A SACHIN TENDULKAR LIFE At the age of 8, I had envisioned life to be rather simple with having everything in me to lead a life

without burden. I indeed had a tiny bunch of friends with whom I played football almost every day, fighting with them and then making amends. A doting family, which but was of course a part of a patriarchal society. No matter what I did not have to change the game from football to anything else or the friends and then there was certain amount of freedom that could easily be perceived. At this age focus (so as to say) either came quite naturally to me or it did not matter at all. Needless to say I enjoyed playing football then.

As came the sweet spring of sixteen, the ground had become larger. The faces of friends were replaced by far and had shrunk a bit, enlarged a bit. The game had become fierce and it was no longer confined to facing sixteen year olds. I was facing the stalwarts of the game. I was learning and the best as well as the worst part that I learnt was that one cannot quit this ground. Family remained as a support yet it was me who was playing as I remember all the bruises which make one stronger. Ambition took over me then. Then I turned 24 emerging a triumphant and started off as a new achiever. I was a bread-earner now. Now I had to learn how to make grounds. An electrical engineer, a part of a social circle and responsible for more than one thing; I certainly was somebody. Football was no more the only game nor were the friends, a mere team for playing with or against. I had to make friends for accomplishing my duty .Family? Of course I discovered new members each day. This was period of hard-work, enthusiasm and a time, less to think and more to work towards. Now ambition and reality went hand on hand. Now at 32, having played football, to badminton to computer games and still serving the company that I first joined I see myself bit tired, bit relaxed and also bit less hungry. I have turned fat though and get occasional comments from peers and few oldest of friends Yes, so far so good. I admit there are still few reasons to laugh about ad mist all pressures. Let me do as a reality check now. Married life had its own grounds to be handled .I see a son who is reflecting me. Parents now were no more a part of generation gap. A higher post at work and still craving only for namesake for a greater position; fully aware that there is less joy at top .Friendship turned sometimes into partnerships and vice-versa as and when required. Life becomes adjustment at times. I am still in the middle of the game. Having quit one arena of game paving youngsters train themselves for their betterment and also as a compulsion for a new generation to emerge. Occasionally I do fieldtrips just to remind me and others that done that and seen that. I do prefer morning walks to badminton now a days. I have yet not quit the test arena because there are still expectations from life. A decade of acknowledgement for service and almost 25 years of game, I see some regrets and some unexplainable sweetness of life. I do look forward to mornings some-times. And I know now I have to give another decade of service and that the grounds, faces, people and family scenario shall all be changing. And one day all the charm of a working life will vanish. Sometimes there will be relaxation and sometimes shall become too long else too hard to pass by. An inevitable question lurks but; should this alone deter as from going to the ground or rather leaving it? Something that cannot be avoided should never be our chance to escape from our duty. Let as enjoy ourselves a bit with joy that we all are in some way or other leading a life of sports and like Sachin Tendulkar bonded to the people; so what for us they are small in number. Providing service to the society, receiving accolades and being respected for work, building up strength for more are the part and parcel of our lives. So what if, we cannot call ourselves a bigger in-front of small or the still bigger. Middle is not really a bad thing to be. It requires more perseverance and has to be dealt with much more responsibility.