Saturday, 15 September 2012

The man who taught us the art of patience.


Patience is an art. It is the most difficult of all arts. It is the most respected of all arts. It is the most difficult to master. The master of patience will have nothing to fear. He will have nothing to worry about. This master will find his place in the hearts of all human beings. He will live and make other people see life. He will pour his heart and soul out for the cause of other people and will live to show what it takes to respect and be respected.
      From "Jammy" to "the wall" to "Mr. Dependable", Rahul Dravid has come a long way. He has built a wall in the hearts of the people and never once did he shatter the wall of trust that millions of people built in their hearts for him. A small, cute boy he was when he first walked into the field in the year 1996 against the mighty Lankans. He has transformed into a soft leader, an amazing architect of the game, the irreplaceable aspect of the team, the wonderful beginner of the sport, the scintillating striker of the ball, the mesmerizing defender, the biggest and most enthralling wall of the country, of the world. Now, it is the pain of reality that stands before us: his 20 years of cricketing carrier is over. The wall will never come back to protect us, to soothe our anxious mind during times of India's struggle, to stand there and be there for us. He has gone for good, a decision well taken, but he has left behind a gaping hole in the hearts of millions of people, me included.
         Not once did the over nosy media find fault with his personal life, not once was he scrutinized for wrong doings, not once was he reprimanded for carrying out something which he shouldn't have. A man will become totally brilliant only when his skills are accompanied by the best of character and the most diligent of manners and behavior. His respect for mankind, especially women, is what places him millions of miles apart from the common man.
        Yes, apart from being a cricketer he is a father, a husband, a son and a grandson, but what he has left behind in the annals of history is a combination of all the traits of a wonderful person and a man whose footsteps will be followed but in vain by millions of his ardent fans.
         Moved to tears we were, when the news of his retirement came out. He was calm and composed, never once losing his cool. But the people around him and the infinite fans watching in front of the television sets found unanswerable tears falling from their eyes, unable to fathom the degree of the loss. This is one of the biggest losses to the history of cricket and it has created such a deep impact on the minds of the people that it has been rendered impossible for them to come out of the shock of the loss. Sure, people will eventually move on and live a life without Dravid, but will never be able to stop themselves from thinking of him at every turn of their lives.
       Mahan sages tell that life is a circle- Man is born, he lives, cherishes and then perishes, but in this case, Rahul Dravid will never perish. He will live in our hearts for ever, even after he is gone.

Aishwarya Kumar. 

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