Sourav Ganguly has entered the annals of history. Some will remember him for his fighting spirit, others for his captaincy and yet others for his shirtgate tale. But I will remember him for his bravery.

It was long back, about 18 years ago. A few of us cousins had gone to attend a fair at Behala in Kolkata. We decided we wanted to ride one of the cup and saucer rides, a big hit in those days when amusement parks were just a dream! We rushed in as soon as the ride’s attendant opened the gate, fighting to fit into the cups with wooden seats. Three of us sat in one cup and the fourth place was occupied by a surly boy in a shining silk shirt. He was just a few years senior but sat aloof, almost as if he owned the place.

The ride creaked to a start and we began to spin, slowly first, picking up speed with each turn. The wind in our face, dupattas flying, we shrieked with joy till we noticed the safety rod in our cup was flying away from us. It had come apart and there was nothing to hold onto as we almost flew out of our seats. Fear made us immobile. We couldn’t even shout for help. Suddenly, a cousin’s purse slid off the seat and flew out into the gathered crowd and the spinning lights. Now we screamed our lungs out. But the crowd thought we were having too much fun.

Suddenly, the surly boy stood up, balancing himself precariously in the speeding cup. He waved his hands wildly, attracting attention to us. The ride slowed down and stopped. We were saved. We turned around looking for the boy to thank him but he had disappeared in the crowd. Years later, in a poster in my brother’s room, I saw him again. “This is Sourav Ganguly, our cricket captain,” my brother said. “And by the way, he stays in Behala, near our Mama’s house!”