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Cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara with wife Pooja. Pooja’s book is named ‘The Diary of a Cricketer Wife’.
This was the occasion of the Australia Test series. Cheteshwar was in the stadium since morning. At the same time, I came to know from the wife of a cricketer that Cheteshwar has been dropped from the team. I called Cheteshwar’s aunt and his coach with a sad heart. Everyone became unhappy. Cheteshwar came into the room, but there was not even a line of grief on his face. When I said about the drop- he peacefully said that all this is out of our hands and there is no point in being unhappy for what is out of our hands.
Pooja Pujara, wife of Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara, has published a book called ‘The Diary of a Cricketer Wife’. In this, he has written about his first meeting with Cheteshwar, the bad marriage, the bad phase of Cheteshwar’s career and the internal story of the Indian cricket team.
Pooja has also written how Cheteshwar is as a son, father, husband and religious person. This is the first book written by a cricketer’s wife in India. Dainik Bhaskar’s Gujarati edition ‘Divya Bhaskar’ interacted with Cheteshwar and Pooja about this. Here are the main parts of the conversation with them …
Pooja told, the idea of writing the book was given by Cheteshwar.
Pooja started the conversation with her introduction and said- We are originally from Jamjodhpur, but have been living in Rajkot for the last twenty years. Dad owns a cotton factory and I own a younger brother and a younger sister. I studied up to 10th standard from Sophia School, Abu. After this, he did 11-12th from Ahmedabad and master’s degree from Bombay. After that I worked in a multinational company for a year. Meanwhile, I met Cheteshwar.
Cheteshwar sent a 6 -line bio -data for marriage Regarding marriage to Cheteshwar, Pooja said, “When I got a bio -data of Cheteshwar for marriage, he was only six lines.” There was no details in it. It seemed as if he was written in compulsion. I understood that Cheteshwar is under pressure from home. At that time I was also busy with my career. I felt that this person was not interested in marriage at the moment. If he refuses, my family will also stop asking me for some time.
The first conversation with Cheteshwar lasted for two and a half hours Regarding the love story started from Cheteshwar, Pooja said, “At that time, a lot of matches of Cheteshwar were going on.” He toured 11 months a year for matches. So when I first went to her house with my parents, I could not meet Cheteshwar. After this, when we met in the second meeting, our conversation lasted for two and a half hours. Both of us had become so busy talking about when the time passed, it was not known. In the first meeting, both of us changed their views and now we both wanted to know more about each other. Cheteshwar is very shy and quiet as Cheteshwar looks from outside. It was then that I had lost it.
Conversation lasted for one and a half months Pooja further said, after this our conversation started. During Cheteshwar tour, most of the messages and emails used to talk. For about one and a half months, both of us kept talking and we started to know each other well. After this, the matter of our marriage went ahead.
Cheteshwar and Pooja were married on 13 February 2013.
Cheteshwar’s discipline also came in me How much change in life after marriage? In response to this question, Pooja said- My personal life has changed a lot due to Cheteshwar. Earlier I woke up till late night and woke up late in the morning. I was not worried much about health or fitness. But after the arrival of Cheteshwar in life, all the rules changed. However, glamor had no effect on my life. Yes, it seems a bit strange to go directly from normal life to celebrity life. But we did not pay much attention to it. In the morning newspapers, whatever came about Tejeshwar, I used to take him personally, but then I also stopped taking him as a routin.
I did not even understand cricket until some time after marriage When Cheteshwaram is playing and is at the crease, is there pressure on you as their partner? In response to this, Pooja says, I did not even understand cricket until some time after marriage. Therefore, there was no feeling of pressure. Yes, in a year or two, I came to know a lot about cricket. I was very happy on Cheteshwar’s shots, his runs. Once he was not out and was given out due to lack of DRS. Then I was very angry.
The wives of all cricketers go for a walk together What happens when all the players’ wives are with husbands during the match. On this, Pooja said- In the match, the timetable of all the players is the same. They have to play matches for several hours. So all of us wives spend time together. Once when we went to the series in New Zealand, I and the wives of other cricketers went to Sky diving. If the husband is busy playing his matches, then we enjoy our way.
Looking at Cheteshwar, you cannot tell and are under stress Pooja always says about Cheteshwar’s stress that is seen in a calm nature that you cannot understand that they are under stress. It is very difficult to find out his stress with Cheteshwar’s gesture. They do not reveal anyone nor say anything to anyone. Perhaps it is his part of his nature that not giving his stress to anyone else and maintaining a normal environment for the front. By the way, I also believe that if you feel that the front is under stress, but not showing it, then he should not question him again and again. Because, this will further stress him. It is better that you try to calm down by talking to another subject from the front.
Pujara told the formula to separate professional and personal life How to maintain personal life while touring the media while constantly touring as a cricketer? Whatever I am in my professional life, I live a normal son, husband and father at home. Due to continuous tour, we have to stay out for one to two months continuously. During this time, barely four to five days of leave is available. At the same time, my daughter and Pooja cannot go on a tour with me every time due to school. That is why it is my endeavor to stay for them when I stay with the family.
Celebrity tag comes out of the house and Pujara comes out Pooja says about Cheteshwar’s celebrity life, when Cheteshwar is at home, does not keep the tag of celebrity with her. By the way, my whole day passes around the daughter. But when Cheteshwar is at home, my time table changes a bit. Then the daughter lives with Papa- I will not do this work, Papa will do it. Cheteshwar does the work of leaving the daughter and bringing them back. We are also together in the gym. Both of us live in Rajkot. During the holidays of Cheteshwar, we keep coming to each other’s houses. When Cheteshwar is at home, he is completely daughter and at home for me.
Cheteshwar with his wife and daughter.
Cheteshwar gave idea to write a book How did the idea of writing an entire book come to your mind while not having any relation with writing? In response to this question, Pooja says, I was doing Jernling in 2013. That is, she used to write daily. At that time I read tennis player Andre Agasi’s autobiography ‘Open’. At that time our marriage was only 5 months. After that ten years passed and in 2021 Cheteshwar told me that you have been with me in my career for many years, you have seen all my ups and downs. So why don’t you think about writing a book on it? I immediately liked this thing. Then I thought that till date a cricketer’s wife has not written about the journey with a cricketer. So why not, let me write this.
Pujara never told anything about the dressing room Pooja further explained that there was a problem in writing the book that Cheteshwar leaves his professional life outside the door of the house. I used to ask Cheteshwar what happened in the dressing room? Who talked about what, but Cheteshwar used to refuse to tell something about it. They used to say that my focus should only be on sports. He traveled to many countries, but has not seen anything other than stadiums and hotels.
When I used to travel with Cheteshwar, I used to try to write his associated stories from my perspective. Many stories have to be written in different ways while writing a sensitive book. I tried my best. However, Cheteshwar has helped me a lot in proofing.
When Cheteshwar dropped for the first time … Which of the following story did you find the most interesting of the whole book? Pooja said about this, Australia Test series. Ever since Cheteshwar made his debut, many players in the team were changed, but Cheteshwar was never out. In this case he was called the Test wall of India. Once we were in Sydney, Cheteshwar was first dropped. At that time I felt so bad that I could not feel like going to the stadium. Whereas going to Sydney stadium is everyone’s dream. However, I did not go to the stadium. I had tears in my eyes, but Cheteshwar was still normal.
That day I cried a lot in the hotel room Pooja recalled that day, saying, it was morning. Cheteshwar was in the stadium since morning and we were ready as a hotel to come to the stadium. Meanwhile, the wife of another cricketer came to me and said- Dude Cheteshwar has been dropped from the team today. I was shocked to listen to him. I could not understand what to say. I went straight to my room crying and called Cheteshwar’s aunt. Because, Cheteshwar is very dear to his aunt. Cheteshwar also has a lot of affection from him. When I told my aunt the whole thing, he explained to me. Don’t worry. He has seen many such ups and downs in his life. He will take this time comfortably. God will give him strength. But, my mind did not agree. I called Cheteshwar. But, Cheteshwar also said with a calm heart that this is very common in the lives of players. Anyway, everything in life is not in our hands. And thinking about what is not in his hand, time should not be wasted.
What was your view behind writing this book? In response, Pooja said, the first thing is that people see the cricketer in the camera frame itself. But no one knows the story behind him. I have written the story behind in this book. If you read it, you will also feel that it is like our story. I have also tried to explain what kind of ups and downs in the relationship of celebrity life. In the book, you will also read how you can help each other in changing circumstances in each other’s successes and failures?
Pooja did not add any spice to the book Regarding the book, Cheteshwar said, Pooja has not added any spices in the book. Also, Pooja has written nothing like making anyone feel good or bad. There is nothing that makes me feel good. In the entire book, I liked our love story the most. Pooja has written so well about our early days that I read it four or five times. Pooja has also written about the beginning of my career. I like these two parts very much.
Will Cheteshwar Pujara also write a book? Cheteshwar said, Pooja has written a book from the angle of ‘cricketer’s wife’ and most of her part has been covered. But still, after retiring from cricket, I will think of writing something. Writing is not my writing skills. I do not know whether it will be able to develop further or not. Cheteshwar was still saying that Pooja looked at Cheteshwar and smiled and said, ‘This will not happen’. On this, Cheteshwar also laughed and said- Yes, yes, I also know, this will not happen. Because this requires a lot of patience. This book of Pooja is the result of his hard work of many years.