Cheese Cake for a Happy Mind

If there is one taste that can tingle the mind in an instant it has to be sweetness. All you would need to do is pop open your mouth, insert the gooey bit of sweetness, the tongue sends out an instant SMS to the brain. The Eyes respond with wideness as much as an umpire may call it out as undoubtedly a wide. The Gap between Wide open to Wide Closed lasts a few nano seconds. It takes a few moments to register, as the brain reacts in the form of a message back to the tongue, Auto Reply Message: Wow what a Taste!!!Delicious!! The Cravings of the mind have resulted in the Cake getting consumed, a much warranted indulgent sin being committed and ultimately that expression of joy unlimited.

For a Few it has to be physical taste or gastronomical delights that results in being elevated to great heights of exuberated happiness. For me of course I am a food lover but what gives me equal amount of joy and happiness is being in the rhapsody of legends who emit so much positivity in the manner they communicate and so much by their body language. They just need not utter a single syllable, yet their mere presence is enough for me, as equivalent to a dozen cheese cakes. I have had that luxury in my life and singularly fortunate to have been in their company. I derive my lives lessons just being in the shadow of these luminous stars. Their shine is enough for me to write miles of what I have experienced and transfer that sweetness for others to enjoy.

From being a Distant onlooker for me the beautiful relationship between me and what I love most, a legendary and a very sweet cheese cake began almost Two years back. I used to watch as Ashwin would practice his varieties and his much loved sport, Cricket. Initially I would just derive pleasure from watching from a distance. It slowly graduated to clicking from a few metres, finally to talking and hearing him speak on a one on one basis. It took me some time to realize that a celebrity is also human like me, as flesh and blood like me, a happy father just like me above all a great human being.

In these last two years of interaction with Ashwin, I have enjoyed each and every second of my interactions with him. He has prodded me on to achieve nothing but excellence in what I do. I have had long conversations with him over phone and directly in person on several matters and the list is quite exhaustive, can be a subject matter of another blog. The Thing that I love about Ashwin is the fact that he is so very open to ideas, has a very keen idea to feedback and almost immediately acts on them. Sometimes he regals me with a joke. Other times he bamboozles me with a magical game . At times it is game of strategy. In Ashwins company you need to be on your toes each second and therein lies the sweetness of his presence. Much to be learnt and much to be imbibed.

ICC Cricketer of the Year 2016, his ascent to greatness is one that is inspiring. I have heard stories of his struggle to the top and now that he has scaled the peak, he is always looking out for ways and means of reaching newer heights. When I need solace or feel a little down, I ping him and for sure he would respond back. On one particular instance when I had lost the wind in my professional life, It was just one of those days when I was listing around aimlessly cursing my bad luck and misfortune. Ashwin happened to come to the ground for practice. There was sheer grit and determination on his face. He lapped the ground several times over the next thirty minutes. He ran as though nothing else mattered to him. He ran till he was gasping for Oxygen. He ran beyond that as well. It gave him energy and me a new found mantra to success. Run till you exhaust yourself, Run till you struggle to breathe and beyond. Try till you succeed. Success matters in professional life. Money is only a by product. Humility takes you to success. For me that was the moment of cheese cake, a long and everlasting moment of sweetness. More such sweetness and luscious tasting of cheese cake to continue in the times to come.