Thread: Today, I'm going to tell you a story about someone I barely knew. I wasn't sure if I should. But I ca't think of a better day than today and it would be a shame to not share this tale...

My cousin's friend was a talented and dedicated cricketer. He represented Karnataka at the U-16 level and was even one of the Ranji probables. Despite being skilled and hard-working, he couldn't make it to the big league and that left him flustered.

He was so passionate about the game that he sold his stake in the software company that he founded to focus on cricket. But having gone through a lot of frustrations and having dealt with the troubles of the mind, he took up meditation which helped him immensely.

He was so keen on sharing his knowledge & learnings about 'how to deal with the mind, success, failure & of course, how he battled his inner demons. He decided to invest all his time & effort into writing a book to share his learnings with people, especially fellow sports persons

A well-spoken, articulate man, he worked hard towards putting his efforts into the book which reflected the power of the mind. Exactly five years ago, on this day, my cousin called me to tell me his friend was no more.

'He drowned while trying to save his brother who was drowning', I was told. Imagine, his parents had lost both their sons. BOTH. And this was a few days before his book launch. Like a dutiful citizen, he had gone to his hometown to cast his vote after which this happened.

Today, just when I was wondering how some people could be utterly nasty, I got reminded that it was his 5th death anniversary & I remembered that there is good in this world - selfless, kind, caring. A man who bravely fought his own demons jumped in selflessly to save his brother

Everytime you lose faith in humanity, try and remember this story. I barely knew him, but I'd heard so much about him from my friend @Ibaadu and my cousin. RIP, Ashwath Aiyappa. You are an absolute inspiration.
PS: His book is called When God Bowls a Googly. Do check it out.

Life can be very cruel at times. But as humans, we always have a choice - to be kind or unkind. Make the right choice :)