IT'S A WONDERFUL WORLD: A MEMOIR

His autobiography is like him, no holds barred and a racy read that / makes us feel 'wish we had a life like this'./ -Sunil Gavaskar/ In its broad, multifaceted sweep of events from his birth in Mumbai's / poverty-stricken Madanpura to a father who started life as an orphan / and a mother from a penurious family, Khalid Ansari's life has been an / enjoyable and purposeful journey in service of his fellow human beings. In / this 'donkey's tale-upar wala meherbaan to gadha pehelwaan (When God / smiles kindly, the donkey thinks he's a wrestler)', Ansari has endeavoured / to capture some highlights of a splendoured life which he has been blessed / to live, catching stars while chasing rainbows./ From starting newspapers and magazines; representing his country at the / United Nations; accompanying dignitaries on state visits; covering cricket / Test matches, nine Olympics, Commonwealth and Asian Games; travelling / the world; being honoured with the Padma Shri award-it's been indeed / la vie en rose./ In this memoir, the author has been at pains to prevent this from deteriorating / into a 'I-did-this-did-that'-pat-himself, shabash!' hagiography or a dry-as dust pontificaltome, by 'spicing' it up with dollops of frothy anecdotes and / self-critical bon mots even as he has attempted a discourse on the purpose / of life, the 'right path' and the like./ Since charity and service to humankind are now the author's obsession / post retirement, he has also dwelt at some length upon his private, self funded charitable foundation and on giving away whatever little material / possessions his wife Zeyna and he have acquired in his lifetime./