Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Rest in peace, My brother...

I am a murderer... Careless, who-gives-a-shit murderer.
He was my brother for more than 2 years. Served me selflessly, withstood everything that my thankless and carefree actions put him through. He was at my beck and call 24X7; He put up with my constant banter about how I deserved someone better than Him for one full year. He was the most selfless guy I've ever known. He, over the last 2 years, became my right hand and an integral part of my mind in spite of my constant (ab)use...
From the time I set sight on Him on 12-05-2007 to the moment I carelessly let Him drop into the loo a few hours back, He was my best friend. He is my precious li'l Sony Erickson w200i. I dropped Him on to the floor more times than I can remember, I cursed Him when ever I cudn't get a call thru, I twirled Him around between my fingers relentlessly, broke His frame and never cared to replace it, I never bothered to keep Him scratch proof and as a final act of Lunacy, let Him drop into the loo and into oblivion. In return for all this, He submitted Himself to a million text messages, hours and hours of relentless talking, helped me keep track of cricket scores whenever there was a match, acted as my diary and bore my poems whenever I was on the road, woke me up early in the morning almost every day. He played me music and gave me company like none else before. In return for all this, you know what I did to Him...
It cost me 6200 bucks to get it. Or rather, it cost my Dad 6200 bucks to get it. I used Him, abused Him, and put him to rest in a sewer hole. And I used to call myself a careful chap...
It took me a few seconds to realise what had happened.All I could see was the frame and the key pad lying on the floor. He had slipped out, hit the floor, shattered into two parts, and the heavier part flew right into the hole. I stood there dumb struck as the hole in the loo lit up bright orange. Water was rushing into every microship, shorting circuits, flushing contacts, distorting messages and images, distorting every note of every song, washing away my memories of two years, drowning a two year old legacy... It was a grotesque spectacle, seeing a sewer hole light up, every light in Him seemed to call out for help... and I could just stand and watch.
It flickered and after a moment, started glowing ever brighter... Like a light glowing bright before going out. The rippling water looked as if it was boiling from His wrath. After a few moments, He shut down, this time for ever. I picked up the broken frame and the key pad, looked down one last time at where He disappeared, and left. He would rot for eternity now in some sewer and I'd move on in life... But the shattered frame and the key pad will be with me for ever; reminding me of Him, reminding me of my carefree, disdainful attitude towards Him. The least I can do to Him, in return for serving me selflessly for 2 years, is hold on to his remnants and say a BIG THANK YOU and an EVEN BIGGER SORRY to Him and my Dad.
I dunno whether I'll have the heart to get a better phone, I might stick to the vodafone CDMA substitute I had with me all these days (yeah I even had a substitute for Him). But irrespective of that, my diminutive and selfless friend will continue to ring and wake me up and play songs in my mind. And the feel of Him will never leave my hand.
I stop as a single tear flows outta my eye. I wipe it with the same fingers that played and eventually killed Him...
Rest in peace, My brother.. I wish I serve humanity the way you served me

Friday, July 3, 2009

Adios Ron: You were the best... When you were here


Ron: It's all about me and me alone...

He came, he became the best, he left. That sums up Ron's 6 years at the Theatre of Dreams. Perhaps, nothing else ever mattered to him. But unlike others, he wore this oft scorned attitude of his on his sleeve. And there lies the greatness of Ronaldo. There was no talk of moving to Madrid to help United out of financial trouble, no eternal love towards United and the fans, just some out-of-my-a*** stuff like emulating Giggs. And we were all saying, 'Yeah right!'.
I don't think many Red Devils fan would've expected him to stay for long (I for one, did). But blaming him for leaving is just a knee-jerk reaction. Utd gave him a chance to prove his worth and he repaid Utd with all the silverware we won over the last 5 sesons. Pro bono. Looking at his 6 seasons with United, there's very little to complain about. All the skepticism about splurging $16 million on an unknown entity was put to rest over 30 minutes on one fine August afternoon in 2003 when he ran rings around Bolton Wanderers' defence.
Though his first 3 seasons produced just 18 goals, the World was never in doubt about his talent. We caught a gllimpse of it in the next season that saw him score 22 times and all doubts about his worth were put to bed. Then came the season that saw him evolve from an outrageous talent into the best player in the World. 42 goals in 49 outings sealed it. And yeah, there was this small issue of 26 goals in an injury-curtailed 'out of sorts' season.
Long before coming to United, and a long long time before becoming the best player in the World, the white jersey of Real Madrid presented itself as a way to glory for Ronaldo, then a kid fightin for proper food. Then came Sporting Lisbon, followed by one certain Arsene Wenger unwilling to offer him a contract after trials. So when Roy Keane & Co. persuaded Sir Alex to go get him, I guess he saw United as a road to Madrid rather than a permanent home. By the time Schuster, Perez et. al came calling, he hadn't just travelled the road but had skimmed it's surface at blistering speed and come ever closer to 'home'.
After a summer of ugly negotiations between 'The Mob' and Fergie and a season when Fergie was resigned to losing him, he's finally home. Whether his home's better than the road remains to be seen. Some very devout roadies will be waiting eagerly to see his home fall apart brick by brick, bringing him back to the road but I personally don't think Fergie's ever going to let him come back, not that he'll be interested, he's crossed the Rubicon between road and home. (Disclaimer: My predictions have a habit of going hopelessly wrong. I'll be happy if this one doesn't buck the trend)
So the only thing that all Red Devils fans must be doing is thank him for his services. Let's face it, he was phenomenal during his time here and enthralled fans and enemies alike. The least that 108 goals, 3 Premier League titles, 1 Champions League and one runners up medal, 1 Carling Cup and 68 million pounds of profit deserve is a loud and resounding THANK YOU.
Instead, if you're going to hate him then I guess he'll take it as a bigger compliment than thanking him. 'Cos by his own admission, he loves to be hated, he's a self-confessed prima donna. He's one of his kind. He doesn't just control the ball like Kaka, slip past defenders like Messi, have the flair of Ronaldinho, finish like Maradona, run as fast as Usain Bolt, enthrall the crowd like Beckham, he does ALL this apart from calling himself the first, second and third best player in the World. And yeah, he passes statements like. 'I am Cristiano Ronaldo. I am the best in the World and I love it when people jeer me. I want to rewrite footballing history.'. He's like none before and will be the one of his kind for quite some time. He is Cristiano Ronaldo Dos Santos Aveiro. According to Eusebio, He's God. And I am not going to Argue with that assessment. For me, irrespective of whether he's playing for United or Real Madrid or Liverpool, he will be my favourite player in the World. He made me believe anyone can reach for anything and he's just proved it.
I, for one, hope he conquers all that he sees ( minus United ofcourse) and continues to be the first, second and third best player in the World :D Thanks Ron. You were the best; will be the best.And you're home, so care not about what the neighbors whisper. Adios Amigo. Show 'em they're shite!

Oh that boy Ronaldo!
The ball had one place to go!
Oh that boy Ronaldo!
The ball had but one place to go!