Selection for sports meet..
Represent house on Sports Day
Scorching heat on a summer morning, MT and kids from other classes line up...
"7th B-MT?"
MT steps forward-
DK sir-" Too short, you wont be visible if you carry the flag, ye to dikhegi hi nahi, Negi sir, kya karein?"
Negi Sir- "Nikaal do, next"
Trials again...next morning
MT stands watching the proceedings...a not-so-silent-spectator..
Negi sir- "7th B?"
MT- "yes sir"
NS- "class monitor?"
MT-"yes sir"
NS- "unko aur koi nahi mila kya?"
MT-"no sir"
NS-"Bhaagna hai tumko?"
MT-"yes sir"
NS-" tum yes sir aur no sir ke alava kuch bolti ho?"
MT-"yes sir"
NS-" sports room se whistle leke aao, I will time you, 40 secs..."
MT-"yes sir"
MT never wears a watch, time is never in her hands..in nobody's hands, for that matter..
returns after 45 secs...
NS-"5 second late, hmmm, kya kare tumhare saath?"
MT-" Sir aapki whistle kho gayi thi, dustbin ke paas padi thi"
NS-"no excuses"
MT-"Yes sir"
Awkward silence follows as Sir plays with the idea of including MT in the relay team, hurdles team and 200 mtrs....
MT-"sir aur kuch lana hai sports room se?"
NS-"nahi, DK sir se poocho flag kahan hai"
MT-"sir sports room mein table pe pada hai, lekar aau, is baar 40 secs...
NS-"run"
MT runs, returns with flag in hand, dot 40 secs....
NS-"good, hurdles kiya hai kabhi?"
MT-"No sir"
NS-"hmmmm...."
MT-"Seekh lungi sir, flag uthane dijiye"
NS-"tum abhi aur kya uthakar laayi thi?"
MT smiles...does a triumphant dance on her way back to class...
Sports Day
Prahalad House
March Past...flag in hand, following Amit Bhaiya, Head boy and MT's mentor...
"eyes right...... left, right, left...."
Prahalad house loses to Eklavya....
200 mtrs
On your mark, get set, whistle....
MT runs....runs, runs, still running...
Shravan house wins
Eklavya house wins
MT comes Third...
break...
DK sir: "kaha tha na negi, isko kyun liya? she was reperesenting the house, mazaak nahi hai.."
NS-"Hurdles baaki hai, abhi bachche ko kuch mat bolo.."
DK-Nods in disagreement.." is baar bhi hum eklavya se haar jaayenge, itni choti si hai, khudegi kaise, phas jaayegi.."
NS-"dekhte hai"
NS to MT
"Tumko pata hai kya karna hai? DK doesnt like you much and you know that, all the best"
MT-extremely short of confidence, guilty of letting house down, walks towards the start line, takes stance, waits for the whistle that would decide her journey through hurdles.....
"On your mark, get set, whistle"
MT runs........First hurdle- success,position third
Second hurdle- success, position third
Third hurdle- lace open, falls, position negligible
removes shoe, runs like there is no tmrw...
Fourth hurdle- success, position second
finish line.............position one
MT falls, this time in happiness, in the joy of conquering the fourth hurdle...
Prahalad house beats Eklavya finally....
NS-"DK sir doesnt like you at all...."
MT-"Thank you sir"
Today is Negi Sir's birthday....
Moral of the story..."It doesn matter how many times you fell, what matters is how many times you got up"
Thank You Sir....
Abhi bachche ko kuch mat bolo....