Beginning at Crosswords


“ANYBODY CAN RUN!!!” the words reverberated in Hemant’s ears. Though this sounded like the local sister concern of ABCD( AnyBody Can Dance) movie to Manish, Hemant wanted to give him the taste of his own medicine. “ How could he think anybody can run a Marathon?” Fumed Hemant in his bed. It takes tireless efforts, waterless perspiration to complete the Marathon aspiration. Determined to break Manish’s ABCR (ANYBODY CAN RUN) bubble, Hemant switched off the reading lamp. 


“ Hey buddy, had a great thought last night. Why don’t you join me for the Tata Mumbai Full Marathon this year?” mocked Hemant while he addressed to a semi-shocked Manish. Collecting his dropped jaw,  “ Why not dude? I will. Why only join but we will win also…” Boasted a proud Manish. “ Bolne mein kya jata hai?” thought a negligent Manish. 


Being a Marathoner, Hemant was well versed with the hiccups of initial morsels. He knew there would be many internal struggles Manish had to overcome before he proves his passing statement, “ We will win also…” true.  Perhaps, he might never reach the finishing line. Perhaps, he might never ever reach the flag off point. Perhaps, he might never reach the registration site. “Many perhaps… .. But only one haps was to acquaint Manish to the real Marathon happening.” Pondered a recluse Hemant, who ran more than he walked or moved his muscle for any other good. 


“ Munni badnam hui darling tere liye… ..” Manish thumbed the snooze button and rolled over. “Munni badnam hui… .” this time it was his ringtone. Wishing receiving the phone too had a snooze button, he mumbled a sleepy “Heloooo..” to his sleep intruder. “ Wake Up Sid” an excited Hemant blurted. “ I’m waiting for you near B block. Hurry up Manny!!!” “ Are you out of your mind though you seem to be already out of your home??? Who wakes up in the middle of the night?” “ Jahapana its 5:30am. The Cock -A-Dodle-Do ritual is done long back, while the rooster is feasting on his double egg omlet. “ Chuckled an over enthusiastic Hemant. “ I will make a burji out of you if you don’t let me sleep in peace now!!” Thus, Manish slammed the phone.

 

“ Hahahah… .What an A**H*LE Manish is? By the way must say he has an amazing sense humour in his stupor too – I WILL MAKE YOUR BURJI… hahaha..” Manish heard his juniors laugh as they made an enthralling audience to Hemant’s stand-up comedy show ‘ Manish ki Mar do..’


Throttled with humiliation, Manish returned empty stomach to his cabin. The Manager he was this image of him being a lazy bum portrayed in front of his juniors by Hemant had to be erased. Somewhere from the beginning itself Manish was jealous of Hemant’s sportsmanship. Unknowingly, it brought great success to the team. But for that one had to accept the task as a task and work towards which Manish was not ready to. He always undermined running as a passtime of good for nothing fellows. “I have just begun a lucrative career. An exponential growth curve awaits me. How can I waste my precious energy packets in running towards a finishing line that has nothing to offer?” There was beginning of pride over possibilities. Beginning of refuse over reason. Adding to the ego pool was beginning of I will prove over I will learn. 


“ I will run. I will run to prove myself. I will run to mash those giggling hyenas in their face. I will run because ANYBODY CAN RUN…”


Thus next day even before Munni could get badnam, Manish reached the joggers track. Hemant was pleasantly surprised to his friend. Nevertheless, however welcoming Hemant was, Manish refused to lend a ear to his instructions. Without a warm up, he ran straight for 20mins. “So babu cool, What say a beginner like me will make you go red in embarrassment at the full Marathon?” An egoistic Manish mocked at Hemant taking a dip of idli in Anna’s flavourful sambhar. “ Victory be all yours friend” smiled an experienced Marathoner Hemant. As he knew that night, he would definitely be getting badnam for having dropped in late at a male friend’s house. 


“ Ouch.. This ice pack is too cold…  Ouch… its hurting” Cried an injured Manish. “ Now don’t be a Munni, Manny!!!” laughed Hemant as he nursed his friend’s wounded muscle over ego. The Midnight’s Children enjoyed their friendship and got over their tiff of Marathon. 


Next day, the rooster had the best of friends for company over its Cock-A-Doodle-Do ritual. There was beginning of a  friendly spring after the hostile winters. Manish followed Hemant’s advice to the T. The warms up followed by  walking, proceeded by slow jogging, happened religiously for a month. Then began the rigorous process of running 2kms -3kms at a stretch. Manish complained incessantly about various physical and mental pains. On occasions, he skipped his training faking a temperature. But Hemant’s determination brought him close to a half marathon. With great difficulty and persuasion, Manish managed to complete the 21.1 km run. Carefully not disclosing the time, Hemant congratulated his Manny in front of the then giggling hyenas, now resembling astonished baboons.

 

“ Will I be able to do it? Feeling already, thoroughly fatigued.” An overstretched Manish doubted. “Its an Himalayan feat. I’m a mere Himalayan goat that grazed at the foothills. Today you are asking it to reach the Everest. How is it possible my friend?” questioned Manish. 


Hemant an experienced Marathoner, just smiled. He knew these questions were mere projections of Manish’s internal inadequacies and short comings. But with the beginning of self- doubt at least there was end of denial. He was aware that his friend’s mind wanted to take the plunge but his heart feared failure. The mind knew its miracles but the heart displayed its anxieties. Manish was standing at the crossroads of his mind’s strength and heart’s weakness. Whom to honor the win, only Manish could decide. Till then, he had to only jog at the crossroads. 


Beginning at the crossroads is very difficult but once the run in the right direction has begun, there is no end to it.

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