The Girl in White

It was unlike any other Sunday. The air was cool and crisp; cloaks of gold and red adorned the trees; the smell of the freshly fallen leaves surrounded me. In hindsight, I guess it wasn't meant to be any other Sunday.

The open-air bar set amidst landscaped greenery was romantic; a perfect setting for a beautiful Sunday afternoon brunch. My colleagues and I reached there on time unlike the rest of the guests. Blame it on the Bangalore weather; or like they say, "We are like that only".

And then she walked in; a sight to behold! Her gaze soft and penetrating, her black cascade of perfume worn across her shoulders. Her radiating beauty drew me towards her; beauty that cannot be expressed with the letters of the alphabet.

My friend called her over to introduce me. I was motionless, holding my breath; fearful that I would give my feelings away. We shook hands and I felt my hands melt in her small, tender hands.

We had a few rounds of martini and thankfully I was feeling myself again. I let a smile escape my lips thinking of the classic dialogue from the movie 'Twins', where De Vito tells Schwarzenegger, "Let the blood flow, let the blood flow".

She kept talking to my friend, looking at me from the corner of her eyes. Her eyes seemed to speak to mine. I don't remember the rest of the afternoon vividly; I was in a daze. And no, it didn't have anything to do with the martinis.

And then the time came for us to bid farewell. I was heartbroken. She looked at me, her eyes enchanting, and whispered a goodbye. And then she left. The girl in white.

The Girl in White.

"Dadaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Dadaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!", I ran beside the man screaming at the top of my voice. He looked at me, tiredness evident in his eyes. He was returning after a grueling three hour practice session.

"Can I get an autograph, Dada?", I said, visibly excited. I was at an arm's distance away from the legend.

"No, later", he quipped and walked away.

I didn't feel annoyed or bitter that my only meeting with my hero didn't go the way I imagined it to. Just a little disappointed that i didn't get his autograph.

The Bengal southpaw, Saurav Ganguly, announced on the 7th of October 2008 that the current home series with the Australians would be his swansong. The curtains were about to fall on an illustrious and glittering career. The nation went into mourning.

'Was it the right time?', "Was he forced to announce his retirement from international cricket?", "What will happen to the Fab Four?" - Questions that are doing the rounds currently.

Does it actually matter? If it does, let me give you my personal view on the matter. Yes, I think it was a good time to announce his retirement. It is also true, or so I have been given to believe, that he did not have a choice in this matter. He has just been provided a platform to walk away gracefully. Yes, it's also true that the Fab Four has been disintegrated and only the Holy Trinity remains. But for how long?

But, the fact of the matter is, tomorrow when Saurav Ganguly takes the long walk back to the pavilion after his last innings; he can walk with his head held high. Here was a man who did not take things lying down; instead chose to meet fire with fire. A man whose path his rivals feared to cross. A legend who took the nation to great cricketing heights.

"Aristocrat?" Yes. "Arrogant?" Yes. But a greater SPORTSMAN and a LEGEND!

"Dada! Stand Up and Take a Bow". We will miss you.