Ban had a way with words. So he loved to write, but he also loved to read out loud from the morning newspaper, imagining he was reading the news. Another past time was reciting poems. He would stand in front of the mirror and would read out a poem or a passage in a play and enact it.

Ban was twelve.

Every Sunday he would go to the Library and pick up a story book and would look forward to reading it lazily snuggled cozily in the bed, or sit on the steps of his house and read. Such reading on the steps of his house was a pleasure especially in the winter sun. Reading was something he loved because out of it he could day dream and play act.

One holiday as he was sitting on the steps with the book in his hand he fell asleep. He then dreamed that he was a famous writer. Waking up from his reverie he realized he had a lot of home work to do.

But wait, he remembered having a scrap book where he would draw pictures and put newspaper cutting of his favourite sportsmen, cricketers and sports events. At that time in his life he could not decide whether to be a writer or a sportsman.

One day in school of famous cricketer Conrad Hunte of the West Indies came to his class to lecture to the boys. Hunte talked about a particular cricket match between India and the West Indies where the crowds invaded the field and went into the pavilion and tried to burn the Indian and West Indies flags. Hunte recounted how he saved these flags from being burnt. He further said that the honour of these countries was at stake and he felt the strong desire to save the honour of these countries from disruption and shame.

This made a deep impression on his mind and he went back home determined to take a moral resolution. He wrote an article on it and sent it to a magazine for children. It was published!

This was a turning point in little Ban's life.

Today when he sits on his armchair, a middle aged man he recollects how writing books and novels came to him in life, with grit and determination,and made him what he is now. . .