THE BATTLE

 

 

(How the very existence as a human being throws us into a turmoil to fight the greatest inner war that man has been fighting ever since birth. How nothing is wrong or right but the personal quest to obtain the gift of life draws our strength to almost the breaking point to fight those immortal entities that we ourselves used as stepping stones in the first place. How no loss, no win is permanent as little battles are encountered every day and what is expected of us is not to set our sights for the end but to keep on trying until the end…….)

 

 

You are fighting a losing battle they say

Oh you could never win this way

Join us they confidently exclaim

This common cult, they ask me to proclaim

We are the ones to whom you belong

We are the ones who will be there lifelong

Join us and let us all be one

Join us till the work is done

I try to hide and let them pass

I bide my time to run away

‘coz once I get entangled in their clutches

I will never be able to leave this way

I have to survive and have to thrive

As I fight & fight with all my might

As I realize I am not just fighting for my own self

But for the basic human right

At times when my energy is low

I move unsure-ly to their side

Until I get the strength to put myself back on

Until by my promises can I abide

I fight to keep my identity intact

I fight to be who I am

I fight till I get forlorn and weak

I keep fighting till the day end

They are the ones who plant obstacles in my path

And pull me down as I climb higher

They are the shadows the block my success

And against my happiness do they conspire

They remind me of the five fingers on my hand

They are greed, lust, money, fame & power

They follow me silently & test my tolerance

To see where I falter in the need of hour

Although the five are a part of everyone’s life

We struggle to keep them in check

And let them grow strong to rule us so

And unintentionally throw our life in a wreck

They lure us in their web of deceit

They entice us in their dirty dance

They grow to a point when they consume us all

And we keep doing things in a trance

We forget we are their masters

And lose the control

And let them turn us into slaves

And forget our role

But some time some day some one like me

Decides to end it for once and for all

And gear up to fight against them so

Before I know my downfall

‘coz I know that time is scarce

It will take a lot of effort for me to outlast

And not fall in the trap that every man falls in

To not lose hope & sink into din

The “greed” reminds me of things I want

The past demons that come and haunt

Show me what I am about to lose

As the craving comes to taunt

The “lust” looks me directly in the eye

True feelings in me continue to die

Dares me to rise against it so

To end its reign and let true love flow

 

The “money” proves as the shrewd dictator

As it is a part & parcel of every life

You never know when it grows into you

And consumes you from the inside

 

The “fame” is a fickle friend

It carries you up to the top

And its the one that pushes you down

Till your glory comes to a stop

 

The “power” is unsteady until the end

And when more, corrupts to distend

As it kills the heart & takes over the mind

The power of a power one of  its kind

 

And although these five are essential in life

They are the ones that drag us into strife

No sooner than are we old enough to defend

Each portion of life we begin to amend

 

The untarnished innocence we had as a child

The running carefree in the wild

Those little things that we thought as great

Have gone from being strong to mild

 

And one day the truth dawns upon us

How each man must fight his fight

Survival of the fittest they say

A dark age without any light

 

And with this in mind, I stand up to rise

With past experiences that have made me wise

With the knowledge that its not that I’ll die when the battle looms ahead

But its when I stop “trying” that I will wind up as dead …….

 

THE OTHER FACE OF CRICKET

No one really thought that the IPL was going to make it that big. Agreed, there was a hell lot of money involved….agreed, there were the best players in the world competing out there…..agreed, twenty20 form of the game had turned super-popular.

There were a lot of reasons. But reasons never calculated the amount of popularity that accompanied the game. For nearly one and the half months, the only pass time of cricket fanatics like me has been spending all evenings glued to the TV set. From scantily clad cheerleaders to the chocolate boy hosts….from expert commentators to VIP team owners….IPL was an entire package of entertainment, fun, game and achievements.

8 teams, 1 goal. Winning the coveted IPL trophy. There were a lot of speculations on who was going to win. All sorts of teams were stripped and analysed. The ones with hi-fi players were deemed as Gods. Betting was high. Players with a great reputation were expected to be the leaders of the pack.

Instead, something else happened! Local talent pool was discovered. Players with no experience and proper training, those who didn’t even have a place in the national team turned out to be the best.

Teams who were the under-dogs went to surprise all. One such team was the Rajasthan Royals.

They were considered the weakest team of the tournament. Yet they won 14 matches out of 16 and finally secured the IPL trophy.  Shane Warne proved to be an excellent captain and he conditioned the players to give their best. Their “NEVER SAY DIE” attitude didn’t let them down. Simple, never before heard players shone like stars…. Hats off to you Shane!

So, overall, IPL was a great SUCCESS!

Its going to be missed by cricket buffs like me. Twenty20 has proved itself worthy of the cricketing honors.

Until next April now, lets wait for another dose of non-stop entertainment.

IPL MORAL OF THE STORY:

1) Big names do not necessarily work all the time.

2) Diamonds are found in the coal mine.

3) Money talks.

4) Motivation achieves greatness.

5) You have the right to EXPECT only if you DELIVER.

6) Believe in Yourself

7) Change is mandatory and most of the times, its always for the better.

8) The best way to get famous is to give people what they want.

9) Even the best players buckle under pressure.

10) One who keeps his nerve even in difficult times, knows no fear.

So, till the next tournament, enjoy the other forms of the game.

CHEERS TO ONE OF THE GREATEST GAMES OF ALL TIMES…..C-R-I-C-K-E-T!!!

SELLING FAITH AND GLORY

For all die-hard cricket fans like me, the beginning of the Indian Premier League twenty20 (IPL) was a treat to the eyes. Two months of non-stop entertainment. While watching twenty20 matches every single day up to June with the heroics of some of the world’s best cricketers is an exciting idea; however, too much of cricket can be enough to put us off the game for some time.

In a world of instant food, instant communication, instant upbringing; “instant cricket” is nowhere out-of-place. No one has time to sit and think. Everyone wants to just get over with it. People want to do something different every moment. No one wants to stick with a particular thing. We want quick answers and faster decisions.

Cricket has evolved from a test game to a one day international to this more recent twenty20 format. Many people love the age-old 5 day test game, slow and steady. It takes a lot of strategic planning and sheer patience to win that one. Much more, later, started liking the ODI format; one single day and the game gets over. Its easy, its enjoyable and most importantly, you don’t have to wait until next day for the results.

Now, comes the time of twenty20; it doesn’t even last half a day. A super-quick ~4 hours and the game gets over! Its so instant! You are enthralled by the mettle the batsmen exhibit, the shrewdness of the bowlers, the constant fear of the fielders that springs from the fact that even a single unsaved run carries the fate of the game.

And, COMMERCIALIZATION! Cricket has become so business-like. There are scantily-clad cheerleaders (heck, we didn’t even know them, in this part of the world). There are musicians for entertainment purposes. There are actors, politicians, business tycoons, all ready to spill money as easily as water.

Cricketers are being bought and sold! Its kind of funny and extremely sad too. How can you judge the worth of a player in terms of monetary values??? Before the start of IPL, there was the huge market of buy & sell, where players were sold for huge amount of money.

I remember watching over the TV; a news channel was questioning the family of a teenage cricketer, they were asking his mother, “How does it feel that your son was sold for Rs.—?”

No amount of diplomacy can ever mask the absurdity of that question. Is it a matter of pride, that your son has been put up for sale???

European football clubs are no new to this kind of transaction. Every now and then, you see famous players getting transfered to other clubs and obtaining a lot of money for that. However, here in India, where, for years, values, traditions, customs have been given prime importance, where we have considered the character of an individual the highest and not his wealth, it feels strange to deal with such a situation.

No one is complaining, though. Who will, when there is so much of fun. Its not every day that you get to see all the famous cricketers in India alone and playing their best against each other. Its a fever that has gripped the nation. Every evening, you have a new match to watch. A new treat to look forward to.

Cricket has become this commercialized religion, where one God is superior to other in terms of wealth. Its overwhelming. You are torn between the love for the game and the business environment that has been created. Or do you even understand, what kind of love you have for the game?

There is money, there are players, there are a string of games….. If there isn’t a cricket game coming up for a few days, ever felt the restlessness and craving for one? And now, there are too much to bother.

Every day you see, brilliant plays, disappointments, ridicule of some of the finest men and rising of the unexpected ones. The ones you thought will reach the top, are the ones who are sweeping bottoms AND the one you thought will do no good, are the ones climbing mountains!

Its like selling yourself, selling your faith and glory, selling your love and marketing your own emotions. Its no longer synonymous with pure fun. Its contaminated with the desire for more, of greed and ruthless passion.

BUT then, am I being practical? It is making the Indian cricket board richer. It is making the face of cricket known internationally. It is bringing money and tourism for the country. It is bringing fame and recognition for the players. It is like living a dangerous dream.

Well, sooner or later, when we all have to deal with personal devils, I don’t know, what we will be happy with? The pure pleasure we once felt for the game or the sheer commercialization that turned us into money-earning and power-hungry machines!!!