YouWe Can!!

Happy New Year all of that to all the readers!!

Talking of years, years will come and go, but there are people who take your breath away with the persona that they exude!

Yuvraj Singh, the wonderboy of Indian cricket (along with a certain Virender Sehwag) in the 2000s, just helped us clock back to those glorious years, a few nights ago.

Along with another gem who goes by the name of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the two made us relive our age, making us believe we all were a decade younger, living again in those times!

What a knock by both Yuvraj and Dhoni, to first rescue India and then to helm us onto a commanding position, thanks to their knocks.

Two tributes to Yuvraj that come straight to my mind here:
I read this somewhere and it seemed so apt and worth sharing:

We all love Sachin for his perfection.
We adulate Dravid for his temperament.
We salute Ganguly for his self-belief.
We admire Laxman for his timing.
We idolize Dhoni for his coolness.

But when it comes to Yuvraj, what catches the eye the most through his game and strokes, is why we fell in love with the game (batting in particular through him) in the first place!

Just the clean hitting and that awesome sound of ball being met by the center of the center of the bat!
And ofcourse, that effortless and poetic followthrough, ensuring that once he hits the ball, it stays hit.

I will always remember something that he said.
When, at the peak of his powers, straight after being Man of the Series in the winning World Cup team of 2011, he was diagnosed with cancer, someone asked him: why only you?
Doesn't the thought cross your mind, why did it have to happen to me? Now? Only me? Why?

I will never forget the words with which the man replied: When I won the World Cup as an Under 19, I never asked God why did you select only me?
When I got into the Indian team I never asked God why only me?
When I hit 6 sixes, I never asked when only me?
When I won the World Cup and the Man of the Series, I never asked Him why only me?
So why now?
:)

Amazing, wonderful, and heart warming.
That is why Yuvraj remains the greatest of comeback of stories and that is why his success is appreciated and enjoyed by not just him but many more, all over!
Thanks a ton Yuvi, for making your success and comebacks an inspiration to always be steadfast, courageous and keep striving tirelessly.
Each success you achieve is a botox shot for everyone to learn from you, to rise like a phoenix from every disaster, every failure, much stronger and better, every time!
Thank Yuvi, for teaching that we all can embrace any success even after any failure(s)!
You and we always can!
To the perennial emotional favorite of many if not all, dear Yuvi, YOU WE INDEED CAN :)

Sachiiiiin, Sachiiiin!!

As we move from the era of Lara, Ponting, Dravid, and Sachin to Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Virat Kohli, one thing has still not gone out of fashion: the cries of Sachiiiin, Sachiiiin!!!

Fans resonate with that chant all across the world even today, invoking his name even when everyone knows he isn't on the field anymore.
Such is the legend of the man they call God.

While I am loathe to equate Sachin to Godly status, I do consider him a role model (on the cricket field) and a huge influence on how to maintain one's equanimity amidst all the temptations and adulations in the world, day in, day out.

To add a fun twist to the nostalgia, here's a humorous take on Sachin and his impact, courtesy TVF!

Dear Sachin,
We shall continue to get heroes galore.
A Kohli within, someone else ashore.

But what will never happen with anyone else except you..
Is for someone to now not know, when successful too early, who to look upto

For you are a lesson for all of us mortals-lesser
On how to remain grounded in compliments and pressure.

This is for you, Sachin - from one among millions of your fans!!

Rest In Peace...

As Indians, we have heard a lot about demonetisation, its effects/affects (as per your political leaning).

However, for me, November marks the anniversary of 26/11, more than any other world event.

The Mumbai attacks of 26/11 are well-documented, and we still await justice being done, the perpetrators being brought to book.
This, when the world has seen the rise of similar attacks in France, Brussels, along with the rise of the ISIS.
Despite all the cacophony, the international consensus has been more about being mute spectators and about doing nothing more than making perfunctory noises and condemnations, time and time again.

Yes, we have done better than before, in retaliating towards Pakistani strikes.
Yes, we have been more firm, but we still need to do a lot more.

Let us keep ensuring that we isolate Pakistan completely - both strategically, diplomatically as well as militarily with enough quid pro quo.

My thoughts go out again, to all those who lost their lives or loved ones, to the cowardly and dastardly act of terrorists.
Rest In Peace to them.

To all of us here - let us not rest in peace - till we get the culprits and make sure justice prevails.
Jai Hind!

Dear Hanu

Pyaare Hanu,

Aap jahan bhi ho, jahan bhi raho, hamesha khush rehna.

May your soul find peace, happiness, blessings, and contentedness, Hanu.

We love you Hanu.
We all do.
Always did, always will.

We are fine Hanu, just don't worry.
We don't want you to feel stuck due to us.
Yes, your void and absence will always hurt.
Yes, we will miss you all the time.

But do know Hanu, that it does not mean we want you to stay stuck with our pain.
So we are fine Hanu, and we will always remember you with joy and love only.

We will be happy in wishing and praying that you get mukti, happiness, and peace.
Just want you to know our love for you, our missing you, is not our weakness or your handicap.
It is our joy. Always was and always will be just that.
With lots and lots of love, love, and only love from all of us: Bless you, forever! :)

May you always stay protected, pampered, blessed, and loved by God and all the angels up above.
Stay in peace, stay blessed, stay happy, always!!!