After waiting for about 1 hour outside Wankhede stadium, I finally entered the Mecca of Mumbai cricket! Yes, I had never stepped on the ground before! Fully checking out each and every corner of it! Taking memory pics of each step that I took towards the ground!
And then, the whistle blew, the trumpets were blown, the heads turned!! Yup, they entered! All geared up. All set for the net practice. All happy and relaxed. Each of them waived at us while entering the ground. Except for a few of them! (guess, they thought we were the staff!!)
Then came the moment I was alive for. I was told to go ahead and bat as Bhajji would be the bowler!! Really? R u joking? I have never played over-arm ball in my life! Well, yeah! ok! Time to hit the ground! So they give me hand gloves, cap and leg-pads (dunno what they are exactly called, dunno how to wear them!!) So, a team member helps me tuck that thing on my leg!
And I goto the net where Ray Price and Bhajji Paaji are practising! Yup, that walk was like red carpet walk on oscars!! May be among very feww girls, I was the only girl on ground that day! I walked with pride, representing all girls!! As I stand at the pitch, they hand me a bat weighing MET's laptops twice!! hahahha!! It took me real efforts to drag it to the stumps!!
Then, Bhajji saw me. He exclaimed "Oh, yeh toh tiny girl hai! Abhi bouncer dekho!" And he came like a gaint, bowling from the other end! Scared the hell out of me!! I backed out! I did the star action. Stopped him. Waved him. Asked him to calm down! :P Then came his first ball; Wide! Yes, it was a wide ball! Then came in Ray Price. A full length. I could just place the ball straight back to him! Bhajji Paaji again. This time I missed it!!
Then, it was my last chance! I requested him for a slow, medium-length ball. He smiled and said, "Ok, Tiny Girl!"
Just then, as I turned. I heard that voice. "U will have to lift the bat before he starts to bowll. The bat it too heavy for you to lift otherwise! Go ahead, try it."
Can any1 ever imagine whose words were those?? Can u imagine getting a batting tip from him means what to me? And I just stood still. BLANK. I could not even turn. I just stared at that petite figure in front of me. It was HIM. He was just looking at me while I staggered with all the instruments (gloves, pads, cap, 5-kilo bat). Yes, he was wearing his entire set of armor and net practising! But he spared a moment and gave those pearls to me!
I gazed at the man of glory. I looked at him and wanted the time to stop there. I saw him. I just gawked. I just took the deepest breath. I would have melted there. It seemed to me that my spirit is leaving my body and going to hug him! Such a miniature structure. Such a baby-face. Such an amazing cute voice. But there stands the man who drives entire nations crazy! There he is; the only person loved by 1.21 billion unconditionally.
His charm, his charisma, his aura and his essence. They were all full of humility, compassion, kindness and honesty! His words were full of generosity, full of simplicity, full of life!! His baby voice had the power to make my heart stop! Skipped the beat! and again! Then, a local player who was wicket keeping yelled something! And zapped me back to the reality! I lifted the bat and hit the last ball with all my force. Guess it was not enough to even cross 22 yards pitch! haha!! :P
I completed the 3-ball task! I turned around to catch the glimpse of that cherubic batsman! He was there. Standing with his bat. I wanted to goto him; hold his hand; tell him what his words meant to me; how important he is to my friends! I wanted to see his bat that scores tons and tons! I wanted to see how he manages to rule so many hearts! I wanted to just stay there!
But, alas! It was the cruel reality. I was on this side of the world that belongs to the commoner. He belongs to the other side of the world where special people (GODs) stay! I had to leave the ground. I thanked him. He waved. And the moment was over. :( :( :( :( :( ...
As we walked out of the stadium, I was locked in the minutes just before. I sunk into the feelings of the ultimate bliss! The human who is termed "GOD" just spoke to me! I just could not believe what happened. A man who is just above all mortals. A man who earns respect from everyone across the country. Now, I know why.
He just had no reason to speak to me. He could have easily ignored me like many others did. But it was his sheer humility. It was his GOD-like heart that spoke! And thats when I learnt the most important lesson of my life. If he being the "GOD" could have his feet so deep rooted in ground, why the hell on earth I should fly high??? I have done nothing great great to feel the pride.
I learnt "How being humble to 1 and all, no matter what, is so important" I have carved it in my brain and on my heart. That day onwards, I have given up thinking if I am any great person. I started passing smiles to all - paper delivery boy, milkman, liftman, ladies in second-class and even that traffic hawaldar!
And guess what, the world is changed. Its become a better place to live in! There are some ups and downs but, its going up and up! GOD really helps those who are selfless and human and help others! I have had the best experience of this life. I could never find enough words to express the feelings, the emotions and the gratitude!
Till date, I m in the trance of being good. Soon, it'll turn into a habit. After good experience, I'll master the art of being compassionate! And when I do that, I request the Almighty to give me 1 more chance to meet Sachin "GOD" Tendulkar. I will tell him how his 2 lines changed a person, changed the views and inspired a commoner to become a better human!
If HIS grace falls on me, I want to do the same for some1! Return the good deed, by a better deed!
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