Sunday, March 21, 2004
Finally the day came when " I arrived "! It will be an understatement if i used these words because there will be millions of people all around the world who wanted to be in my shoes on Saturday the 20th of March 2004, but unfortunately God was only smiling at me.
Imagine a overly crowded street,filled with cheap imitations of lives greatest possesions like clothes,movies,music,food,perfumes and everything and anything which is available to be consumed by people from the rich west to the poor and humid east. As the clock was ticking on a slow pace entering from a sweaty evening to a more breezy night, i heard a oriental scream from some shop keeper "Micheal Schumacher".I thought maybe the shopkeeper is going out of his way to sell the F1 pirated merchandise in the name of the 8 times world champion. I laughed and started walking with my 3 heavy bags of the same pirated Ferrari jackets,t-shirts and caps which i bought to give my friends at home and work as souveigniers from this market.
As i started walking i saw someone coming my way, blue sleeveless t-shirt,3/4th'shorts and an attitude which can kill anyone with one look and there it was right in flesh and blood and mortal infront of me.God's fastest gift to the world "Micheal Schumacher". The first thing which came in my mind was to pass a smile to the the living legend,in return i didnt get one. I realised my position and then i overcame my sudden disgraced self and went ahead. Then again i realised,this is the man who has written,over written and engraved history and above all he is the man i drove 700 kms to see. My greed played overtime and i went back to see him once again,but this time with my Nikon D 55,which was all equipped to capture history in the making. "Abid Hussain Meets Micheal Schumacher in cheap China Town",the news paper clip of tomorrow was already printed in my head and there was no one to stop me from making this history happen.
But as i was following Schumacher from behind i realised he was in the company of a big manager,who was stopping everyone from kids to adults,from beautiful women to shop keepers who were also following to meet the legend. They were stopped by the big bad manager and at times by Schumi himself. I was not giving up and gave all my bags to my friend who was with me and got my camera out and took a short cut to reach a place before Schumi could reach and i did.
Schumi arrived to that same place,checked some fake Tag Huer at one shop,which originally he endorses. I placed myself then and there,framed him and was about to click the stutter of my camera,when he turned and said "NO! don't click any photograph". My pulse was racing and i was in no mood to stop.I blankly asked him "Why?", he said "do not click because i am telling you" in a very authoritative tone. I said "but i am your fan". He said "not here come tomorrow and click at the circuit". Where i knew no one in this whole world like me will be able to, even get a closer look of his faster than lightining car leave aside HIM. I was not convinced and i again gather courage and again put my camera to frame him but this time the anger in his eyes was showing and he shouted,"do not click,i told you,do not click any photo's". This is happening in a crowded street,hundred's of people are witnessing the event of my life,my 15 sec's of fame,in a foreign country where people are this man's biggest fans. I was messing around with the legend bigtime. I replied "it's just a photograph,why are u getting anal about it". He turned around and said "NO!" and i got the message loud and clear.
I gave him the look which i swear he wouldnt have got it. It had many meaning hidden in it. Fear,disgrace,love for the game,love for the legend and disappointment. "But i have got my pride and i know how to hide" and i did exactly the same and kept my camera back in it's case.
For the next 15mins i didnt know what hit me.I was in complete daze,awe and regret,until my friend came back to me and said "Dude,whats wrong with you,why were you challenging Shumi?"
Then i realised how big that moment was and that very moment i was elevated 7 feet above the ground. I challenged Micheal Schumacher and he retaliated in a busy,sweaty,over crowded street of Kuala Lumpur for 15 mins.
The whole night i couldnt sleep as this whole event was playing in a loop, in my mind,again and again and again. Morning came,i went for the race,saw the race and saw Shumacher win again in his new improved Ferrari but i was smiling to my self.
I was smiling to myself because "I have arrived"!
Imagine a overly crowded street,filled with cheap imitations of lives greatest possesions like clothes,movies,music,food,perfumes and everything and anything which is available to be consumed by people from the rich west to the poor and humid east. As the clock was ticking on a slow pace entering from a sweaty evening to a more breezy night, i heard a oriental scream from some shop keeper "Micheal Schumacher".I thought maybe the shopkeeper is going out of his way to sell the F1 pirated merchandise in the name of the 8 times world champion. I laughed and started walking with my 3 heavy bags of the same pirated Ferrari jackets,t-shirts and caps which i bought to give my friends at home and work as souveigniers from this market.
As i started walking i saw someone coming my way, blue sleeveless t-shirt,3/4th'shorts and an attitude which can kill anyone with one look and there it was right in flesh and blood and mortal infront of me.God's fastest gift to the world "Micheal Schumacher". The first thing which came in my mind was to pass a smile to the the living legend,in return i didnt get one. I realised my position and then i overcame my sudden disgraced self and went ahead. Then again i realised,this is the man who has written,over written and engraved history and above all he is the man i drove 700 kms to see. My greed played overtime and i went back to see him once again,but this time with my Nikon D 55,which was all equipped to capture history in the making. "Abid Hussain Meets Micheal Schumacher in cheap China Town",the news paper clip of tomorrow was already printed in my head and there was no one to stop me from making this history happen.
But as i was following Schumacher from behind i realised he was in the company of a big manager,who was stopping everyone from kids to adults,from beautiful women to shop keepers who were also following to meet the legend. They were stopped by the big bad manager and at times by Schumi himself. I was not giving up and gave all my bags to my friend who was with me and got my camera out and took a short cut to reach a place before Schumi could reach and i did.
Schumi arrived to that same place,checked some fake Tag Huer at one shop,which originally he endorses. I placed myself then and there,framed him and was about to click the stutter of my camera,when he turned and said "NO! don't click any photograph". My pulse was racing and i was in no mood to stop.I blankly asked him "Why?", he said "do not click because i am telling you" in a very authoritative tone. I said "but i am your fan". He said "not here come tomorrow and click at the circuit". Where i knew no one in this whole world like me will be able to, even get a closer look of his faster than lightining car leave aside HIM. I was not convinced and i again gather courage and again put my camera to frame him but this time the anger in his eyes was showing and he shouted,"do not click,i told you,do not click any photo's". This is happening in a crowded street,hundred's of people are witnessing the event of my life,my 15 sec's of fame,in a foreign country where people are this man's biggest fans. I was messing around with the legend bigtime. I replied "it's just a photograph,why are u getting anal about it". He turned around and said "NO!" and i got the message loud and clear.
I gave him the look which i swear he wouldnt have got it. It had many meaning hidden in it. Fear,disgrace,love for the game,love for the legend and disappointment. "But i have got my pride and i know how to hide" and i did exactly the same and kept my camera back in it's case.
For the next 15mins i didnt know what hit me.I was in complete daze,awe and regret,until my friend came back to me and said "Dude,whats wrong with you,why were you challenging Shumi?"
Then i realised how big that moment was and that very moment i was elevated 7 feet above the ground. I challenged Micheal Schumacher and he retaliated in a busy,sweaty,over crowded street of Kuala Lumpur for 15 mins.
The whole night i couldnt sleep as this whole event was playing in a loop, in my mind,again and again and again. Morning came,i went for the race,saw the race and saw Shumacher win again in his new improved Ferrari but i was smiling to my self.
I was smiling to myself because "I have arrived"!
