demon, well, startled me."

She straightened her skirt and held out her hand. "Hi. I'm Madiha Agarwal. I've just arrived from India, and this is where the taxi left me." She took the opportunity to examine her rescuer. He was quite tall - she only came up to his shoulders - but he had a solid, athletic build. He had very red hair, so red she wondered if the colour was real. He was also very pale but covered in brown freckles. She had never met anyone that looked like him, even in the USA. Madiha guessed he was in his mid-twenties, but couldn't be sure. He was wearing the Death Note T-shirt that had startled her and a pair of long white pants with a distinctive red stain on the right side of his crotch. As he was also carrying a cricket bat over his shoulder, she thought it was a reasonable assumption he played cricket and was probably a bowler.

The man took her hand and firmly shook it. "Hi Madiha. I'm Russell. Russell Knight. Call me Russ. Or Rusty. Just not late for dinner," He laughed at something - Madiha wasn't sure at what. "So what are you doing in the middle of nowhere?"

Madiha briefly explained what had happened, trying not to get emotional as she recited the tale.

"Geez, that's a bit rough. I'll give you a hand if you want. Where's your apartment?"

She gave him the address, which he looked up on his phone. "Bloody driver left you two blocks away. What a prick. Ok, no worries, follow me." He picked up the box of materials and swung it onto one shoulder, and dragged one of her wheeled suitcases behind him.

Madiha followed with the rest. "Do you play cricket?" she asked.

"Nah, I just bought this to swat flies. Sorry, that's a bit rude. Yep, I'm actually a fast bowler in a local second - eleven but I needed a new bat. Broke the last one, but it was a six so worth it. You're lucky I wandered by. I only came to the sports store down the road because they're the cheapest around by a long shot." He turned slightly. "You play, or a fan?"

Madiha quickly walked after Russ, who just seemed to be strolling along. The box of trouble didn't seem to be causing him any problems on his shoulder. She could hardly lift it. "Isn't that box heavy?"

"Nah. It's just a bit heavier than a slab, but she's right. Nearly there."

She wasn't sure about some things he had said. He obviously was speaking English, but some of his phrases had her slightly confused. A slab of what? Concrete? Marble? And who's right?

Trying to keep up a conversation, she admitted to just being a cricket fan. "I follow the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. For the moment."

"Oh. Really? Why for the moment?" Russ asked. He hadn't met many Indian women, but he knew cricket was ridiculously popular over there so it made sense she followed the IPL.

"Well, if Dhoni leaves, they will be in trouble. I like him, so if he goes to another team I may change my allegiance."

Russ nodded, "Fair enough. I can see that." He tilted his head and pointed his chin towards the next intersection, "Your joint should be just around the corner."

Madiha was relieved to see the sign for her accommodation. The office was tiny, and she was glad Russell had pointed it out. It would have been easy to walk right past without noticing.

Russell put the box down inside the office and rolled his shoulder. "There you go. All good?"

She nodded, "Thanks Russell. I really do appreciate your help."

"Umm, Madiha. How are you going to get that box of stuff to your work?"

Madiha looked down at the box, "I'm not sure. I was going to get a taxi to take me to work, but I really don't like that idea anymore."

"Well, no worries. Where's your office? Might be able to sort out that drama for you."

She gave him the address. He laughed, "Seriously? You work for Raspberry Infotech? They're in the building next to mine, about 15 minutes away from here." He looked with amusement at the hot, tired girl in front of him. "Tell you what. If you're game, let me take you out to dinner. My shout. Just to make up for the lousy day you've had. I don't want your first day in Oz to be too crappy. How about I meet you back here in a couple of hours? That'll give you time for a chance to freshen up and maybe have a bit of a snooze. I'll whip past your work so you can see where you have to go. I know there's a security guard in my joint, so I can leave your gear with him, then you just have to get it next door. How's that sound?"

Madiha only understood parts of what he said but it all sounded great, particularly dinner. "That is wonderful. Thank you, Russell. I haven't had anything to eat since early this morning, and I didn't know what I was going to do for dinner." She looked down at her sweaty shirt. It really needed changing. "What should I wear?"

Russ scratched his head, "Depends. I was planning to get a pizza, but I could go for some Indian if you want. Either way, just something casual and cool. Jeans maybe, a t-shirt. Nothing too flash. And call me Russ. Russell is pretty formal."

"Pizza. I would love a nice pizza. Ok Russ, I'll meet you here. And thanks."

"Sounds good. No worries, I'll see you about six." He pulled a business card out of his wallet and handed it to her. "Any dramas, just give me a bell or flick me an email. I'll understand if you're feeling a bit ordinary and want to pull out."

He stepped back out into the heat and strolled off, swinging the bat as he walked. Madiha watched him go until he turned a corner. After the awful day she'd had, things were looking better. She heard the receptionist behind her clear her throat, "Good afternoon, madam. I assume you're Madiha Agarwal. Welcome to Melbourne. Looks like you've had an interesting trip."

Madiha smiled for the first time that day, "Yes I am. And thank you. It hasn't been very good until now, but it's looking better."

The girl behind the counter chuckled, "Yes. He did look pretty good. I'll call your room when he arrives."

Madiha took the room key and thanked Bree, the receptionist, and went upstairs to her room. She dumped her luggage in the middle of the lounge area and looked around. Spying the kitchen, she found a couple of cold water bottles in the refrigerator. They became empty very quickly.

Feeling a bit more refreshed, she peeled off her sweaty clothes and searched her luggage for her toiletries. The cool breeze from the air conditioner made her skin tingle but she really wanted a long shower to wash the stink of the day away.

The shower was wonderful. The large shower head let water rain down like it was a monsoon. She sighed deeply and sat on the shower floor, just letting the water cascade down over her tired body. She reflected on the day's events. How could so many things go so wrong in such a short time? She shook her head slowly then tilted her head up so the water hit her face. Then to be saved by a complete stranger who just happened to be walking by. What a day...

Madiha laughed out loud as an absurd thought struck her. She was actually living in a fairy tale. She'd had sex with Shrek and owed money to his ogre wife Fiona. She was set upon by Jabba the Hutt, and the Sikh officer was actually the judge in the Hindu afterlife Court of Yama, where she had been condemned to a fiery Hell and tormented by the troll from Jodhpur who left her lost and confused in the middle of nowhere.

And then she was saved from damnation by a man called Knight. An actual White Knight who came by swinging his sturdy weapon and led her out of the wilderness. She bowed her head and sighed deeply. She was so tired, but the thought of pizza with her White Knight saviour kept her going. She stood up and washed the sweat off herself. Madiha started to feel much better as she stepped out of the stall.

A bit after 6 pm her apartment phone rang and Bree informed her that Russ had arrived. Madiha had managed to get a bit of sleep and was feeling a bit more alive. She had sent a quick email to Neha to say she was safe but would give her more details later. She bounced down the stairs to the reception area and saw Russ casually leaning against the wall chatting to Bree.

He stood up when she arrived and smiled at his dinner companion. His first impression of Madiha was pretty good, but this was the first chance he'd had to really look at her. She looked great. He figured she was about 5' 6", slim and had long black silky hair in a ponytail that fell halfway down her back. She was a much lighter brown than most Indians he had worked with and was wearing a denim miniskirt and a short orange off the shoulder t-shirt that exposed a black bra strap and her taut midriff. He couldn't fail but notice she had a nice pair of boobs. She wasn't tall, but her legs...

He was surprised at her choice of clothing. He had the impression Indian women were very conservative with their dress sense and Madiha's definitely wasn't conservative. The look suited her.

"Wow! You look pretty good for someone that's had such a crappy day. Ready?" Russ said.

"I feel much better thanks. And I'm ready." She followed him out to his car. He opened the door for her, and she noticed he'd already placed the troublesome box in the back seat. He really was a gentleman.

"Righto, so probably the best option for you on Monday is to catch the tram. It's free from the stop where doofus dropped you off to near your work." He pointed to the stop on the main road, then turned right. "So you're pretty much looking at about a fifteen-minute trip in peak hour. It's about twenty to walk. Route's basically the same but don't do it in the heat."

She curiously watched out the car's window as he drove to his office. It was still daylight but there was hardly anyone around. She found this quite odd. "Where is everyone? If this was India, there would be hundreds, if not thousands of people by the water."

"Yeah, nah, Docklands is a bit of a wasteland after business hours. Don't really know why. I haven't been living here long but I like it. Close to work. It's a pain parking the car though. Real tiny spot." He pulled up outside a glass-clad office building. "Ok, so this is mine. The nearest tram stop is just behind us at the corner. Over there is yours." He pointed to a similar-looking building. She could just see a small Raspberry Infotech logo amongst others on the glass wall. "I don't know if you have someone looking after security or if it's locked up for the weekend so I'll drop your box here with your name on it so you can get someone to grab it on Monday."

He picked up the box, "Back in a tick."

She watched him walk through the entrance and talk to the security guard. The guard waved at her, and Russ jumped back into the car. "That's sorted. No worries for Monday. So I booked a table at a wood-fired pizza place in Lygon Street. Hope you like it."

He headed off, pointing out sites of interest as they drove.

"Docklands Stadium. Or Telstra. Or Etihad. Or Marvel. Depends on the current sponsor. They used to play cricket there, but haven't for a while. Footy and concerts mostly."

"Southern Cross train station down there. Suburban and country trains. Bus back to the airport. Probably more reliable than the git that brought you in. Cheaper too, I'll bet."

"Head down there to Bourke St if you want business clothes or more trendy stuff. For cheap clothes to knock around in and fresh food, over there to the Queen Vic Market."

Madiha was fascinated with the sights. She was also grateful that she was being given a guided tour seemingly without any expectations of payment in return. "So how do I get a tram ticket?"

Russ flicked a glance at her and grinned, "Don't have to, as long as you stick to the CBD area. Free trips. Pretty cool. Should be a map at each stop of the free zone. Trains you have to pay.We have a really stupid ticketing sytem that's no good for visitors, so I guess you'll have to figure out if you need to buy a Myki. Your work should be able to help you suss that out."