An Emotional Goodbye to Rahul Dravid

Dear Sir Rahul S Dravid,

Only the mature and sensitive followers of Indian cricket, of the generation that grew up watching Sachin Tendulkar's Tons, Saurav Ganguly's bold straight drive sixes and your supportive presence in most of both such circumstances would understand why the true Gentleman of the Gentleman's game hung his boots today. 

Ask every Indian cricket fan or rather every Indian of the above quoted generation as to who is 1st in their favorite list. You know what many would say. You don't know what many others would say. But ask them who is 2nd  in their list. There can't be anyone but you.

 

I am sad yet proud just like my favorite player, you, on this momentous day for Indian cricket whose effect will be probably understood better in the next test series without you, Mr.Dependable.

Two days back when the insanely hyper reactive media flashed the rumors that you are going to announce the retirement on friday, though for one moment I prayed that you won't, I reminded myself of your stainless steel character. Then I woke up to the hard truth.

 

 Now, I have as many questions as yourself. I know you will figure out way too sooner. But I cannot. 

The only reason I have been watching Test matches patiently hiding the remote controller below my seat even when my family protested for other programs on TV was the spiritual presence of you on the field in those blue baggy cap and fully sweated jersey numbered 19.

The only reason I started watching IPL was to have a glimpse of you though I think neither of us was comfortable with that format.

I never kept any role models. I never fanatically followed a foreign football club. I never pasted any film star's photo in my room. But I still don't know how you managed to slip through all my checkpoints.

When I look back at my close peers' list, I am surprised to remember each one of them telling your name as their favorite, sometime or the other. May be somebody admiring you with full heart was an easy filter to pick my types. 

I must tell you, you were one good reason enough to make good friends.

I am sad that I cannot see you in the Indian blues on the field anymore. I am sad that I only have to watch those trigonometric square cuts, those text book foot works, those motivational pats on the younger player's back only on the archival videos; not live. 

 But I respect your decision as I know you are a very diligent decision maker.

I promise you one thing, I will tell about you to my kids in a much more passionate way than my dad told about Gavaskar to me.

Thank you for being an uninvited role model for me. Thank you for setting an example for selflessness in this era of corruption. Thank you for being as sweet as your nick name, 'Jammy'.

You will always be my favorite.

A Happy Birthday

To all those who stayed awake n woke me up yesterday midnight, to all those who woke me today morning with their calls to wish, to all those who made time out of their busy schedule and called up to pour me with heartfelt wishes, to all those kanjoos's who typed wishes in sms, to all those who gave me surprises and to all those forgetful ones who couldnt remember but wish by heart always, I just wanna say - "You all have made my day :) 'Thanks' is too small "

Phoenix Artist - Alive, yet again.

Jai Ganesha (ಬಣ್ಣದ ಗಣಪ)

Fantastic Feathers (ಹಕ್ಕಿ- ರೆಕ್ಕೆ- ಪುಕ್ಕ)

"This time, he is definitely dead", I thought about the 'Artist Soul,' the 'Creative Spirit' in me, when I failed to complete the painting I had started very enthusiastically almost an year ago, even after desperate efforts for 20 days during the last vacation of my life. I had all the time in the world. but not the timely focus. On the last day of my vacation and also of my student age, while I was packing up for the new avenue of my life, for the Savvy Corporate world where Time is the costliest currency, I rolled up the incomplete Artwork and disappeared it somewhere in the attic. 

Cheer Boy (ಟೋಪಿ ಜೋಕಣ್ಣ)

It was an ocean, an ocean of Techies & Technology. There were Whales, Octopuses, Dolphins... tiny, small, medium, large, huge and gigantic fishes. I was just a tadpole. The emerging Professional overshadowed the Passionate part of me. I was not very happy, though my prediction was nearly true, "He was almost dead".

There was a soap carving contest as part of a fest at my company. Well, I gave the dying artist a chance for survival. Surprisingly, though it was my first attempt in soap Carving, I had carved a beautiful white Swan out of soap. As I was engrossed till it was finished, I could barely notice the awed crowd around me. The Artist was born yet again like a Phoenix bird, when I received the 1st prize out of some 20 to 30 contestants. But, the sad part is, he didn't get much chance, till the completion of my training in the company.

Mystic Swan(ಪರಮಹಂಸ)

After I got posted to a development center, and got a cubicle, the blank cubicle walls were intolerable. Thus, the Phoenix artist was alive yet again.

Phoenix(ವರ್ಣ ಮಯೂರಿ)

Nowadays, whenever the professional half needs rest for a while, the passionate half takes over and I draw some simple sketches out of available colors. Hope I get some time to search for the incomplete artwork in the attic, completing is a joke.

Wonder Reindeer(ಮಾಯಾಮೃಗ)

Good to see you Alive, yet again... oh my Creative spirit, who relives like a Phoenix.

Mom ! My best teacher.

My mother kept complaining that, I have confined my world to my room,my computer,my mobile,my college,my books,my friends, so on and so forth and not giving enough attention to my family.I either ignored or refuted her argument whenever she asked me, "How much do u know about your house ?"," How much do u care about the happenings in our family ?". she often advised that I must keep some time for the family too.I kept deferring from her opinion, thinking that, I don't deserve those advices, until today evening.

Today evening,when I went down for tea,she handed me the cup and started saying,"Don't run back to your room.U can at least have the tea here...Listen to my words carefully",I thought it was the the same old song and said in a drowsy voice "yeah! but quick please.I have to check my mails."

She almost started the song I guessed,the usual advice,but suddenly halted for a while.It was almost getting dark and the lights were not yet put on.She calmly asked me to switch on the light of our hall.

I thought she forgot the topic and went near the switch board and pressed the 1st switch,some light appeared near my gate! 2nd- some light appeared in the veranda, 3rd- don't know where it lit! but Tommy started barking! must have been the bulb of his kennel,meanwhile mom was keenly observing my struggle, then I tried 4Th,5Th .... at last,the 12Th switch gave life to my tube light mind as well as the tube light of our hall. I guiltily looked at my mother.She advised nothing except saying"See how much you know about your house,my son" while she smiled sarcastically and walked back in to kitchen.

I had got my lesson.I then came to know how much I had alienated myself from the happenings of my family,how much fun and how many moments I had missed!

I decided to be part of all the happenings of my family, share a hand in solving all the problems,be updated about even the smallest matter of my family, listen to my brother's stories about his fighting with his class mate,respond to my dad's comments on recession,help my mom in watering her garden and tell her all my matters starting from the boring class of the old professor to the dream girl I saw yesterday night,give tickles to my grandma, play a game of carom with my grandpa, suggest colors to my sister while shopping her dresses,give a pat on our Tommy's back,put some food to fishes in our aquarium,keep those dumped news papers and magazines neatly,check the letter box at the gate,....so on.

I started my practice today itself by knowing all the switches of our house.I can even tell the switch of our store room.Hmmm(scratching my head)! wait, was it the 4Th or the one below it!? let me go and check it once again.

Meanwhile,you check out whether u r paying enough attention towards the feelings,problems and happenings of your family.Because what matters the most for the relations are not the big declarations or promises we make for our people, but the small,simple words of care,encouragement,compassion and consolation we can effortlessly say to them,just like a hug bringing more intimacy than an essay of big friendly words with your friends.I learnt my lesson today and have found the answer as well the solution for mine.

Go,find yours!

"Vishwaasi" means wat?

Most of the people who look at my e-mail id i.e., vishwaasi@gmail.com , will have the usual question as to Wat vishwaasi means? and why on earth have I kept it as my id?irrelevant to my name!
So I thought,its better to share here the reason.

'vishwaasi', in Kannada, 'ವಿಶ್ವಾಸಿ ' is a person who is immensely faithful,One who always thinks that " when one door shuts, another opens" , also a person who is trustworthy, one who keeps his/her relations alive by displaying compassion and love to others.In short, an optimistic,compassionate,hopeful,trustworthy person.

So we now know Wat a vishwaasi means.But why have I used it in my id?
Do I think I m one such person,a 'ವಿಶ್ವಾಸಿ' ?
Not exactly.I don't think I am a 'ವಿಶ್ವಾಸಿ' by birth,but why not try to become one?that line of thinking itself has led me to the 1st step of optimism and one inch closer to becoming a 'ವಿಶ್ವಾಸಿ' !

I am not worried whether or not I ll become a 'ವಿಶ್ವಾಸಿ' in my lifespan , but I am sure ,in an effort to dig an ocean, I ll ve definitely dug a pond.

ಜೈ ಹಿಂದ್ !