'Extra' Innings...

Date : 13th May 09
Place:Durban,South Africa
Occasion : On field interview after an IPL match between Delhi Daredevils and Deccan Chargers
Stars: Mandira Bedi & Pradip Sangwan

DD have just beaten DC in a thrilling match. Pradeep Sangwan turned the match around with three wickets.

Now,the match is over and so is the presentation. A SET MAX guy,sitting in the studio in India suddenly jumps in his chair and shouts,"Mandira,let us have something exciting!!!!". And a couple of more jumps.

Now,I was a bit startled by his jumps and also was a bit curious about the 'exciting' stuff which madame Mandira would present...What followed was an interview with Pradeep Sangwan of DD..A few sample questions:

MB:Pradap,sorry,Pradeep Sangwan!!!!! 3 wickets!! wo bhi top order ke!! How do you feel???
PS:(doesnt know where to look...) It feels good!! And we won the match also. So its simply great..

A couple of more questions in English follow and then MB suddenly switches to Hindi!!

MB:Ab Veeru bhi vapas a gaye hai team me. Aapko kaise lag raha hai??

Now,i could digest the first question,but this question caught me completely offguard. I mean,the poor guy is being asked about his feelings about his captain's return on international television. I doubt whther even Ricky Ponting,with all his Aussie arrogance would have answered such a question in the negative..

PS:Bahut accha lag raha. Hum sab bahut khush hai. Aur hum match bhi jeet gaye. To aur bhi khushi hai.

MB:Sangwan!!! Aapki age kya hai?
(Me:?????)
PS:(?????) 18 saal
(Me:Wondering what next)
MB:Sirf 18 saal!!!! Aur aap international level pe khel rahe hai!!!! Aapko kaisa lag raha hai???
(Me:Stopped listening)

So,I don't know what poor PS said..

I still dared to watch the show. But I really could not take it when the expert panelists-Mr.L.Sivaramakrishnan and Mr.Arun Lal-started their not-so-expert comments on the game...

Mr.Sunil Gavaskar,Mr.Tony Greig (with all his hyperboles),Mr.Geoffrey Boycott (with his mother),MR.Michael Holding (with his West Indian 't's) where art thou???? I pine to hear your dulcet tones... Pls come back!!!

Purpose????

Sometimes,you start wondering what is it that you are born to do. There are occasions when you just don't know why are there on planet earth. You just drag through the day. Dont feel like doing anything.

I look around at the people and wonder what are they all doing. Everyone going through their paces. Wake up,brush,bathe,climb into the bus/local/auto,reach office,do the same work,have packed,cold lunch,finish the day,take the same mode of transport back,reach home,have tea,spend some time with 'family',have dinner and go off to sleep,only to restart the same cycle next day. Same routine day after day. I mean,why do we do all this? Just like a machine. Is it money,is it fame,is it peace of mind?? What??

They say that one has to take 7 births before being born in the human race. Why does one take so many efforts and pains? To do all this mentioned above? What is the purpose of our existence??? Pray tell me...

Would like to Quote Agent Smith and his clones from Matrix:Revolutions over here..

'But, as you well know, appearances can be deceiving, which brings me back to the reason why we're here. We're not here because we're free. We're here because we're not free. There is no escaping reason; no denying purpose. Because as we both know, without purpose, we would not exist.'

I just wanna know the purpose.. Thats all...