I'm an ant, or smaller, like a dot. No, invisible like an amoeba, maybe. That’s what I am. The so-called mentors of the club have chosen to erase me. The badminton premier league is meant to build confidence and team spirit. It’s supposed to be inclusive—players aged fifteen and up, any gender, any skill level, no bar. Ideally, the setup is fair. But fairness is a luxury when winning is at stake. They strategise, weigh their options, and send me a message to feign an injury for the next game because I'm a liability. I don’t protest. Because I'm nought.
Anuradha Dev is a teacher who lives in the heart of India, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, with her husband, two grown-up kids, and a dog.