Legendary Opener Virender Sehwag calls it quits

Virender Sehwag announced his arrival on the international stage with a brilliant hundred in a test match against the world-class South African bowling attack comprising of Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Ntini and Lance Klusener in 2000. Since then, he was a tormentor of many world-class bowlers on his day.

At the beginning of his now legendary career, his batting style was eerily similar to the Little Master, Sachin R. Tendulkar. He was often referred to as the 'Tendulkar Clone'. But that is where the comparison stopped. Virender Sehwag was a very aggressive batsman. He batted with a simple philosophy - if the ball is in his hitting zone, he will dispatch it with disdain. And he did that on countless occasions. The key to his belligerent batting was his immaculate hand-eye coordination which made batting look ridiculously simple even on the tracks with assistance for fast bowlers and spinners. 

It did not take him long to please the purists of the game. His batting technique was uncomplicated - minimal feet movement and excellent hand-eye coordination much to chagrin of cricketing purists.The one thing that distinguished him from his illustrious compatriots and contemporaries was his penchant for mammoth scores in test matches and one day internationals. So, it is hardly surprising that the Nawab of Najafgarh, as he is affectionately called by press and commentators, is the only Indian batsman who has scored 2 triple centuries in test matches and 1 double century in ODIs in the history of Indian cricket.

In one of the interviews, he candidly revealed the conversation he had with the master, Sachin R. Tendulkar, during the India-South Africa test series. Sachin said, "I hope, tomorrow is your day". Pat came the trademark reply from Virender Sehwag in Hindi, "Agar Kal Mera Din Hua Toh South Africa waale mar jaayenge". Sachin's utterance came true in that landmark test match. Virender Sehwag went on to score his first triple century by an Indian against the potent South African bowling attack. During his marathon inning, he broke numerous records along the way. Most importantly, he proved to the world that the Indian batsmen has it in them to score a triple ton or two. I bet, even his staunchest of critics would have applauded on this great inning which cemented his legacy as one of the most destructive batsman to have played the game. 

Fast forward his batting exploits to 2005 when India played against their arch-rivals, Pakistan. Virender Sehwag was at the forefront yet again. He decimated their bowling attack comprising Shoaib Akhtar and Saqlain Mushtaq in a test match played at Multan. He rewrote the record books and redefined the art of batting in test matches and one day internationals with his inimitable aggressive batting. He brought up his record equaling 2nd triple century and that too against arch rivals Pakistan in their own backyard. He was unfazed by what score he was batting on. In this epic knock, he was batting in 290s when stepped out to the ace off spinner, Saqlain Mustaq, and lofted him to long on boundary to bring up his 300! How many batsmen would have had that kind of courage and conviction in their own abilities to go for a risky shot? None. He was different. The knock was so special that even the Pakistan's die hard supporters couldn't help, but applauded the genius they witnessed on that day. Virender Sehwag not only brought up his world record equaling 2nd triple ton, but he also has the distinction of becoming the fastest triple centurion ever. 

If you thought this was all, then you are grossly mistaken. Virender Sehwag also went on to become the second double centurion after the master Sachin R. Tendulkar in One Day Internationals against West Indies and in the process, became the highest scorer in the history of ODIs. He held the record for a brief period before it was bettered by another Indian batsman, Rohit Sharma. It is a matter of great pride that the first and second ever double centurions were Indians. Also, the current record holder for the highest score is also an Indian, Rohit Sharma. 

Looking back at the spectacular cricketing career of Virender Sehwag, I couldn't help but confess that you were a supreme entertainer whose only equal was the West Indian legend Sir Vivian Richards. With the recent retirement of Virender Sehwag, the golden era of the Indian batting came to an end. Thank you for the brilliance, Viru! I am glad that you came along. Wish you all the best in your future endeavours. 

Sach a Genius

Cricket is a religion in India. And Sachin R. Tendulkar is the opium of the masses. Even before the Little Champion made his International debut, India’s domestic cricket circle was abuzz with the entry of the dimunitive little boy wonder from Mumbai, who would join the select pantheon of legends - Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Gary Sobers, Sir Isaac Vivian Richards and Original Little Master Sunil M. Gavaskar.

When India’s child prodigy made his International debut against arch rivals, Pakistan, which boasted of legends such as Imran Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Abdul Qadir in their ranks. Coincidentally, that test match was also the debut of two of the greatest fast bowling legends – Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. When Sachin was hit on his nose by a booming bouncer from Waqar Younis, he started bleeding profusely. His older partner Ravi Shastri who was at the non striker’s end came running to his young partner. Sachin refused to stop and continued to face the bowling. Although he made few runs in that innings, whole cricketing world took notice of his fierce competitive demeanor.  In the following One Day Series, an over confident Abdul Qadir taunted the young Sachin R. Tendulkar by telling his skipper, “Yeh Bachha Kya Khelega?” The fired-up Sachin hit him for three consecutive sixes in an over. Everyone on the field and in the stadium watched in awe. Abdul Qadir later confided in his skipper, Imran Khan, “Yeh Ladka Duniya Ka Sabse Mahaan Ballebaaz Banega.” And the rest, as they say, is history. To which Imran Khan said, “I have seen a twinkle in his eyes which makes him a precocious talent at such a tender age.”

Sachin made his ODI debut against New Zealand. It was the first time when he opened in Indian colours. He dazzled everyone with his stupendous stroke play scoring 82 runs in just 49 balls! Whole cricketing world went gaga over his batting which was literally the poetry in motion. 

India toured Down Under in 1991-92 against rampaging Australians which had stalwarts such as Merv Hughes, Craig Mcdermott, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne in their ranks. At that time, Perth was touted as the fastest pitch on the planet. Sachin cracked a memorable ton much to the delight of every true cricket connoisseur. When other Indian batsmen were unable to cope with the pace, movement and bounce at Perth, Sachin R. Tendulkar batted like a dream. Australia’s legendary fast bowler, Merv Hughes famously told their captain and batting great, “This little prick is going to break your record one day.” That masterful innings was the beginning of the Sachin R. Tendulkar era in world cricket. This vintage innings is ranked amongst the best hundreds ever scored on Perth’s lightning fast pitch. It added to his legion of fan base not just in India, but across the cricketing globe.

When India toured South Africa in the mid 1990s, South Africa had a fierce fast bowling attack which had legendary names such as Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock and co. India went on to lose that series, but the superb counter attack from Sachin in which he scored 169 mammoth runs left every cricket fan mesmerized.

In 1998, when India played world beaters Australia in a Tri-series at Sharjah, Sachin R. Tendulkar put on a batting exhibition which saw him score match winning hundreds in a virtual Semi Final and in the Final against a dreaded Australian bowling attack comprising of Glenn McGrath, Damien Flemming and spin king, Shane Warne. Here was a batsman who achieved the impossible of dominating the world’s greatest spinner in the history of the game, Shane Warne. Such was the brutality of the assault on his bowling that Shane Warne famously quipped, “I have nightmares in bed”. Those innings kicked up the desert storm at dusty Sharjah which will always be etched on the minds of every cricket fan across the world. 

Harsha Bhogle, an ace cricket commentator, famously quoted, “When Sachin plays well, India sleeps well.” It is a true tribute to the little genius who has been India’s most beloved sporting icon for time immemorial.

By then, Indian Batting sensation had become the One Man Demolition. What followed was the juggernaut of unstoppable Sachin R. Tendulkar! He dominated the bowling attacks around the world like what Sir Vivian Richards used to in his heydays. And that speak volumes about his god gifted talent and his work ethics of the Little Genius.

Sachin had once famously said in his customary nonchalant manner, “When people throw stones at me, I convert them into Milestones.” Truly, Sachin, you are the Kohinoor of India. A kind of consummate professional and god gifted talent which comes once in a lifetime!

Can you imagine a sportsperson who has set benchmarks for 24 glorious years? The answer would be a resounding NO. Sachin set the benchmark in greatness for his great contemporaries like Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara, Rahul Dravid, Jacques kallis, Mathew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Steven Waugh, VVS Laxman to emulate.

It was only befitting that India’s ‘Milestone Man’ conquered the world record of the first ever double century at Gwalior in the history of ODIs against a fierce South African team boasting of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and co. His cricketing achievements are well documented. But what makes Sachin R. Tendulkar a class apart is his humility, strong work ethics and unwavering passion for the gentleman’s game. I will stick my neck out and blatantly confess, “Cricket has never seen a better ambassador than Sachin R. Tendulkar. A true colossus of our times.” His impeccable conduct on and off the field made him the darling of the masses. To me, he was the beacon of hope for India when it was going through turbulent times. I am privileged and count myself to be extremely fortunate to have witnessed the meteoric rise and inimitable magic of Sachin R. Tendulkar unfold. At a time when India was divided on political front, Sachin R. Tendulkar was the unifying factor. He brought smiles on the faces of billions of Indians and cricket enthusiasts the world over.

I vividly remember the popular quote by another batting legend, Australian Mathew Hayden, “I have seen God bat. He bats at No. 4 for the Indian cricket team.” I have never seen God, but I know he exists as he has created this Superman of Indian Sports. Also, I take this opportunity to thank Ramakant Achrekar Sir and Sachin’s elder brother, Ajit Tendulkar for giving us the Kohinoor in Sachin R. Tendulkar. Thank you for the beautiful memories, Sachin R. Tendulkar. I take a bow to thou, Master! May you have a long, rewarding life ahead. 

As I am writing this piece, my heart is filled with immense sadness. And be rest assured that I will burst into tears when that moment comes. Long live your legacy, Sachin!

What goes around comes around!

First and foremost, I offer an unconditional apology for not posting regularly. In fact, this is my first post after an eternity almost. No wonder they say, "Better late than never". A lot has happened in my life since then. But it has been a joyride so far. There are so many amazing experiences that I intend to share with the world. Now that I have got back to active blogging again, I wish to bare it all one after the other. 

What compelled me to get back to blogging again is my beautiful past. As I was surfing on the popular social networking portal today, I came across that person with whom I have shared some of my most beautiful memories. As it's aptly said, "What goes around comes around." World is a small place after all. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the genius who invented the social networking marvel called Facebook. THANK YOU, Mr. ZUCKERBERG. 

If it wasn't for Facebook, then I wouldn't have had the pleasure of sharing this one-of-its-kind experience today. I met this person here.  Believe it or not! It was the love on the internet. Indeed, miracles do happen when you believe in the power of love. It transcends all boundaries. We went on to become close friends within few months. In these few months, we used to chat on G-talk till the crack of the dawn. These friendly banters soon turned into intimate online conversations. We started exchanging our sweet, romantic talks over the phone. They were laced with sugary sweet romance. Finally the day came when she began trusting me with her life. Soon I made a candid confession - I proposed her over the Yahoo Messenger. She instantly reciprocated her feelings on Yahoo Messenger with the emoticons of the heart and infinite kisses with the 'I LOVE YOU TOO' typed in block letters. Love was truly in the air. My world had turned upside down. I was completely speechless, yet filled with euphoria. 

Our telephonic conversations continued for the next few weeks. Then one fine day in July 2007, we met for the first time outside the newly opened coffee shop as it was a hop away from my office.I told her to call me once she winds up her work. So I decided to stay back in my office till then. After few minutes, my cell rang playing the ringtone of that popular Eric Clapton track, 'Leyla'. My heart started beating so fast that if a person was standing next to me, it would have sounded like a ticking love bomb. To add to this excitement, it started to drizzle outside. The setting was just perfect. As I was thinking of crazy ways for breaking the ice with a funny one liner, she arrived dressed elegantly in a white t-shirt and denim with a cute hairband adorning her head sans the makeup. I blurted out, "Holy Cow!" But as soon as she heard me, she started laughing. And the expression on her face was priceless. She resembled the Greek Goddess. Our eyes met and we greeted each other with a customary, 'How you doing?'. Then we stepped into her car and went on a long romantic drive to Marine Lines at 11:30 in the pitch black darkness. 

And the rest is history.  

V.V.S. Laxman - A batting artist who enthralled all!

What do I say about the man whose initials make him what he truly was and will always be? Very Very Special. Born as Vengarappu Venkata Sai Laxman, he was destined to be an artist. Not many people know that VVS was a brilliant student and had scored a whopping 98% in his 12th Board Exam! Right from the school days, he was earmarked for greater glory. He found his true calling in cricket as a sublime batsman.

VVS Laxman made his debut for his Ranji Trophy team, Hyderabad. His talent was there for everyone to see even at the tender age. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that he was going to represent India at the highest level. But what truly made VVS Laxman an artist was his grit, determination and above all, his impeccable timing that stayed with him throughout his illustrious career. He was a joy to watch when in full flow. Even his opponents used to admire and even applaud his magical stroke play.

The rise of VVS Laxman into the pantheon of batting greatness is synonymous with the rise of invincible Australia from mid 1990's till 2007. They were truly on the top of their game. Australia had a potent bowling attack comprising Glenn Mcgrath, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee at their disposal. This was the same attack who bundled up opponents inside 4 days of test cricket. For they had one of the game's greatest minds as their captain in Steven Waugh at helm. 

When batsmen around the world barring a select few including Sachin R. Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis and of course, VVS Laxman. He was an integral part of India's famed batting quartet of Sachin R. Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly. VVS Laxman just like his batting compatriots, Rahul Dravid and Sachin R. Tendulkar, had a penchant of scoring against rampaging Australians.

VVS displayed his elegant artistry against mighty Australians playing a career defining knock of 167 on the lively Sydney pitch. He gave an impression of hardly hitting the ball. But his timing was impeccable and placement was divine. By now the entire cricketing world had taken note of this truly special player. His moment of reckoning came in that legendary test match of 2001 at Kolkata that is now a part of cricketing folklore. VVS Laxman wove the magic with his epic 281 in the company of ever reliable Rahul Dravid who made 150 odd runs. Their partnership is one of the best counter attacking partnership played against ruthless Australians on the verge of conquering their final frontier - India.

India was made to follow on in the first innings and then putting up a mammoth score. Clearly the writing was truly against the wall. In the second innings, India was in a precarious position against ever accurate Glenn Mcgrath and fiesty Brett Lee. At one end was Rahul Dravid and then walked in VVS Laxman. Both of them played out of their skins to forge one of the best ever counter attacking partnership in the glorious history of gentleman's game. 281 was epic and magical. He managed to mesmerize the hard nosed Australians. And it definitely takes some doing. Right throughout his career, VVS Laxman played some of his finest knocks against them.

Few days back, he announced his retirement from cricket. It was shocking. To me, it seemed hastened and premature. I suspect the current Indian captain MS Dhoni was behind it. VVS Laxman never enjoyed his support. It's time to make the skipper understand that batting legends had earned their places in Indian team. You are a very good captain because you had and have extra ordinary players like Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar in the team. As they say, "You are as good as your team." Even your time will come Mr. Dhoni. And I am sure that you won't like it.

But coming back to VVS Laxman, you were an artist of highest calibre. Every stroke you played was like Beethoven's symphony playing out on the cricket field. A team player and a special player like you comes once in a lifetime. India is grateful to you for entertaining every Indian cricket fan for more than decade and half. May you have an equally greater run in life post retirement!

Legacy beckons Usain 'Lightning' Bolt at Olympics 2012!

The Olympics 2012 has arrived in grand style in picturesque London with a spectacular opening ceremony that left everyone spellbound. London is truly a global city that has managed to maintain its old world charm. Olympics essentially is the home coming of some of the world's best athletes. Being a quadrennial event means it will be viewed globally with great anticipation as it comes once every four years. Excitement is only palpable.

And of course, the first blog on the popular contenders amongst men for Olympics 2012 promises to be pulsating. Being a carnival of sports, there is no better platform for an athlete to perform. This Olympics will separate men from the boys. And perhaps, boys will grow into men to etch their names in gold in its glorious history.

There are host of illustrious names that comes to my mind immediately. These athletes come once in a lifetime and I vouch for them. I am confident that these men or boys will come into their own. As they say, "Cometh the hour, cometh the man". Their names include Usain Bolt, Roger Federer, Michael Phelps, Novak Djokovic, Abhinav Bindra, Mahesh Bhupati, Leander Paes, Vijender Singh, Sushil Kumar and many more illustrious names from around the globe.

But there is one athlete who have captured imagination of spectators around the planet since a certain Carl Lewis, a former 9 times Gold medal winner and 1 silver winner ,  is arguably the greatest name in Olympics history. He is a true Olympic legend. And if there is one man who can equal or get past his incredible tally of Gold medals is a man who answers to the name of Usain Bolt of Jamaica.

Usain Bolt has already tasted Olympic success with an impressive 3 Gold medals on his Olympic debut in 2008. Add to that, he already has 5 world championships to his credit. It's not for nothing that he is aptly nicknamed 'Lightning'. If you want to see a champion athlete in full swing, it has to be Usain Bolt. Coming from a humble background, Usain Bolt is a simple, friendly young man with a penchant for dancing and music. And it's not a surprise that he comes from Kingston, Jamaica of Carribean Islands.

Let me tell you that Usain Bolt is a once in a lifetime athlete. And he might not have been at his best during trials conducted prior to Olympics 2012. He means business. His charismatic victory celebration pose of 'lightning' is adored by his legion of fans across the world. Being a 6' 5" frame, he is a gentle giant both in terms of his physical appearance and his extraordinary ability. Most importantly, he has a heart of a true champion.

I have this funny feeling that this Olympics 2012 will firmly establish the name of 'Usain Bolt' in gold for his immense contribution to the world of sprinting on track and field. If he repeats his feat of 2008, his name should be changed to Usain 'Gold Lightning' Bolt. Go for it, Usain! Legacy is yours for the taking.

The Legendary Wall of India bids adieu to cricket!

The era of Rahul Dravid began in England alongside his fellow teammate and former captain, Sourav Ganguly. Though he fell short of a well deserved century on debut, his class and impregnable technique was there for all to see. Soon the English media was abuzz with praise for the man known for his mental toughness, temperament and immaculate batting technique. It became apparent that Rahul Dravid belonged to the stage of world cricket.

After his near perfect debut, Rahul Dravid continued to pile on runs through tiring the opposition bowlers and playing the waiting game to perfection. When you saw Rahul Dravid in his heydays, he was a picture of elegance that was earlier said to be the signature style of great Gundappa Vishwanath and former Australian opener, Mark Waugh. But Rahul Dravid was far ahead when it came to grinding down the opposition with his water tight technique.

In late 1990's, Rahul Dravid had firmly established himself as one of the greatest test batsmen of all time. His voracious appetite for runs was well known. When the times were rough and opposition bowlers were on top, Rahul Dravid emerged as India's go to man or the man everyone called 'The wall'. What makes Rahul Dravid a true batting legend is his simple, grounded thinking which was reflected in his batting. Another admirable quality about Rahul Dravid was the fact that he was a team man to the core.

As I mull about Rahul Dravid's memorable knocks, I can't help but travel back 11 years to one of the greatest venues, Kolkata's Eden Garden, in 2001 where India were playing World Champions, Australia, led by one of the game's greatest skippers, Steven Waugh. India were already trailing in the series and the test match was in a precarious situation as India was given a follow on. What unfolded next is the best ever turnarounds in cricketing history. Rahul Dravid walked in at No. 5 as VVS Laxman was promoted to coveted No. 3 position ahead of Rahul Dravid.

After facing the initial on slaught by Aussie fast bowlers, the terrific duo of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman settled down and began to score freely. As the innings progressed, everyone knew something special is in the offing. VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid indeed dished out the virtuoso performances with VVS Laxman scored the perfect 281 and Rahul Dravid made a wonderful crafted 180. And that resulted in arguably the greatest test match victory for Indian cricket team. While everyone hailed VVS Laxman, but for me it was Rahul Dravid who played the rescuer's role marvelously yet again. If it wasn't for Rahul Dravid's marathon innings, India would have lost badly. That innings was a perfect blend of caution and aggression. Yet again Rahul Dravid was the unsung hero of Indian cricket.

A lesson which you and I must learn from Rahul Dravid is to never give up and challenge the impossible by staying focused on your goals. He was truly a captain's delight and opposition teams respected this artist. In an era of swash buckling batsmen, Rahul Dravid stood tall with his classical style which oozed elegance. He was a joy to watch when in full flow and even better when going was rougher for the team. Another spectacular inning came in the famous Adelaide Test Match against rampaging Australians which also happened to be Steve Waugh's farewell test match. Yet again Rahul Dravid rose to the challenge and made a flawless 233 in the first innings and 72 not out in the second innings to register India's first ever win in Adelaide.

Rahul Dravid was one of the greatest test batsmen to have played this glorious game. The strong character of Rahul Dravid came to the fore when he was labelled as the legendary test batsman and an average One Day International player. Media ridiculed him for being 'slow' and some experts called for his ommision from the Indian ODI team. Rahul Dravid took it as a challenge and he went back to the nets and finetuned his game. In 1999 World Cup, Rahul Dravid ended up as the highest run getter in the tournament. That year was the arrival of Rahul Dravid, the legendary one day batsman.

Having represented India with pride and distinction for 16 years, Rahul Dravid silenced his critics with his bat by scoring over 11,000 runs in Test Cricket and over 10,000 runs in ODI cricket. It bears a testimony to his sheer greatness and his stature as one of the greatest batsmen to have played the gentleman's game. Even his illustrious compatriots, Sachin R. Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble, held him in high esteem. Each one of them praised Rahul Dravid for being a champion batsman and a true team man.

Yesterday, Rahul Dravid walked into the sunset of his glittering career in his hometown of Bangalore. Now that's what legends are made up of. Rahul Dravid has etched his name on the minds of every cricket fan as an inimitable legend known for values such as passion, dedication, temperament and simplicity which he upheld with dignity. Hats off to you Rahul, your name will shine for ever!

My spine chilling encounter with the paranormal spirit of a woman!

The midnight of 19th January, 2012, proved to be one of my most horrifying experiences. Not that I haven't encountered it before. Were they my illusions or just scary facts that I can see the paranormal? Unfortunately, it’s the latter. It was totally unexpected as I clearly remember that my day began like any other normal day.

The following day proved to be an action packed one for me as my colleague, Mahesh and I, were busy mulling over the concept for the launch of 1st of our Campaign Ads for one of our projects. It was a usual day, but the last minute brief changed everything. This sudden decision of placing an Ad in one of the leading tabloids on the very next day put an unexpected responsibility on our shoulders.

We braced ourselves for the challenge that confronted us. But we were not going to back down as well. As it's an opportunity for me to impress usually unflappable Boss with my quality work and commitment. Once our team members left, the real work began at 8:30 P.M.

Then it was just two of us and our team members from Marketing Department. We were busy racking our brains inside out for fleshing out a concept, visuals and of course, my specialty of Copy in Advertising parlance. Unfortunately, my colleague, Mahesh, who is a Sr. Visualizer, was busy multitasking. He was lending them a helping hand in putting together a Media Kit consisting various marketing collateral. As we had the launch of our hospitality chain with a press conference at a swanky restaurant in Mumbai beckoned our team including our Boss, VP of Leisure Division and Marketing team the very next day.

While we were preoccupied with our work, hunger pangs got the better of us. We were so consumed by our work that we had even skipped our dinner. But all thanks to the largesse of our Marketing Manager who ordered dinner for all of us. Once the order arrived, we grabbed a quick bite as it was almost past 1:00 AM! And by the time we left the office premise, it was around 2 o' clock.

My colleagues called a ‘Cool Cab’ and they dropped me near the bridge as my place is barely 10 minutes walking distance from that spot. I looked at the watch and it showed 2:12 AM. Night was black as street lights were switched off. I was walking with a weird feeling that someone was following me. Then I came to an intersection point of ‘3 Way Road’ where I had to take the right. As I was about to take a right turn, a middle-aged woman with a red sindoor appeared out of darkness and tapped on my shoulder from behind and asked for direction for going towards Majiwada. I directed her by pointing my finer towards the road. I felt something spooky. I turned back after few moments, she disappeared into the darkness.

After experiencing that, my heart almost skipped a beat. I started briskly walking towards my place. Finally, I reached home and heaved a huge sigh of relief. As soon as I entered home, I narrated this bizarre, yet horrifying experience to my parents and spouse. They warned me to never come home alone by foot. Apparently, I nodded my head in agreement as their point made sense to me. The next 4 days were normal.

Nope. As bad as I wanted to get over the nightmare of that freak incident, the spine chilling moment was far from over. The next day was Sunday. It was an eventful one as I indulged in a game of cricket with my friends in my locality. And my in-laws had come over for lunch. It was a pleasant day throughout. Around 5 PM, we went to see the exhibition near Gadkari Rangayatan, a prominent landmark in Thane city. It was a good outing for me as my spouse and I accompanied my in-laws to that exhibition. We proceeded to my maternal uncle’s place with them. It was a quality family time that I was fortunate to share with those who matter!

Around 9:30 PM we left my maternal uncle’s place. We got into a rickshaw and proceeded towards our place. It took about 15 minutes to reach as there was no customary traffic. Finally, we reached home sweet home. By the time I hit the bed, I felt asleep immediately. And I thought that the nightmare of 19th January, 2012 was over! I have this habit of getting up in the middle of night for sipping on water. I got up to quench my thirst. As soon as I kept the bottle down and looked up, here she was! The nightmare of the street was right there in front of me staring me back into my eyes! I was shell shocked and speechless. I started to sweat profusely despite being a chilly night.

My mind was in overdrive trying to get rid of this unwelcomed visitor, the spirit of the woman who I met few nights ago. Somehow I summoned my courage to chant my ‘Shri Akkalkot Swami Maharaj’ divine name. Now I felt confident that she could do no harm to me. I kept repeating it several times. Sooner my beloved spouse woke up to check on what’s happening. Just as I looked up, the spirit of that ghastly woman disappeared without a trace.

Till this day, I am still baffled. Is it an illusion or my spine chilling encounter with Paranormal? To be honest, I was scared to death. But my loved ones including my friend Sundar had informed me to never display fear in front of the spirits. I followed their advice and stayed strong. Here I am as I have lived another day to tell this tale.