Just Jadeja

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">There is a key to each door, opening up to reveal a different facet of Ajay Jadeja. Cricket, films, family, media, controversy... you go through each thinking you can find all, for he seems to be helping you unlock at will. But so subtle is the manipulation that you find yourself skillfully manoeuvred away from anything he doesn''t want to share.It''s difficult to delve into a mind that is so receptive to public scrutiny, but ready for combat in case of an invasion. Making the challenge a lot more fun, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Chandigarh Times</span> finds out in a chat with the glib talking and affable Jadeja on his visit to the city on Monday. <br /><br />"Fame puts you in the public eye. But no one can go beyond what you let them. That division is in your own hands," he grins; unconcerned with nosy questions, striking each into an orbit he thinks safe. "I have to be able to talk about myself, for I am what I am because of my fans," comes the rejoinder. In the hectic muddle of his life, it isn''t just the alarm clock that pushes Ajay out of bed every morning. "Commitment comes before anything else. If I have to be somewhere, I will make sure I am. Otherwise I would laze around till evening," he admits. And that constitutes the basis of his spirituality. "Meditation requires you to focus on one point. And commitment is a part of mediation, for any kind focuses me like nothing else," he reveals. <br /><br />His answers sound custom made, and his "You''ve got to be ready for everything" registers, but satisfaction seems long in coming. Even for him. "Everybody has to find their own place," he smiles. No philosophy this, just honest belief. From riding the crest of a successful wave to being swept out to sea, Ajay has bounced back beautifully to chisel out his. The voice reflects no pain; instead ringing through strong and clear with a confidence that is heartening. "Everyday is a growing up process, you learn something new from each person you meet," his own little insight could be a lesson to many.<br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">nikita.singh@timesgroup.com</span><br /><br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">On Field </span><br /><br />Ajay''s passion for cricket is evident. Even if he''s playing domestic cricket. "It''s always been a priority. Though in India, what matters is a playing for the country. If you aren''t with those guys, everything else just pales in comparison. Nevertheless, I''m playing good cricket and there''s nothing to complain of," he affirms, sounding enthusiastic about the start of the season. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Off Field</span><br /><br />Mention his son, and dad Ajay''s face lights up. "My whole life works around Aiman. From the kind of people I socialise with to where and when I drink, everything is monitored," he avers. Parenting sure puts things in a different light. "You bet. There are things that I did while growing up I wouldn''t want Aiman to even think of," the voice of the concerned father rings through.</div> </div>