The Power of the Field

Chapter 32: The Power of the Field

February 1983 – Lucknow

The air was still cold in the mornings, but a restless fire had begun burning in the veins of Singh Technologies—not from fear, but from pressure. Outside success was drawing attention—and not all of it was friendly.

By now, word had spread across Lucknow and beyond. A tech company, run by a young man and his precocious son, was building India's first console gaming system. And not just games—TVs, software, educational tools. Some people called them revolutionaries. Others called them reckless.

But that week, an envelope arrived.

Handwritten. Anonymous.

> "Stop poisoning our children with your foreign-inspired games. You'll ruin them. Take your business elsewhere."

Another came, this one more scathing, and addressed to Ajay directly:

> "Keep your boy in school. Not in headlines."

Ajay folded the letter slowly. Vandana saw his jaw tighten. "Jealousy," she said quietly.

But the pressure wasn't just from outsiders. At home, concerned relatives murmured that perhaps the company was growing too fast. Others wondered why Ajay was pouring so much into "children's distractions" when the textile business had already made them wealthy.

Even some traditional parents wrote letters saying:

> "My child talks only of games now. Are you opening a school—or a circus?"

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Bharat's Quiet Resolve

Bharat sat on the swing in the outer courtyard, notebook open on his lap. The rustle of mango leaves above calmed him. He had read those letters too.

He knew fear. He also knew history.

> "In 1983," he thought, "India will win the Cricket World Cup. But no one believes it yet."

He smiled to himself. That's our answer.

That night, at the family table, surrounded by chachis feeding roti to young ones and Dadi sipping warm milk, Bharat spoke up.

"Pitaji," he said, "Let them criticize our games. But they love their cricket, don't they?"

Ajay looked up.

"If we sponsor Team India this year… uniforms, equipment, mental coaching… maybe even match bonuses—we won't just gain respect. We'll gain loyalty."

Ajay raised an eyebrow. "You want us to become a cricket sponsor?"

"Yes," Bharat said. "Not just cricket. Football. Kabaddi. Kho-kho. Host open tournaments. Use our tech—broadcast events, design scoreboards, promote youth. India is not just tech-hungry—it's pride-hungry."

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The Plan Begins

Three days later, Ajay and Mahadev flew to Mumbai to meet representatives of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The meeting was tense but electric.

Kapil Dev had recently been appointed captain. There were doubts—financial, structural, performance-based.

"Why should we take support from a company that hasn't been in sports before?" one official asked.

Ajay leaned in.

"Because we believe in Team India more than anyone else right now. And we're not just writing a cheque. We're offering a full ecosystem."

He laid it out:

Cash sponsorship: Full support for travel, accommodation, equipment.

Brand integration: Singh Textiles would design new jerseys, breathable fabric with better fit. Kapil Dev would be their brand ambassador, already popular among youth.

Mental coaching: Bharat suggested sessions with a performance psychiatrist, to train focus under pressure.

Training gear: Singh Technologies would offer prototype health sensors stitched into bands to track player recovery.

Media visibility: Using their in-house production team to film short player bios for Doordarshan, promoting national spirit.

Interactive Score Systems: Portable display units for test matches and local screenings.

After hours of debate, BCCI agreed—partly due to Bharat's letter, delivered by Ajay:

> "We are not just playing to win. We are playing to believe."

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Community Games and National Attention

Meanwhile, Bharat launched the idea of Mini Bharat Khel Mahotsav—a grassroots tournament series across Uttar Pradesh.

Children and teens played:

Cricket in open fields

Football in school compounds

Kabaddi and kho-kho in village grounds

Singh Tech printed bright banners. Every team received free T-shirts with the logo: "Play with Pride. Think with Joy."

Each event had a recording booth. "Tell us about your game," it said. Players could speak freely, and this footage became part of a growing national montage.

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In the R&D Office…

A new whiteboard had appeared:

> "Console Launch: April 1983"

"Marketing Goal: Make India Play."

"Export Goal: Prototype Shipment by May."

Their first arcade game, Rickshaw Rally, was drawing huge footfall in Lucknow arcades. Over ₹7,000 in token revenue had come in just last month from two machines alone—small by global standards, but immense in 1983 Uttar Pradesh.

Developers began mocking up:

"Cycle Chase" – An urban game dodging cows, potholes, and fruit vendors.

"Galli Cricket: Local Legend Mode" – A street-style cricket game with unpredictable bounces and shouting neighbors.

"Kho-Kho King" – Fast-paced team runner gameplay with reaction timers.

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A Threat and a Response

A week later, a legal envelope arrived. An American studio accused them of "copying a car chase game idea."

The game in question?

"Street Race Showdown" – a top-down arcade game Bharat had "reimagined" as "Rickshaw Rally."

Ajay frowned.

Bharat sat down with the legal advisor. "The physics engine is original. The vehicle type is different. The track design is Indian. We haven't copied—we've been inspired."

"But we need to be smarter," he added. "From now on, we patent everything. Not just the whole game—every background, texture, sound sample, even movement patterns."

Ajay nodded.

"And we'll also release two versions of every popular game," Bharat continued.

> "One global—toned visuals, wide appeal.

One Indian—rich in culture, language, humor."

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A Company Growing Into Its Shoes

By mid-March, the sponsorship buzz had begun. Doordarshan aired a short clip of India's new cricket kit with the Singh logo. Kids begged their parents for T-shirts. A journalist wrote:

> "While other companies dream in rupees, Singh Technologies is dreaming in innings."

Bharat sat at his desk that night, watching the footage.

Kapil Dev, wearing their kit.

Speaking into their mic.

Holding a Singh Textile bat sleeve.

> "We may not be the biggest company yet," Bharat thought, "But with belief, we might just become the most trusted."

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Final Scene

That Sunday, the whole family gathered in the drawing room. Rohan and Meena bickered over the TV controls. The cousins sat with wide eyes as a news announcer said:

> "India's tech-supported cricket dream takes flight. Can they rewrite history in 1983?"

Dadi looked up from her knitting and grinned.

> "If anyone can do it, our Bharat can."

And in that flickering television glow, Bharat's dreams were no longer just in pixels.

They were out in the field, under the sun.

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