I do believe in God, but am absolutely not religious. I don't keep track of auspicious days, don't care for rituals and traditions, and don’t really take any pains to suck up to the almighty in general. My grandma had told me long ago that I don't need to do all that, because prayer without faith and belief in the cause amounts to nothing. I don't remember when was the last time I visited a temple. But as weird as it might sound, out of my own volition, I went to temple on Thursday morning after we beat Pakistan. I was ill, not feeling well, but somehow it just felt right. Then I went again on Friday, and prayed to God to write the prefect script on Saturday. And I even took my little sister to temple on Saturday morning in Pune. I intend to go once more sometime next week as a Thank You. That’s it for now.
How for the duration of 10 odd hours, I lived and died with every ball. I was there, on the field, in every sense. Nothing around me mattered anymore. Tiny moments etched in memory forever. Shock when Sreesanth came in rather than Ashwin. Sachin on shoulders of the team-mates. The glaring similarity between Zaheer's last over in 2011 final and his first over in 2003 Finals. The surge of respect for Dhoni when he promoted himself ahead of Yuvraj, and terror when he came crumbling down on pitch with stomach cramps and dehydration. The perfect silence all around when Sachin was caught behind the stumps. Sehwag holding Simon Taufel's arm when he signaled a No-Ball. Dhoni shouting over stumps to Yuvraj, "Referal lena hia kya, bol na, lena hai kya". Gambhir getting an earful from Dhoni after he played a shot in air that just went over the mid-on fielder for four. Gary Kirsten's jump from seat after the final shot. The anger in Kohli's eyes as he walked back to the pavilion.
I can't help but feel for my friends abroad. I got 5 calls towards the end of the match from friends outside, all asking "Abe bataa bahar kya ho raha hai". They must have all known the madness that prevailed on the streets when we knocked out Pakistan. And even though they could not be here, they wanted to be a part of it this time somehow, as it was happening real time. As one of them later wrote on FB, "I have never been so happy and so sad simultaneously in my whole life."
There was a barrage of SMS after we beat Pak 3 days ago, but today there was a steady flow of SMS throughout the day. One said; "Sangakara Prays to God, to help them win over India. God replies, sorry dude, conflict of interest. I'm gonna open for India". Another one was when we were in doldrums after Sachin's departure, one SMS said, "Arrey chinta nahi, apan hi jeetenge, Ghajini aur Rajni dono ordiance me hai"
Post match seems like a blur now. I was oblivious to the moistness in my own eyes till I saw tears streaming down the faces of Bhajji And Yuvi. The post match presentation ceremony, the victory lap all happened so fast. The grace with which Sangakara gave Team India credit was amazing. The face of Mahela and Sangakara post match told the story, and I felt bad for them. Though I didn't feel much for Murli. He already has been a World Champion, and he has already had a perfect script for TEST retirement when he got 8 wickets to touch 800 wickets. Miracles don't happen that often.
The firecrackers that went on for hours put any Diwali I have seen on the backburner. The crowds on the streets were amazing; not because of the sheer number, nor for the numerous Indian flags unfurled all along as far as the sight went. It was novel to see a sea of Blue amidst the yellow and white of street lights. Slogans all around ... "Sachin, India, Bharat mata ki Jai, Jeet Gaye" ... There was excitement, but no unruly behavior anywhere. The mobs were courteous and polite, even when screaming at the top of their voice. No obscenities, nothing. All around were genuine people, who were out there because they wanted to, because they believed in their dream and it had come true. Families, Young Kids, Grandparents .. all were out... on foot, in vehicles ...
We shouted and greeted random people, and they responded with equal vigor. I was hugging and giving high-fives to strangers, but we weren't strangers anymore. It was the brotherhood of Indian Cricket fans, embodying the soul of our nation. There was no eve teasing, and girls were feeling safe. There was hardly any traffic police, but there were no big jams. An uncle was putting tilak on everyone's forehead passing by, "Aaj desh jeeta hai beta, ham sab jeete hai". As I danced across ahead in the street I wondered if I will ever meet that man again, but it did not matter. Colors were flying all around; probably leftovers from Holi. The reaction was fit to the dreams of a nation coming true.
In hindsight, I loved the way how despite being so much about Sachin, the match did not become an All-Sachin affair. Tendulkar finally had a team his commitment, hard work and passion deserved, and they did it when it mattered. It felt like an obvious culmination for the years of devotion to the game and Nation by this humble great man. All the movie superstars, Business tycoons and Larger than life politicians must have gotten a dose of reality; of what it means to be Sachin Tendulkar. He was the special person Yuvraj wanted to win for. There was an underlying current across the nation, where everyone wanted the Cup for themselves, the players, but also specifically for Sachin. Kohli summed it up the best, "For 21 years he has carries the burden of our expectations on his shoulders, now it was time that we carried him on our shoulders"
Wish I could know more, feel more. How must it be to be in presence of an awe inspiring figure like Sachin, in flesh and blood around you. But that is a privilege of the few. We won, and not as underdogs, but as one of the tournament favorites. That makes it even more special.
Perfect endings don't happen only in movies; it can also happen in life. I was born in the year India won it's first World Cup. In 2011, I feel I am born again. As I look at issues around me in my life, somehow everything seems different, even when I know nothing has changed on ground. The underlying philosophy got reinforced. Take a leap of faith, work hard and be patient. All will be well.
PS: I am willing to pay top dollar to buy a copy of India's WC campaign.
