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Soon, he too felt uncomfortable

and could not connect bat and ball.
His eyes began irritating him.

‘‘No, today is not my day. I think,
I will call it a day,’’ said Ashok,

under his breath.
‘‘Look! Ashok, see that smoke

from the factory chimney,’’
cried Rahul.

‘‘That is it. That is why
we are all feeling uneasy,’’

sputtered Raju between coughs.
By now Ashok’s eyes were red and

watering.
Raju’s cough was getting more frequent. Rahul

and Sunil felt uncomfortably hot. Their teammates too were uneasy.
The grey-black smoke cloud was slowly spreading across the blue sky. The beautiful

winter noon was marred.
On reaching home Ashok washed his eyes and felt better. But very soon the irritation

returned. At dinner time Ashok’s mother noticed his red eyes.
‘‘Did you hurt yourself, Ashok?’’ asked his mother.

‘‘No, Ma, but there is some irritation,’’ added Ashok.
‘‘Maybe, we should see a doctor tomorrow.’’

The next morning Ashok and his mother went to the polyclinic. While they were
waiting to see the optometrist, Raju arrived with a bad cough and fever. He too was

accompanied by his mother.
‘‘This time Raju’s cough is more severe. I hope the doctor is able to give a medicine

to cure it permanently. He never had this problem in Ahmedabad,’’ said his mother. She
looked worried. Just then Ashok and his mother were called in.

The routine tests proved that Ashok did not need glasses. But looking at his eyes the
doctor was not too happy.

After conducting more tests, he said to Ashok’s mother, ‘‘Well, Mrs Jain, I feel that
Ashok’s eyes have acute allergy. It is good you have come early. With proper treatment

he should be cured.

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