Life changes every four years

Cricket World Cups are indeed one of the most exciting and looked forward to events in our country; infact I doubt if anything parallels the euphoria and excitement of this event, tinge of which I can feel even here outside India. World Cups are an important milestone and after having watched repeated reruns on TV of past World Cups during bygone weeks, I couldn’t help but smile how my life has changed with every Cup that I can recall

1992
This was a young boy just understanding the game and life. An age of pure innocence, the world seemed to comprise of Hansel and Gratel characters; I wish growth was less associated with loss of innocence

1996
The young pup had now begun growing up and was grappling with adolescence, that too in a hostel with hardened molesters for company. I recall the India Lanka game in Delhi, many had escaped to watch it live on ground and remaining were glued in TV room, while I had a sizzling hot make-out, one of my firsts, in a closed dorm

1999
This was the age when dreams were made. I had just finished high school and was about to change cities moving to Delhi, where I would reside for the next decade. I was also dealing with my first heartbreak, something so common for this tender age; infact I don’t think cricket was much on my mind as I now discover many hitherto unseen games of this edition during numerous TV reruns

2003
The malaise gripping my present life had just begun to set-in, only I had failed to recognize the initial symptoms. I was about to finish my studies in a year and was eagerly looking forward to life, planning many things but did not know someone up above had a different script in store

2007
Life had hit a nadir and much like this World Cup, my life was non-descript by all standards. I sometimes wish 2011 was 2007 but then those agonizing years taught me patience and tolerance; hopefully virtues which will never again allow me to be cynical about life

2011
This is a bright young man who is enjoying his new found life, all the more gratifying as it has come after a long wait. He now understands that life has its crests & trough, at times life does throw lemons but also has its share of surprises; only those who take rough with smooth survive. Also he is now looking to settle down in life, a phase of life that he recognizes will bring its own challenges