32 Beautiful Moments

So the day started and players came out to warm up. The maestro came and the crowd erupted. He carried two bats under his arm, some would say a child carried two toys, some would say a warrior carried two swords. Each catch he took, each ball he fielded and each time he rolled his arm during the hour long warm up it was as if the crowd was already getting their money's worth.

And then it was time to field. Ponting opened the innings, powerplays happened and there were 15 men on the field; my eyes were set on Sachin and Sachin alone. To be frank I don't know when I will see him in action live again.

• He fielded at short midwicket and tried the underarm back flick (azar style) to run out watson. On realizing what he had done, he sheepishly looked at Sehwag and giggled as if to say "Am I not allowed to have fun".
• Whenever he went to the boundary and about 1000 people went mad.
• During the drinks break, all the foster girls came to him first and offered him a drink.
• Bhajji got angry at everybody who misfielded and always looked at Sachin as if to say "kuchh to sikhao inko "
  

And then he batted... 32 beautiful runs to say the least. The square cut for four, the flick of the hips for four, the square drive and the cover drive, that ever so sweet sound only one bat in the history of cricket can produce (and I could hear it even from the third tier). But alas like all good things it ended. One bad judgement and it was over. Maybe it was the appetizer before the big one at Mohali.

The fact that I left the stadium soon after Sachin got out, makes me think what I will do once he retires. Maybe then people in my life won't get jealous of him.

You will never walk alone

Yesterday I had a dream. I was walking alone, wondering why I am so alone always. I was wondering what I did to deserve this, to be left alone in each and every step of my life. I wanted some answers so I turned to GOD. Here is what happened.

Me: Dear GOD, why am I always so lonely?
GOD: Why do you say so dear? Just close your eyes and look around you.

I did. I saw a pair of footsteps behind me.

GOD: See. I am always with you. Wherever you go, wherever you are and in whatever you do. Don't worry you will never walk alone.

I was calmed. I walked on peacefully. But then after a moment I realized I was standing on the edge of a raging river. I looked around again, hopeful. But alas, there were no two sets of footprints, only one, mine. I started to panic. I asked GOD "where are you? You said you will always be with me".

GOD: Son, I am always there with you. I am carrying you on my shoulders and will help you cross this troublesome river. Those footprints aren't yours, they are mine. Don't worry you will never walk alone.

2 states

Being an IITian it was very difficult for me to like Chetan Bhagat's earlier books. Maybe that was the reason I did not complete "5 point someone", took weeks to complete "One night at the call centre" and gave "The 3 mistakes of my life" a total miss. So when I got "2 states" as a birthday gift I could not help but show a little frustration. Only because this book was about 250 pages and that I had some really pressing issues which I did not want to think about, I buckled up and started the book mainly as a distraction from my worldly troubles. I thought "how bad can a real life story about a love marriage be".

Well to say the least it was awesome, totally awesome. Every page has that subtle humour which you will appreciate if you belong to a punjabi family or if you are pissed off easily by south indians. Some would call the book racist, but I think Bhagat has made fun of both the states without actually making anyone mad. Punjabis are projected as outgoing, happy chaps but too concerned about their image in the society. Tamilians are projected as down to earth people with such a simple lifestyle that they tend to get boring most of the time. For me the highlight of the book was the troubled father son relationship and how they come around in the end. Another good thing about the book is that at no place does it talk about IITians being Gods or superhumans.

Give it a read, you will definitely smile a lot (if you manage to get the humour) and if you really connect you might shed a tear or two.

Things I will miss and won't

As I prepare to leave India, I can't help but jot down things which I will and will not miss in Abu Dhabi

Things I will miss for sure:

• Having someone who cares for you and whom you want to care for, near you and reachable all the time
• Watching cricket matches live at Kotla and Wankhede
• Homemade kheer, halwa and rajmachawal
• Gossiping with college friends about college friends
• Standing up for the national anthem before movies in cinemas
• Comparing Delhi with Bombay and concluding that both are cooler than Chennai and Calcutta combined

Things I will not miss for sure:

• Crazy noisy traffic in Delhi, Bombay, Chennai and for that matter every bloody road
• Sad bureaucracy (read corruption) in every aspect of life
• Sick mentality of Indian men to overpower Indian women by hook or by crook
• Stupid family values which make children hide things from their own parents
• Even more stupid family values which make sure you are surrounded by relaitves when you want to be alone
• Friends who show care but don't really care about your existence
• People looking at you after you have told them you are from IIT as if you told them you are from ET
  

Love is Life

Wrote poetry after ages. Was afraid people might find it funny and childish but someone told me it was good. So posting it here.

Love is revelation, Love is jubilation

If you find true love, your life becomes a celebration.

You want to ride the wind and soak in the rains,

You don’t care about lack of sleep or ever-lasting pains.

Priorities change, thoughts and ideas transform

Your friends think you’ve gone bonkers; it’s as if you are reborn.

It’s a time when nothing goes wrong, and life is bliss

Only if it was so easy, soon something is amiss

There is no time for that cricket match, or that late night poker game

You can’t go for parties anymore; your friends will never be the same

The fights begin, make you wonder is this what you wanted?

Where is the happiness? Why are you always haunted?

Wanting to end it, you try real hard

To take hold of your life, and get even more jarred.

You wonder if all the effort is worth a nickel or dime

And the answer is affirmative within no time

How can you let go the smile you would die for

That giggle that twinkle that soul so pure.

You fight with yourself, trying to sort things out

And only when it’s meant to be, will things work out.

Understanding, care, adjustment all comes with time,

It’s a mutual thing, my joys are yours, your pains are mine.

Slowly and steadily everything falls into place

You find a source of motivation, strength and solace.

Friends tease you but I’d say whatever!

There’s great joy in that too, you’ve found someone forever.

I wish everyone could find their true loves

Find their little angels or cute white doves