Aaah! breathing cricket again

Cricket, a mammoth of a game that involves one ball and 11 people running after it!

This game is no less than a festival; the only difference is that we don’t get an official holiday. Who wins, who loses may not make any strategic difference but it affects India at large.

Cricket is like a religion, which is followed by 85% of India. This religion has the potential to create harmony and unity like no other religion. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see people saying, ‘I believe in philosophy of cricket’ instead of arguing over religion.

In India, we take this game very personally. We participate in the game as much as the official cricket team, without playing. If India wins, we win. If India loses then… there is no place for the losers. In our minds, our team can’t lose. Whether it is the National team or a galli team; we expect results and we want performers, a man of the match to look up to. Like Raju who is still introduced as hamari colony ka Sachin Tendulkar.

 

My mother is a big fan of the game. She does not understand the rules but is bound to the spirit of the game. She creates an incomparable cricket atmosphere during the World Cup when India plays. She invites everyone home, gets snacks ready and prepares ‘Dal Khichdi’ for lunch. If India wins, we get a party but if not, then the same ‘Khichdi’ is dinner. The game becomes a reason to bond, rejoice or commiserate.

 

Cricket is important. The government should consider including important match days in the list of national holidays. Every time an important match is played, so many people fall sick with fevers, stomach aches or food poisoning; the amount of leave applications in offices, colleges and schools would mystify survey results.

This amazing game increases TRPs but reduces productivity at work and attendance at schools and colleges.

And this ‘ill’ phenomenon gives creative writers enough masala to write their next book on what cricket does to the nation.

Cricket time par har TV par hoga Pepsi

Tau Desi piyenge Lassi

Aur ghar par hogi janta, sau mein se assi (80/100)

We live cricket!

 

If I can so can you…

Belated Happy Easter to all my friends, keeping up the spirit of the day here I begin my blog

‘Once uprooted, it isn’t easy to find the ground.’

This fear hounds every small town parent, as their child nears the 10^th grade.

My parents were no exceptions. They worried about me, my future.

I was a simple, dependent small town girl, living in a small world with small dreams. A collection of few poems defined my uncomplicated life. My journey from an introvert poet to a published author of a suspense thriller is not unusual or dramatic. It only required acknowledging that I wanted to be independent, believing I am capable of being independent and working with great determination towards my goal.

‘They say the story behind success is a series of past success;

the most important is the first one’, they are right! 

My first step, my first successful step, was summer project with HUL during my Management course. HUL rarely hired management trainees from local colleges yet I was chosen. This success inspired me, strengthened my belief that I could achieve any dream.

If I could achieve this, there is a lot more I can do!

I began to grow, to explore.  I transformed from being a girl unaware of how to navigate my own town roads to adventuring through every galli of Pune, which lead to a placement consultant to interviews with Marketing Managers, VP Marketing and CEOs of highly reputed companies in Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore. I achieved success in my professional life as a Marketing Executive, a Brand Manager.

On parameters of achievement, they call me successful but personally just the courage to take that first step to live a dream is success in itself. I still remember the reaction of people, when they heard that this small town MBA managed Brands. Their reaction to my success, lit a fire within me, inspired me to fulfill my dreams, even more.

And, I did!

My journey and my experiences inspired the little poet in me. I began writing a story from interesting incidents from my life such as ‘Link up’ and ‘Job Hoppers’. I wanted to give my creativity a platform to showcase its potential and with a strong self belief started on a new venture.

The result was the creation of my Suspense Thriller ‘Dark White.’

All it required was to be firm on what I wanted to be and take an extra effort to begin my day a few hours before the world would wake up and work a few hours extra after the world was fast asleep.

As I said it’s not unusual, if I can so can you!