“SIR SACHIN TENDULKAR- The Era Came to an End”

It all started almost two decades ago, I was not even 10 years old and was addicted of watching Sir Sachin Tendulkar batting. I was not able to understand a single word spoken by commentators but still liked them opening their hearts out for him. Every single time I watched Sir Sachin on the middle using his feet, showering runs all over the ground, I must try to imitate him the next day I got to play. It was because I wanted to be Sir Sachin Tendulkar, I opted batting and started to believe that I was a batsman. On my every birthday I went on to ask the same gift to my parents, a bat with MRF sticker pasted on it. Never went by the quality of it but made sure the sticker should be in place. It is nostalgic. Every time I went to bat, I would take time to settle. I would starch my hands, hold where the L-guard placed (though there was no L-guard needed playing with tennis ball) and bend my legs on to the ground. I would ask for side screen adjustment, knock the pitch with my bat and feel like a great batsman holding the MRF bat on the crease. If I was ever successful hitting runs or scoring fifty or a hundred, I would never miss the chance to look up to the sky like the way Sir Sachin did, though I could not figure out for long time why did he do that? 

Such was the passion for Sir Sachin Tendulkar. I liked whatever he did, his cover drives drived me crazy, whenever I was in a bad mood, his paddle sweeps swept my tears away, his pulls and hooks were the reasons of my happiness. His straight drives touched right straight to my heart. It was always nail-biting experience to watch sir Sachin batting. I wanted him to sustain and to score at the same time. It took my breath away every time he got beaten by a good delivery and gave me a reason to cheer when he sent balls to the boundaries. Whenever there was a call from the presentation ceremony for Sir Sachin Tendulkar to collect man of the match or man of the series awards, my celebration began. Being at the height of enthusiasm I shared my happiness with even those who did not know The “C” of cricket.  It was the insane of me. I just wanted sir Sachin to score century in every match. I had forgotten that he was also a man who could be failed when It was not his day. I had started to believe that he was God, and as per the conventional studies and learning, I was told “the God does not commit mistakes.” So the same were my expectations from my God “Sir Sachin Tendulkar.”
I don’t believe being fan of anybody..I appreciate and admire them for their work and criticize for their inaction..But there is a name I totally worship. That’s “SIR SACHIN TENDULKAR”
The man without any flaws, without any misdeeds..A true patriot, a true country man, who has been representing my country with pride for almost two decades. There is a saying that “your knowledge sustains you abroad”. But a name that not only will sustain me but keep making me proud whenever I get to say 
“I belong to the nation, Sir Sachin Tendulkar plays for.” 
         

It grew with Sharjah. There were day night matches which used to start by 4.30 in the evening but the events started couple of hours before the match with experts commenting on the weather conditions and the teams balance. Those pre-match evaluations irritated me a lot. I could not resist for too long to watch Sir Sachin Tendulkar batting. And when the openers from India “Sir Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Dada were on their way to the pitch, It took all my attention and I would refuse everything came in between, be it tuition classes, homework even I would refuse to go to market asked by my mom. It was like a fever which made you lay on the couch and you just have to wait it to get over to do other necessary things. I have never imagined cricket without Sir Sachin. I had made a pact with myself years ago that I would stop watching cricket after Sir Sachin Tendulkar would call it a day. I just can’t see Indian team without Sir Sachin Tendulkar. On Sunday 26th may 2013 during the IPL-6 final played between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super kings, there was a tweet asking “can Sir Sachin tendulkar be fit in commentary box?” having answered with 70% people saying yes hurt me a lot. I just can’t see Sir Sachin in any other role but to be on ground scoring more and more centuries for more and more years. And it was so disheartening when after Mumbai Indians won the title for this year IPL, Sir Sachin while interviewed by Harsha Bhogle declared this was his final IPl and he retires from the format. All my happiness and overwhelming emotions suddenly turned into tears. I could not sustain myself and had a vanishing smile giving way to the sleepless night. All throughout the night I found Sir Sachin Tendulkar in my dreams.
All his centuries, his fours, his sixes like a flash back hovered in my brain and did not let me sleep for a moment. It was so pain giving and left me in a huge sadness.
Thank you so very much gentle heart for giving me so many moments filled with joy, proud and spirit. 
Thank you so much for inspiring me to dream. I owe you a lot, you taught me how to live and that too triumphantly. 
Collecting all my emotions and with heavy heart saying good bye Sachin Sir and very best of luck for your future endeavors...May you live long and keep glorifying India at the height of Achievements..There is lot to come as you have still not left test cricket yet. The only reason that I can figure out to my closeness with cricket. Sir you say “it is cricket which wins but I am sorry I’ll have to disagree to you on this because I rate cricket as a loser without Sir Sachin Tendulkar.

This is for every atheist,
S A C H I N T E N D U L K A R(God exists)                  

दुआ न माग, उम्मीद न लगा..

टूटे तारे से क्या माग
रहा है जीने की वजह,
जो खुद टूटा गर्दिश में
अब तेरे किस काम का..

पलक के टूटे बाल से
न कर उम्मीद,
की वो ना तो
आँख का ही अपना है,
न हवा का अपना..  

मंदिर तो जा
की वहाँ भगवान बसते हैं,
पर दुआ न कर उनसे
खुद होके शिकास्तां..

शिकयात न कर मुझसे
की मैं बुरा गाता हूँ,
बस मेरी धड़कने सुन
और मेरे गीत गुनगुना..

रास्ते लम्बे हैं
तो जरा मत डर,
के तेरी इक मंजिल तय है
रास्तों को है बस चलते रहना ..

तू चिराग तो जला
जो रात काली है,
रात का अपना काम है ये,
के उस पर आँसू न बहा..

Thy Art

The moments I spend thinking about you, 

it is an essence of the perfumed meadow your are laying on..
Spring falls all over, aromatic,
rivers dancing and twilight gives passage to moon.
Night birds singing, embracing each others in celebration.
Elated around, joy is like fog
stealthy enveloped from either sides,
here, there,
and everywhere..

Those live moments when you are virtual
but appear in my thoughts…
People claim to have seen the beauty,
but I have seen you and your artistic presence...