A letter to the Education Minister

Note - This is a purely fictitious letter written by me as an engineering student who's going to commit suicide - The content is copied from Chetan Bhagat's book - What Indian Wants other than that I have done some editing and added some of my own views as well...


Dear Education Minister,

    I sincerely hope that you are doing really fine and the staff of your massive bungalow is treating you well. After all, you are one of our top leaders and you deserve all the high- class facilities and standard of living. I won't take much of your valuable time that you would've loved to spend visiting various ministers, taking rest or perhaps doing any other activity than read my letter. So, I'll tell what I want to in short.

  I've passed out my class XII from the science background and have decided to end my life. I've    scored 93 percent in my Board Exams and I have a one-foot high trophy from my school for scoring the highest marks. However, since I was unable to get into a college of my choice because of my poor performances, or I should say, not up to the standards set in this country in the various Engineering Entrances, with a 45k rank in the AIEEE and as expected, not qualifying the IIT-JEE even after dropping one year for my preparations, I don't see any purpose in living. I've got a trophy from my school but however, there are so many trophy holding students in this country and so few college seats that I didn't get into a college that will train me to get to the next level, or open up good opportunities.

  I know I've screwed up. I should have worked harder to get at least another 3 percent in my Boards last year to get into a top Reputed college for doing my Bachelors in Science or should've somehow got 8 more Multiple Choices correct in my AIEEE. However, I do want to point out a few things to you. When my parents were young, certain colleges were considered prestigious. Today, forty years later, the same colleges are considered prestigious.What's interesting is that no new colleges have come up with the same brand or reputation level. Neither have the seats expanded fast enough to accommodate the rising number of students.

  I'll give you an example. Just by doing some meaningless surfing, I saw that 4.5 lakh candidates took the CBSE Class XII exam in 2002, a number that has grown up to nearly 12 lakh in 2012.This is just one Board, and if you take ICSE and all other state boards, the all - India total number is over ten times that of CBSE. We probably had over one crore students taking the class XII exam this year.

  While I understand that not every student can get a good college seat, I just want to talk about the so-called good students.The top 10 percent alone of these one crore students is 10 lakh children. Yes, these ten lakh students are the toppers of their respective classes. That means in a class of fifty, these are the top five rankers.

  One could argue that these bright kids from all over the country deserve a good college to realise their full potential.Come to think of it, it would be good for our country too, if we train our bright children well to be a part of the new,shining,gleaming,glistening,or whatever you like to call the globalized India.

  But then, it looks like you have stopped building universities. Are their ten lakh top college seats in the country? Are their even one lakh? Ever wondered what happens to the rest of us, year after year? Do we join a second rung college? A deemed university? A distance-learning programme? Get a degree in an expensive and a racist country? Or in some cases, especially for the engineering and the medical aspirants, waste a precious year of our lives to again go through the vast syllabus and again stress ourselves? Your government runs a lot of things.  You run an airline that never makes money. You run hotels. You want to be even involved in making basic stuff like aluminium and steel which can be easily made by more efficient players in the market. However, in shaping something as important as the young generation, you have stepped back. You have stopped making new universities.Why?

  You have all the land you want, there are teachers who love to get a government job, even the education funds are never questioned. Still, why ? Why don't we have new A - Grade universities in every state capital, for instance?

  Why is our education system, that is so advanced and self - tagged as the best in the world so rubbish, to say the least? We have all the talent. Indians are probably the most hardworking people on the planet. Since I am from the engineering background, I would like to tell something about what I have knowledge about.We even have institutes like the IIT's that are marked as the best in the country. But still, can you tell me at what rankings are the best institutes in our country in the world stage? Leave all of that, how many of these guys can you assure to be really imaginative, creative and innovative engineers ? How many have won the Nobel Prize? Why are the research opportunities in this country so depleted that our so called Masterminds have to go to a country like the United States or United Kingdom for their higher research, and we have to be satisfied by somebody who wins it & we proudly say- He belongs to the Indian Origin. Why is even a country like Australia much ahead of us in technological development?

   Obviously, all of this is seen, especially thanks to our beloved Ancestor Dr. BR Ambedkar - who's even claimed to be the second greatest Indian after Mahatma Gandhi. Thanks to his generosity in reserving seats for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in even the best institutions of the country, most probably because he was a Dalit himself. Yes, now give all the sickest reasons that you can imagine - That we, the general caste have always crushed them in the past,discriminating them and not giving them any opportunity. That may be true. I don't disagree. But why the hell should this generation earn all the favors for something that happened to their ancestors ? Why should we suffer because of what happened in the past, things that happened even before I was born ? Is this a policy of Tit for Tat ? Also, can you tell me how a person who has a got a 5 lakh rank in the AIEEE compete in a class full of those with 10 thousand at maximum? Can you imagine that student to cope up and survive the pressure? He'll be discriminated inside the institution as well with a tag that reads ' Undeserving'. No wonder that there are suicides reported there as well. And, the other unfortunate folk like me are killed too - by the system and the pressure. Why can't we adopt a common system to every system - irrespective of his caste,creed, tribe or whatever- on the basis of merit ? Thanks to this Ambedkar fellow, we even have reservations in jobs,trains, and even the houses of the parliament. Even if we try to change the system, the Quota ministers out there will never let it happen. And sadly, the talented people will fly overseas in search of much much better opportunities and the undeserving, talent less and the quota folk will survive here - India will remain a developing country forever. I do not mean to say that all the quota people are unworthy, but the majority of them are, in my view. Also,dear minister, kindly don't count these as all personal grudges against them.

 Oh well, sorry, I am overreacting. If only I had not done the integration calculation error in my maths paper and not wasted my time over there, I would have been fine. In fact, I am one of those lucky ones. In four years, the number of candidates will double. And then, we'll have a college with only 99 percent or percentile scorers.

 My parents were a bit deluded about my abilities, and I do feel bad for them. I didn't have a girlfriend or too many friends, as people who want to get into a good college are not supposed to have a life. If only I had known that slogging for twelve years would not amount to much, I'd have had more fun.

  Apart from that, do well, and say my hello to the PM also, as I understand, used to teach in a college.

Yours truly,
Himansh Arora

People are going to hate you, People going to rate you, they're going to try and shake, they're even going to try and break you. It's how strong you stand, makes you...

( Poor Student )

*Bitch Please*!

You spend most of your nights with your phone and blabber crock,
But now you can't see her on FB Baby, did she Block ?,
But how did this shit happen ? I was in for a shock,
I was there for her 24X7 - Around the clock,
We spent so much of our time having a sweet talk,
Her Kiddishness and immaturity screwed up our relation's balk,
She couldn't even stand a bit of teasing and mock,
Haha! How immature ?,
And there did the kinship concluded- It went up in smoke,
Or perhaps she was right - I was a fucked up Bloke,
Hahaha.. Really ? What a Joke!,
Yea.. I ain't wrong.. She was in for a Timepass.. No Revoke!,
Called up on her phone.. She didn't pick up the call,
Finally when she did she asked - Why do u bloody Stalk?,
You are a fucking loser, getting rid of you is such a knotty ask,
Covered with split personalities, you always wear a mask,
Come on.. Just Chill Baby- We need to talk,
Lemme finish it first, before you start to squawk,
You got nothing on me baby, and you suck,
Don't try to piss me off, now I don't give a Fuck!,
Uploading freakish sick pics on FB- Posing as an ugly Duck,
Why the Hell I got up with you?, My luck was such a muck!,
With prepubertal common sense, you got nothing on your defense,
My sentences can go on and on, and therefore & hence,
You'll forever remain a dumb bitch girl, jading a doll smock,
Seriously, just fuck yourself Bitch, or go on and suck a Cock!

Sachin Tendulkar – Why does only he get all the praise?

Sachin Tendulkar is a far more overrated player than his own capabilities. Relax, I had to think a thousand times before adding the aforementioned first line just because firstly, I am writing something that will anger a large number of Sachinists out there. And before you guys begin throwing stones at me, full of criticism with the comments that may read like “I don’t properly know to hold a cricket bat, I don’t have the right to talk anything about the “God Of Cricket”, and “I cannot even run around the ground for 22 minutes when he has been doing the same for over 22 years”, the usual same replies that you give to those who criticize him and his batting.

Before you read this further, let me clarify that I am a big Sachinist myself and am not writing this article to criticise him as a player. Secondly, I am just a fan and I don’t consider myself worthy enough to pick apart a player of Sachin’s stature. Infact, I don’t consider myself to be upstanding enough to comment on even the ‘worst’ international player since he is much more talented than me and we don’t have the right to judge anybody playing at the top level.

Everybody, and I mean it, everybody out there representing their country deserves respect! But as an Indian Cricket buff and a well-wisher of the team, I feel it’s completely natural for a follower to feel disappointed, frustrated and even angry with the performances of some players, but hey excuse Sachin Tendulkar!

You guys may be wondering what’s my purpose behind penning down this article ? How can I call myself a Sachinist if I am talking rubbish about the man himself ? Well, I completely have no problem at all with Sachin. He has been playing International level Cricket since the November of 1989, around 5 years before I was even born. I have been
seeing the game, and witnessing Sachin’s batting perhaps since the last decade or so. Initially, when I started perceiving the lovely game and was learning with the basics – the rules of the game, and enlightening myself about various players, the name ” Sachin Tendulkar” never seemed to be special. He seemed like a small boy- a 5 feet tall lad who carried a ponderous bat. That’s all!

Infact, in those early days when I was perhaps 10 years old or such, Marvan Atapattu of Sri Lanka was my favorite – Credit to the fancy name pronunciation. But even when I saw him for the first time, it was still a joy to watch him bat. The sight of the ball middling his bat resulting in a reverberating sound continuing even after seconds the ball had been whacked over to the boundary by his blade, and above all adaptability to both pace and spin – whether it was a Test or an ODI- The spinning tracks of the subcontinent or the fast and swinging surfaces of Australia or England, whatever the conditions, whichever the opponent – The Little Master had an answer to every situation. It took me some time to get accustomed to his brilliance, when I started watching old cricket matches on the Television and the innings that changed the manner in which I perceived him was the Desert Storm Innings against Australia at Sharjah in 1998. Another great thing about the guy was his honesty and the way he carried himself around – both on and off the field. No matter who you are and what you do, you just cannot stop admiring the little man and the fashion in which he dismisses the deliveries of the best in the business- coming down the wicket and lofting Shane Warne over the deep midwicket boundary for a maximum, playing with the spin and inside out against Muttiah Muralitharan or hiting a square cut past point of Glenn McGrath when he tries to bowl at the Corridor of uncertainty- Sachin had, and still has an answer to everything on the cricket field. For me, my favorite shot was the bullet drive of a full and straight delivery of Brett Lee- going past the wicket of the non-striker at a greater speed than by which the ball was bowled.

But the greater part about him was the fans, the critics and the media who never leave him alone- even forcing him to attach a fake moustache and going to see a movie at the theater only at midnight. The amount of expectations is what makes him a God. Before a World Cup, you would have seen people worshipping his posters on the street – performing Hawans and Pujas for him first- In India, Sachin comes before the Indian Cricket Team!

This is the thing that angers me the most- Why is an Individual above the team? Why is the individual above the Game? He’s called “The God of Cricket” but you, me and all of us here know that Sachin is also a mere mortal like all of us, not any God. Then you may ask- Why is he called God? Sachin’s called God because he is above than each and everyone who has ever played the game- for his Passion, the dedication, the determination, and the Perseverance he has displayed in the difficult stages of his long and illustrious career, whether it was leaving his team in between the 99 World Cup in England to attend the last rites of his dead father in India (and returning soon after, showing that he placed his country even above his family, and to score a Century in the next innings, when he was in pain, showcases what the Champion is made of!) or surviving innumerable career threatening injuries all throughout his playing period, displaying the same childlike enthusiasm even after playing Top-level cricket for more than two decades, when players have debuted and even retired, is enough to make us feel proud and privileged of being born in this era.

Sachin’s also called God because an entire nation – more than a billion people pray for him every time he goes out to play- Anything less than a century is a failure for them. He unites the entire country and no matter how bad anyone’s day went, the news of Sachin’s century is enough to bring a smile to his face and assuring a night of peaceful sleep. Sachin’s no saint out there- Yes, he has had a career elusive of any controversies, but when he calls himself a walker, why didn’t he walk when he clearly edged the ball and was caught behind the wicket in the IPL Final ? He walked back even when the wicketkeeper and the bowler did not appeal in the aforementioned Desert Storm Match at Sharjah because he knew that he had made India qualify for the Sharjah Cup Final. Hows that God-like ? Why would you call Diego Maradona as a soccer god when the whole world knows that he netted the ball with his own hand? Is that fully honest ? Is dishonesty a Godlike quality?

Why did he have to play so many deliveries to get to his 100th hundred against Bangladesh? Perhaps India lost that match because of the bowlers, but even if Sachin was the reason, nobody will question him.  Perhaps I am acting too skeptical figuring out minute flaws and instances. And how is it ever possible for a guy like me, who has not even played a school level Cricket Match to comment about such a guy and how come can I ever understand the pressure that was on his head between the 99th and the 100th Ton. I don’t know that. But what I did saw in that innings was some selfishness, even though I blame the other 10 players much more.  Why does only Sachin enjoy all the praise ? Why didn’t the other legends like Dravid, Ganguly, Kumble, Laxman, or even Kapil Dev and co. earn the praise equivalent to him ? Why is only one guy talked about in this  country playing sports- overshadowing the Cricket Team and other sports persons?

Even, a lot of times, I have felt that Rahul Dravid has been much better because he has delivered in a large number of pressure occasions.. at times when the whole Indian team underperformed, even your God- Sachin! Even after the just concluded New Zealand Series, as I was going through some Sachin Tendulkar Fan pages on Facebook, there were all different  sort of quotes criticising the comments of the past experts that Sachin should retire and stuff. Yes, The Greatest Batsman of all time certainly  will know when to leave the arena, but that does not mean that nobody has the right to express their personal opinions, and especially those  who are Legends themselves. Sachin has every batting record possible in cricket against his name and, at 39, he has nothing more to prove to the World. After all, when he’s going through poor form more often than  his excellence recently, why should the team suffer because of him? Why doesn’t The BCCI drop him the same way that CA dropped Ricky Ponting? Clearly, in Australia, the name doesn’t matter- what matters is your current form. If you are a liability to the team, you must leave. No doubt that they have been such a successful team throughout.

 Sachin has given so much to cricket and he’s achieved everything- name, fame, money and fans- thanks to the game. In return, Cricket has also gained more popularity and status, thanks to him. But Cricket was there  before Sachin arrived. Another quote that angered me was that “Bowled” as a form of dismissal gained more greatness when Sachin consecutively got out thrice against the Kiwis. People have something great to say about him even if he scores a duck, but you are insulting the game  bringing its aspects into the picture. Surely, Sachin is Great but Cricket  is Greater. Guys, please don’t be mad fanatics, don’t be impartial to the team, support everyone in their bad times and hope for a better future for  our Team.

Good Bye VVS – A Tribute !

On the Saturday afternoon of 18th August 2012, I was just dawdling mytime on the Internet, as it had become my habit for quite sometime.After  getting a bit bored from Facebook, I presumed that checking outmy Yahoo mail could provide me with some relief from the boredom.As soon as I opened the Homepage, there was a Breaking News -A Headline flashing before my eyes that said – ” VVS Laxman mayannounce his Retirement after the First Test against New Zealand inHyderabad”.  

I was shocked to be honest. Neither me and nor the thousands of
Cricket Fans Worldwide expected this to come so early. Yes, I knew that
he was 37, and nearing the end of his Illustrious career spanning over
16 years in total, but such a sudden decision was completely unhoped-
for.This abrupt decision taken by one of the finest, the most stylish
and wristiest batsmen to have ever played the game – a thorough
Gentleman both on and off the field reminded me of another Champion
Cricketer Anil Kumble, one day who also stunned the World by the
retirement that was also unforeseen by the Majority.

Coming back to VVS’s decision, I made sure that I am not going to
miss the Sendoff by the players when he walks out to bat in the second
innings at Hyderabad, even if it means that I will have to miss one day
of my College.. I wanted to see it live. But little did I knew that the same
evening, the Domain will witness his Final Goodbye to international
Cricket with “Immediate Effect”. At first, I felt cheated and angry that
such a Legend is not even giving his Homecrowd a chance to bid him
adieu, one last time !

  When asked the reason by the media for such a hurried decision, VVS
explained that he listened to his inner voice that did not let him 
continue, and called it quits. I know we were all extremely surprised &
disappointed by his conclusion, but the most shocking part was his wife
Sailaja’s reaction at the ceremony where she couldn’t control her
emotions- tears rolling down her cheeks, who expected her husband to
contribute to the team against the touring English who play four test
matches, and against Australia in February 2013. For me, I personally
felt that VVS left hurt. Having already left the ODI arena a long time 
back, back in the South African summer of December 2006, perhaps
VVS, or ‘ Very Very Special ‘ as he’s called by his fans was done playing
not more than 6-7 test matches every year. 

  I do not mean to say that VVS was tired of representing his country.. It’s
just that he felt his time to step down had come and a large number of
talented youngsters waiting in the sidelines must be given a fair
opportunity to showcase their skills. Anyhow, there have always been
unavailing comparisons by the media between the legends like Dravid,
Tendulkar, Ganguly, Kumble and Laxman & who could act as a potential
replacements for these Giants of the game among the Youngistaan or
the young brigade of India, comprising the likes of Virat Kohli, Suresh
Raina, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara or Subramaniam Badrinath.
But amidst all these junked debates going on, people forget that all these
so called young guns have miles to go before they could even be counted
among the before listed distinguished Class of Gentlemen, or without
the proper Spirit, guidance and, most importantly, adaptability they
could turn out to be a promising but hapless case just like Vinod Kambli,
who was ‘better’ than Sachin, according to their common friends. And
even if these Supremos do match these Giants, there’s something
called ‘modesty’,'humility’ & mode of conduct – both on & off the field
that is extremely challenging for the upcoming talents to practice.

The Newspaper of 19th August was even more unsatisfying with only a
couple of articles covering The Wristy Hyderabadi maestro’s career end.
No, I am not saying that an entire daily newsprint should have been
dedicated to him as a tribute, but for a guy who has played over a 130
Test matches, won the Padma Shri, Arjuna Award, 2002 Wisden
Cricketer of the year, 10 Man Of the Match Awards, scored over 8700 Test
Match runs & who shares the rare joy of his match winning innings of
281 against the most dominant team of our era – The Aussies after India
was following on on a dusty Kolkata Pitch earning the uncommon
decree of being recognised as the 6th Greatest Test Match Innings of
all time ( The only Indian innings in the top 10 list ), undoubtedly,
Laxman deserved more. Even if Sachin Tendulkar is caught sneezing
inside his home, it gets much more media coverage and Publicity.

Woefully, even after serving the national team for more than 16 years,
Laxman hardly enjoyed the popularity, media coverage and ardent fan
base like Sourav Ganguly or Sachin Tendulkar. Even Yesterday’s Star
Virat Kohli has a much larger fan following as compared to “The God of
2nd Innings” who interestingly had a second innings average higher
than his first. One of the greatest match winning players, VVS was far
underrated by his fans. Even to this day, even though Dravid is another
one sharing his ‘underrated’ tag, yet people used to look upto Rahul at
the times of adversity, keenly hoping that he will rise up to the occassion
and deliver. But unfortunately even so, Laxman hardly enjoyed the
sumptuosity of expectations, which perhaps shriveled him of much
pressure.

I have always believed that the true greatness of a sportsman could be
concluded only in the manner he/she reacts to the unfavourable
conditions, challenging opponents and response to critical adversity.
Laxman matches up all these conditions comfortably with the
Australians, the best team in the business getting the best out of him- a
total of more than 2000 runs amassed against one of the best bowling
attacks of the last decade, taming the likes of McGrath, Lee, Clark,
Warne, Gillespie and Kasprowicz, at an outstanding average nearing 50,
better than his career average of 46.

For me, VVS has always seemed like a very shy, introvert and a no-
nonsense cricketer in the true sense. While others are busy signing
big advertisement deals, I don’t remember seeing him in any, perhaps
I could be missing a couple or so. That has been what VVS has always
been like, never staying in the spotlight and silently going about his job,
trying to put the team above anything else, placing his personal
statistics on the sideline. Always cool as a Cucumber, when I think of
Laxman losing his cool, the instance that abruptly erupts in my
mind was the 2010 Mohali Test, once again against the Aussies, where
he went a bit crazy on Pragyan Ojha seeing his running between the
wickets, when Laxman was making India inch towards a thrilling
Victory, scoring an innings of 73*, battling terrible backpain and
cramps- another instance depicting a masterpiece of a Very Very
Special Warrior.

Another of his finest knocks was the 148 against The Kangaroos in the
2003-04 at Adelaide – a series in which the hosts agreed
that they did not know where to bowl to him! Another of the gems- a 91
against the Kiwis in 2010 proved that VVS is no weaker player against
other teams- again being the unsung hero when India was reduced to
15/5. We only consider Laxman’s batting but seldom do we notice that
he has been one of the finest slip catchers – grabbing the ball in his hands
on a total of 135 test match occassions.

At his sublime best, in the words of cricket writer Sambit Bal, Laxman
is a sight for The Gods. Wristy and sinuous are the best words to describe
his batting style, like his Idol Azharuddin, and possesses a rare gift of
being able to play the same ball on both sides of the wicket. Laxman has
never been an outstanding runner between the wickets, but that’s
matched by his ability to be The Saviour of Team India. With numerous
frustrating twenties and thirties in the ODI’s, Laxman failed to properly
cement his placed in the one day side. If asked what would it be that he
regrets in his career, I am sure his top priority would have to have been
the part of the 2003 World Cup side. It’s sad to see a player of such value
not having been a part of that squad.

Laxman has called it’s over, that he quits, and I don’t know if you agree
with me or not, but the era of classical test batsmen is now finally over
after the departure of Dravid, and now VVS Laxman. But as the Bhagavad
Geeta says -” The World was there before you arrived and will exist
after your departure”, similarly Test Match Cricket was there before he
arrived and it will exist even now, after his departure. But there’s a
Difference ! It will never remain the same.

Farewell VVS & Thankyou for the memories! You’ll be badly missed!  

Top 4 Sporting Legends of my era

Time and again, History has reiterated that every time a legend crawls into his sunset, rediscovering his off court reality of being, but another human, subject to the infallible law of father time, another successor arrives to heighten the existing barrier of greatness. Rewriting that which we were obliged to consider in our limited experience, the finale’ of the finesse. Each of these immortals in their own time reach the supreme level of an adorable divine art, decorating their respective stages in style. 

In any realm, it would be a foolish drill to argue the greatest of all time, comparing different eras, for who have we to debate, save some statistical figures to compare. We stand mesmerized by Messi or Ronaldo, but how many ever got to witness the fluid art of Pele, Maradona or Best even earlier. We have the dashing bolt who travels like the wind, ripping across the circuit pausing our pulse, but how many have stood testimony to the flight of a brave Owens defying the mental terror of Hitler. Indeed, the late advent of technology has robbed us some glorious chapters of divinity in human sport.

To me, addiction to sport cannot be a fault when Sport merely captures life on a grand platform, with all its myriad emotions; upheavals, triumphs, tears, celebration… And as in life, opportunity upon the biggest stage is a destiny, not granted to all. So with this humble background, I produce my compilation of the 4 greatest legends or rather sporting gods of my generation.

There are a countless number of sports in modern times but I’ve captured my personal favorites, one each from Tennis, Basketball, F1, and Cricket. If you intend to search statistical figures beneath my claims in my article, I assure you that you are in the wrong place, because I deal in emotions. Numbers matter, but they are merely a part of the greater picture. As a poet by passion, I rather prefer to deal in the emotions attached.

All of them have one common factor though. ‘It isn’t that they never fell. Their success was the story of their determined will to rise upon falling.’ The trait of a champion!

#1. Sachin Tedulkar (Cricket)


Coming from a land of a billion people, it seemed like he had a calling, akin to the messiahs, born to lead. The calling, unto his reserved seat, as the worthy ruler of countless hearts and minds. Every shot he essayed was a brilliant stroke that evoked gasps, no matter who you were. Even if you were the opposition bowler at the receiving end, a mild applause amidst all this battering, would have certainly passed your brain. ‘After all can God ever pain you? He can only punish you for your shortcomings.’

Unto him was bestowed talent in an enviable measure that promised along, an inevitable life of pleasure that could distract, but amidst all the gifts showered upon his shoulders, he still stooped down with a bat in hand, in total concentration, to fructify a million prayers for victory. His never ending enthusiasm for the sport despite traversing more than 2 decades of hostile hurtling from the pacers or the tricky spinners, shows his passion and love for his game. And regarding all the talk of his sunset, I just believe ‘When a man walks a 1000 miles, he certainly knows when to stop.’

#2. Michael Schumacher (F1)


Initially, I considered F1 a boring sport that engaged one in merely counting laps, spending 2 hours of a precious Sunday upon a racing car that gobbled up precious fuel (hike in fuel prices is still a rumor probably in this industry!). But with the passing times, I soon ended up hooked to this sport. And the single factor was my icon – Micheal Schumacher. Speaking frankly, Ferrari for all its popularity as a manufacturer of the world’s best cars was introduced to me and perhaps to most in the world like me, as merely a racing car that Schumacher used.

And when I sat through those 2 hours, I realized what life held amidst its sharp turns and winding  bends; A narrow lane full of competitors, fighting to get past you, some risking even life to overtake, to reach the chequered flag first. And amidst this hostile pursuit to the flag, was a single man, consistently atop the podium. He had the pulse for the adventure, often taking daring, extreme risks to win. While there were years when he brushed aside the season sweeping a major share of the titles, there were years when he had to battle unto the last race for asserting his supremacy. And this he did with a steely determination.


#3. Roger Federer (Tennis)


Ah, the synonym of grace and grandeur, my favorite legend without doubt. Seldom does my mind embrace calmness as when this master magician gets to work and therefore serenaded by watching him waltz upon the green lawns or balle’ upon the red clay, is an experience of serene meditation. He’d create the most magical moments so effortlessly, transforming a battle of brute to a drama of aesthetic motion. All captured in a funny line I’ve picked from the recent open when a man declared ‘If there’s a girl as beautiful as Roger’s game, I want her.’ ‘Imitation is suicide’ is an adage I’ve long obliged, but I also opine that there are virtues that if not imitated, would destroy the wheel of progression, more so in the realms of art.

Mesmerized by his suave display of whipping the single-handed back hand kissing the edge of the line for a stunning winner, I like most kids, attempt to mimic his magic!  It’s after all in the imitation of greatness that evolution happens. His ability to break record after record is a lesson of the survival of the fittest. At 30, battling the fittest and finest generation of athletes, and in his weakest form, he manages to dip to The World No. 3! I don’t have many fears for life, save the day I will have to watch this god stop serving his divine menu. 

#4. Michael Jordan (Basket-Ball)


The final legend to make it to the list from the sport I have embraced for life is Micheal Jordan from Basketball. Unlike in other sports where you’d probably contest my choice, here was an incomparable legend, with any of his peers. The intricate passing, enviable team work, accuracy in shot selection, mind-boggling dribbling, jaw dropping fakes, and ah, the ultimate gravity defying jump! He was verily god who could drive you crazy. I am sure he will remain the primary inspiration and icon for any player picking up a basketball, being one of the main reasons for the popularization of the sport.

One has to only watch his documentary ‘Michael Jordan to the Max’ to know what his character is all about. And trust me you’d love him like no other. He’s given some of the most motivational quotes none more favorite than ‘I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.’

The last decade gifted us MVP’S like Bryant, James, Nash, Garnett, Duncan and O’Neal. But there was, is and will be only one MJ – A Legend.

I have chosen to skip the other exciting sport of football that is as much an entertaining affair, if not more. It’s brought forth memorable men of stellar performances defying the odds and delivering those unexpected moments of awe. But given the enormous extent of platform for deliverance, there are more than a mere handful let alone one, who can claim a place upon the altar of greatness right from Best, Pele, Maradona then to Messi and Ronaldo now.

My generation saw the rise and fall of many stalwarts right from Brazil’s Ronaldo, Ronaldinho apart from present adorable stalwarts like Messi, C. Ronaldo and Rooney. And the list is endless. But one player who was exceptional was probably Zinedane Zidene who transformed the sport to art like the four mentioned above. Be it with France or Real Madrid, he created a soul stirring performance. But football is essentially a team sport after all, including the brain of even the heavy-weight coaches from the sidelines. 

Probably for now I’d just play it safe saying ‘Football is a league of extra-ordinary gentlemen’.

Like Her?, Love Her?, Whatever!.........

My first thought was sleeping beauty that's who this must be,
Then i was like naw it's just satan playing tricks on me, 
Because you're like a rainforest with the magic & creatures combined,
Eyes as sharp as a black panther piercing my soul and tickles my spine, 
You remind me of the rose from beauty & the beast, enchanting, precious, but just out of reach, 
Your touch is like the venom on the dance of the serpants, paralyzing, hypnotizing, holding it's prey in place,
It's as if you emit light, even at night the sun seems to shine in your face,
The songs of rainforest birds has been known to grip people in awe,
The sound of you voice could cause a herd of angry elephants to come to a ground shattering halt,
The day is hot and long, and night seems so far away,
But as long as you're near i know everything will be Okay. 
Don't know if I like her?, Love Her?, Whatever!......... :(

When I'm Falling In Love

If I could get star from sky for you
I would do it twice
And only because I love you
I would reach any planet


And If the feeling would be broken
I would become sailer near with the island of your desires
Your desires

But inside of myself
I understand that I can't do it
And sometimes I lose myself

When I'm falling in love
Sometimes I'm despairing, when I'm falling in love
When I am least expecting it, I'm falling in love
Time stopping
And soul coming to my body
I'm smiling, when I'm falling in love

If moon would be your award
I swear, I'd do everything to get it
And be yours

If you hear my cries in your dreams
Wake up, it's reality
It's not dream, not
And I am glad that always comes a moment...

When I'm falling in love
Sometimes I'm despairing, when I'm falling in love
When I am least expecting it, I'm falling in love
Time stopping
And soul coming to my body
I'm smiling, when I am falling in love