Calcutta, Nov. 26: Hours of booing and barracking later, as a hush descended over Eden Gardens, one voice emerged from the cacophony.

That of Sanjay Khemka, India’s fan No. 1.

The first-year commerce student of Bhawanipur Education Society had stood up to be counted in his Team India shirt last evening, screaming his lungs out for Dravid and the boys beaten black and blue.

His lines of loyalty, heard above the howls of hostility, won him a dream trip ? to the Team India dressing room, courtesy a call from Mohammed Kaif.

As the Indian team stood defeated, head bowed under the boos, Sanjay leaned over the railing of the club house lower tier and started shouting: “Jeetega bhai jeetega, India jeetega?.”

The solitary slogan of support, almost drowned in the din, reached Kaif’s ears during the presentations. Turning towards the club house, he drew Harbhajan Singh’s attention to Sanjay and his friend. R.P. Singh and then, Sachin Tendulkar, too, turned to follow their gaze. A brief huddle later, Kaif was seen walking back to the boundary ropes and a CAB official was summoned. The instruction: can you bring that boy in a Team India jersey to the dressing room?

“The policemen were not allowing me in, but when I insisted that Kaif had called me, a man in a blue jacket relented,” the 19-year-old told The Telegraph. The rest was easy.

“Kaif asked me, ‘Even now you are cheering for India?’”

Sanjay’s reply: “Akhir dil hai Hindusthani.”

“Ok, we will win (the) next match,” said Kaif.

As the boy wished him “better luck next time” for Mumbai, Kaif asked: “You don’t want my autograph?”

The teenager had neither pen nor paper. Kaif smiled and said: “Better luck next time to you, too.”