I am neither a cricketing enthusiast nor an ardent fan of Mr. Sachin Tendulkar. I do not live upon breathing every bit of the man. I have never followed him like a shadow that doesn't desert him even in the darkest of his hours. I have not worshiped him like a deity. I have never kept count of the fours or the sixes that he struck, the centuries he minted and the records he made.
Despite of living in such despicable oblivion of a legend, I felt soul shaken when I saw him walking down the ground to stand as a part of Team India for the last time. Perhaps this is what Sachin truly stands for. He is love that happens without a reason. He is music that soothes you even when you have no knowledge of it. He is poetry that finds its meaning in your life all of a sudden. To understand what Sachin really represents is almost an impossible task. Will you adore him for being the passionate sportsman that he is or will you bow your heads in respect for the nobility and the unerring perfection that he has championed? In either of the cases, Sachin has been at the altar. Though there are hardly any incidences where I disliked or disapproved of Sachin's behavior but there are two particular instances that left a scar on my memories of Sachin.
The first incidence is related to Rahul Dravid. I was utterly disappointed at not seeing Sachin on his felicitation ceremony for Rahul Dravid is another man who might not have been the phenomenal cricketer that Sachin is, but has always been an inspirational sportsman by every tangible or intangible measure. I understand that every relationship goes through its own share of highs and lows but when it is about a person like Sachin, you just cant digest seeing him as an ordinary man who might have suffered a blow of human emotions that probably kept him from attending the ceremony. The second instance is of the time when Sachin accepted Rajya Sabha's membership. "Why did he do that? Wasn't he born and created to be on the cricket field, in whatsoever form, all his life? Isn't he the God who can never take an unjust decision?" were some questions that kept haunting my heart and my brain. Sachin embodies authenticity, dedication and commitment which is why I did not like seeing him in the synthetic role of a Rajya Sabha member. A man who breathes cricket would never be able to do justice with a membership of that kind and for heaven's sake who wants to see Sachin as a man who is absent from his duties. Sachin and absenteeism are oxymorons.
There is also an endless list of beautiful moments that Sachin has gifted everyone of us with. Though it would be impossible to cherry pick the best out of them, but there is one vivid memory of Sachin where I saw him as a vulnerable human being. It was perhaps a show on NDTV that took Sachin to meet family members of the 26/11 martyrs. He met a woman whose husband had sacrificed his life in the 26/11 military operation. The woman hugged Sachin with brimming eyes and a choked throat. Later, when Sachin was interviewed by the reporter about his experience of meeting the people, he was petrified. He silently turned away his face from the camera and a stream of tears trickled down his cheeks. Sachin took over 5 minutes to gather himself and face the reporter.
These and many more stories of Sachin will keep inspiring and moving people. He is like an ocean whose depth cannot be estimated even if you dive into it an infinite number of times. Moreover, I think I've found the answer to a very important question. I can see Sachin losing as a batsman but I cannot see him losing as a human being!
Despite of living in such despicable oblivion of a legend, I felt soul shaken when I saw him walking down the ground to stand as a part of Team India for the last time. Perhaps this is what Sachin truly stands for. He is love that happens without a reason. He is music that soothes you even when you have no knowledge of it. He is poetry that finds its meaning in your life all of a sudden. To understand what Sachin really represents is almost an impossible task. Will you adore him for being the passionate sportsman that he is or will you bow your heads in respect for the nobility and the unerring perfection that he has championed? In either of the cases, Sachin has been at the altar. Though there are hardly any incidences where I disliked or disapproved of Sachin's behavior but there are two particular instances that left a scar on my memories of Sachin.
The first incidence is related to Rahul Dravid. I was utterly disappointed at not seeing Sachin on his felicitation ceremony for Rahul Dravid is another man who might not have been the phenomenal cricketer that Sachin is, but has always been an inspirational sportsman by every tangible or intangible measure. I understand that every relationship goes through its own share of highs and lows but when it is about a person like Sachin, you just cant digest seeing him as an ordinary man who might have suffered a blow of human emotions that probably kept him from attending the ceremony. The second instance is of the time when Sachin accepted Rajya Sabha's membership. "Why did he do that? Wasn't he born and created to be on the cricket field, in whatsoever form, all his life? Isn't he the God who can never take an unjust decision?" were some questions that kept haunting my heart and my brain. Sachin embodies authenticity, dedication and commitment which is why I did not like seeing him in the synthetic role of a Rajya Sabha member. A man who breathes cricket would never be able to do justice with a membership of that kind and for heaven's sake who wants to see Sachin as a man who is absent from his duties. Sachin and absenteeism are oxymorons.
There is also an endless list of beautiful moments that Sachin has gifted everyone of us with. Though it would be impossible to cherry pick the best out of them, but there is one vivid memory of Sachin where I saw him as a vulnerable human being. It was perhaps a show on NDTV that took Sachin to meet family members of the 26/11 martyrs. He met a woman whose husband had sacrificed his life in the 26/11 military operation. The woman hugged Sachin with brimming eyes and a choked throat. Later, when Sachin was interviewed by the reporter about his experience of meeting the people, he was petrified. He silently turned away his face from the camera and a stream of tears trickled down his cheeks. Sachin took over 5 minutes to gather himself and face the reporter.
These and many more stories of Sachin will keep inspiring and moving people. He is like an ocean whose depth cannot be estimated even if you dive into it an infinite number of times. Moreover, I think I've found the answer to a very important question. I can see Sachin losing as a batsman but I cannot see him losing as a human being!
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