#Thankyou Sachin

This game has seen many greats, legends, superstars, hard hitters, match winners and entertainers but what does it take to be called a child prodigy, then the next big thing, the world's best batsman, little master, master blaster and then GOD.

What does it take to become Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar?

When you make headlines even if you get out on a duck, when millions of people shut their lives when you enter your nineties and when your retirement is the talk of the town right after your country lifts the world cup, you know you are great.

But when, despite all these, you work hard to improve continuously, perform consistently, answer only with your bat, carry and fulfill the hopes of more than a billion people for 24 long years; you become Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

When every commentator says 'This man needs no introduction' while introducing you, when one does not need to look at the TV screen to make out that you hit the boundary as the roar from the crowd is enough to answer that; you become Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

When people switch of the TV as soon as you get out, pray for your runs more than their own marks and support an entire IPL team only because you play for it; and when you disappoint none of them; you become Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

When you have achieved more than any man could ever have and people believe you can achieve more, when you are popular among girls because of how good you bat and not look; you become Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

When your presence fulfills the childhood dream of everyone else in the dressing room, when half the stadium, even in England and Australia, is filled with spectators who have come to watch only you; when most of your teammates are happy of the world cup victory because you fulfilled your dream; you become Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

When from a career threatening injury when you cannot lift a fork, you come back and retain the title of the best batsman lifting the heaviest bat in the world; you become Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

Like every other human this man has a whole lot of weaknesses. Luck has shined on him more than some of his contemporaries. But his effort, patience, temperament, consistency and character has made him a superhuman. He is not the next best batsman to Sir Don Bradman; he is the first Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

The sport will move on, adults will forget, children will never come to know and the nation will find a new hero but ‘today’ will go down in history as the moment when the heart of the world's largest cricketing nation skipped a beat.

First 2 months @ NITIE

It was 11:30 in the night on the Wednesday of June 12, 2013; exactly 597.997 (restricted to three decimals to honour the non-mathematical purpose of the article) years after Henry, the Prince of Portugal embarked on an expedition to Africa that I embarked on a little less noteworthy but an equally adventurous journey to NITIE (YES. Living in a campus frequently visited by leopards and crocodiles is adventurous). The following two years were to define and change who I am but more of how I will be perceived by the world. And I was ready for that!

I reached the campus at 6:30 in the morning, welcomed by the chirping and tweeting of the birds; unusual; given that in Mumbai there are so many people one hardly gets a hi-fi, and I knew something interesting is awaiting. And wasn't I correct? At one of the most odd hostel check – in times I got one of the best rooms in the campus. The sleep that followed my check-in was an expression of relief.

The course was to start from 17^th, but in the meantime we were flooded by case studies and group tasks from our seniors to give us a flair of how the life is going to be for the next two years. Or wait it could also be a sweet revenge of the strict denial, of any acts that can be defined as ragging, by the college authorities. To remove any element of doubt the tasks were voluntary. SWEET!!!

In the very same days I also found some friends, roommate, new roommate who were to stay with me, laugh and study with me, party with me from then on. I was a day scholar in my graduation years and the vicariously experienced hostel life through tonnes of stories had always excited me. Now I was living them. And for the record, “I was loving it”.

Then the classes started and the fun actually began. Two hour lectures was the first of its kind as was sleeping for an hour in the two hour class. Making notes, pen portraits, chatting during the class, proxies, exams, group studies and kicking the life out of the birthday boy was all a part of life again. To add to the fun was the ultra-green campus, the weather, the location and Mumbai. Days and nights merged into each other, bathing was now voluntary, no more ties and formals every day, you were your own boss and your friends were your managers.

But then came the time to start preparing for Committees and Summer Placements. I started studying with the purpose of gaining knowledge and yes it is helping. I am a little busy today to track the changes in me with the change in my life, but not too busy to live it. This is just the beginning and with 670 more days to go I am sure that I will be able to share more such experiences and emotions with you.

With the hope that forever is not a myth and I carry every single memory of NITIE with me to eternity, let me take your leave to prepare myself for more such experiences.