Happy Birthday 'Sachin'

  • Thread starter IndiaN
  • Start date
  • Replies: Replies 11
  • Views: Views 2,589

IndiaN

Contributor
Joined
19 Sep 2013
Messages
2,786
Reaction score
2,354
Happy Birthday to 'Sachin.R.Tendulkar'

23ten.jpg

Sachin%27s_Birthday_zaheer_yuvraj_harbhajan.jpg
 
The Sachin I know-By Dr. Aparna Santhanam

I've known Sachin Tendulkar a long time now. He is married to my best friend. We all know how that works, especially in the early years. In spite of having grown up on a staple diet of cricket, I had dual feelings about Sachin. I was in awe of and totally in love with his cricketing talent, but on a personal level, he remained my best friends husband. Pleasant, a little remote and due to his travel schedules and our challenges of medical studies, more a concept than reality.

But, it took very little time to understand the mans simple outlook to life and utter humility. He embodies hard work and never lets up on himself. Genius is such an overused word that to apply it in Sachin's context seems facetious. But, he certainly has immersed himself in his calling, performing at his best every single day for a quarter of a century to realise his full potential..

On a personal level, Sachin remains the same gentle, modest person he was 25 years ago. He nurtures and treasures his early friendships, his childhood pals and ensures that he spends time with them. Cricket, like most professional sports takes you away from home often and there were many occasions when he was away from Anjali and his family on important days. But, it is to her credit as much as his that they never let it interfere with the fabric of their lives or the rhythm of their relationship.

Sachin has always had a streak of shyness in him. This is fascinatingly coupled with a wicked sense of humour where he can have you in splits of laughter. I remember once, being with him in a family gathering at Anjali's, with nearly 50 guests, all wanting to meet him. He and I were sitting in one corner of the room and he confessed to me that such gatherings made him extremely shy and silent. And yet, every guest would walk up to him and he would be up like a Jack in the box, shake their hand, smile and sit down, only to bob up again, immediately. At one point, he started predicting what each guest would ask as they approached and not only was it incredibly funny, but also uncannily accurate. I remember walking away as I was shaking with laughter, but he gamely continued answering the same questions with utmost respect and enthusiasm.

People talk about the tremendous love fans have for Sachin, but few know of the extraordinary love he has for them. Anjali & Sachin were over at my place for dinner once, and within ten minutes the neighbourhood turned into a full-fledged circus. There were people thronging terraces across my house, using cameras to take pictures, till at a point, Sachin had to crawl on the floor and sit to avoid being photographed inside an apartment. As they left, every single person in the building was outside wanting an autograph, and he cheerfully obliged at 1 AM in the morning. There was one gentleman who lay down flat across the road, refusing to let Sachin drive away and yet, he never lost him temper or composure. In an era of publicity seeking celebrities who still find fans an intrusion and a nuisance, Sachin's behaviour exemplified the respect he displays for every person, no matter who they are or where they come from.

For a man who has reached heights that most of us cannot even dream of, he is incredibly grounded, as is Anjali. This is the value and the attitude with which they bring up their children, who also seem pleasantly unaware of any so called celebrity status. They treat their Baba with respect and affection, tinged sometimes with a what do parents know disdain that is a trademark of children all over the world. And Sachin is quintessentially himself with them, a young parent who banters as much as he chides, teases them to laughter and sometimes to exasperation. It is indeed, wonderful how normal, regular and simple the family is, with no overhang of Sachin's famous persona dominating their everyday lives.

His retirement speech moved me to tears, as it did millions of Indians around the globe. Today, Sachin is Bharat Ratna, having achieved everything that one can think of in one lifetime. He is happy, contented and enthusiastic post retirement, eagerly looking at this perhaps, quieter phase after an amazing, yet gruelling career. And as he turns a year younger today, it is difficult to not get a little nostalgic that we will not see him in India colours again. A friend of mine once said, he brings a smile to all Indians faces and I truly believe he is possibly the only super hero of our times. But, I take a leaf out of his and Anjali's book and say with a smile, that in spite of all his jaw dropping achievements, the accolades and fame that cricket has given him, maybe the best is yet to be, in this second innings! Happy birthday, Sachin!

Aparna Santhanam is a famous Dermatologist and best selling author based in Mumbai. She and Anjali Tendulkar are best friends. She did this piece specially for Cricbuzz for Sachin Tendulkars 41st birthday.

prv_6b65a_1398314888.jpg

Cricbuzz
 
Back
Top Bottom
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website. For the best site experience please disable your AdBlocker.

I've Disabled AdBlock