Dream Liner

Like in the past 3 years, she flew away up in the sky and I was astonishingly looking at her until she vanished into the dark clouds. On that day she was coloured with a beautiful combination of blue and white with two blinking eyes shining more brighter even in a higher altitude. She might be carrying more than one hundred people in her, but I used to have my own count daily. Sometimes fifty, other time thirty five or twenty and even I thought she was empty when I feel she was flying faster than usual. I used to notice her wings whether it's folded in end or not and most of the times she hide her wings inside the clouds. People near me might feel that it was the first time I was seeing an aeroplane. I can feel it from their facial expressions. Most of the times I make it up with a warm smile.

It became a routine and at last she became an inseparable part of a day in my life. After few days, while going back home from school I saw a poster where it was written as "Just chew and get a chance to fly to Singapore". The picture of the aeroplane in that poster was exactly same like the one I used to saw daily. The picture attracted me and I went near to the poster and it was an opportunity to fly to Singapore, if you get the right card with a chewing gum. Till I reached home I was thinking about that and i decided to win in that game. I don't even think whether the poster was a true one or the one which aroused to win the other manufacturers. I then realised it was not healthy but the aeroplane attracted me towards it like a magnet. I know I was not very lucky still I want to make a try.

Instead of saving full of my pocket money every day, I started buying one chewing gum every evening. Nearby my school there were no shops and I used to get one nearby my home. As soon as the bell rang up I would be first person to leave the school gate. On weekdays I will be praying to God to speedup the school clock to tick 4 in the evening or to make the school office clerk's watch to tick 4PM. From my classroom, till the shop it was a running race without any competitors at first and slowly bicycles, motor cycles and buses came into picture as competitors to me. Usually they win me and slowly I started winning them one by one. One day a stray dog chased me and unfortunately I was caught. That black dog with sharp yellowish white teeth took a piece of flesh from my leg and walked away majestically like an emperor winning the war. The wound was little deeper and it took away five of school days. Those five were like I was in a prison. Still my craze towards the chewing gum didn't stopped, not because of the taste but only to win my dream of flying. I bought almost 100 pieces but I was not able to find the right card. Life proved again that I was unlucky. The offer expired in a month and my dream too. I continued to watch her more amazingly than in my previous days.

Even though the offer expires, I continued to run back from school as it became a practice for me. I feel more stronger day by day. I used to ate a little more than my usual diet. I realised my body is trying to compensate the energy I was losing then in running. One day I heard my mother saying to my father that "our son is growing, we need to give him healthy food". I felt sorry for them as they are already struggling to run each days with their small salary. I don't want to burden them again. The next morning as usual my mom put inside a two rupee coin into my pocket but I gave it back to my Mom saying "hereafter I don't need a pocket money." My mom was astonishingly looking at me and she again tried to put it inside my pocket, but I refused and move away to school. She might realised that I heard her conversation with my father yesterday. On that even I when I came back to home, I saw some fruits in our small dining table. I ate some and kept the reaming for the week. But in two days, I saw another packet of apple in the table and it became a routine.

Two years passed away and I was about to complete my secondary examination. On the last day of my exam, my physical instructor came into my exam hall to inform that there was an athletic training camp going to kick started in another week and who are all interested can join. I didn't even listened to the instructions properly at that time. Later when I was watching a television show, I felt, why can't I'll join the camp instead of wasting my being alone in home. Most of my friends were forced by their parents to join some classes like swimming, dance, music etc. After all the camp in my school was a free one conducted by the Sports Council of India. I went to the camp and my physical instructor was shocked to see me there, because I haven't even joined any of the sports events since I joined the school 12 years before. He asked me "what was the event you're interested in?" Obviously my answer would be running as that was the only one event I experimented earlier. He asked me to stand in a line of around 10 people and I was the shortest one among them. We were asked to complete two rounds in the ground. According to my calculations, it comes around to a distance of 1.2 km. The whistle rang and we started running, it was easier to me than I felt and i was running faster than those taller guys. The confidence in me aroused there and I ran more faster than usual and I completed the 2 rounds in 5 minutes. When I looked back I could see those taller guys were struggling to complete the lap and one of them fainted in the first round itself. I could see the shocking face of the instructor, sitting in a chair under a tree. He suddenly ran up to me and appreciated me with a pat on the back. Till now my mother used to say that the happiness in my face, when I narrated this incident to her, was like winning an Olympic medal.

Days passed away and in that one month I learned many techniques in running. My instructor used to boost my confidence level by showing many Olympic videos were athletes used to run. Day by day, I increased my distance in running by reducing the lap timing. Finally the day comes, District level Athletic competition, I was represented from my school for long distance running. Again all the other competitors are taller than me, but the confidence level in me hasn't reduced. Whistle blown and I had a good start. After completing one lap, I realised I was running first and all other just behind me not too far away. I continued to keep my energy level same by maintaining a defined speed for the first 4 laps and in the final lap I increased my speed and completed the race by winning a beautiful trophy, rather the first prize I won ever in my life.

More than me my instructor was happy and I was praised in the annual school meet. Everyone wished me and encouraged me to win more prizes in future. I realised I was lagging somewhere in my studies, so I decided to spend my morning time for studies and evening time for running practice.

At the end of December, I was called for the State level sports meet. I went as a participant, but this time I ended up with the second prize. I was disappointed and my instructor tried to encourage me more than my Mom. I cried on my Mother's lap. I don't how did I get this craze towards the first prize. The encouragement from my parents and the instructor made me winning the first prize in the next meet happened in month of June. From there, I was then selected for the All India level athletic competition and there again i proved my efficiency by winning the first prize. Everyone in my family was happy to see my picture in the newspaper even I too. In between this, I was able to complete my Higher Secondary Education in first class. My parents left the next choice of education with me and I chose English Literature for my Under Graduation and I was able to get an admission in one of the famous college in my town. I really don't know how I get a good coach there also, he is so encouraging and a kind heart person. Under his guidance I was groomed well there. I realised the transformation in me.

I underwent many classroom training along with the physical training. I was able to join a gymnasium near my home to strengthen my body.

There comes the most crucial turning point in my life. Olympics, I was asked to join the preliminary round of long distance running for Olympics. I jumped out of happiness when I heard it from my coach. But my coach advises me "to keep your happiness aside for now and concentrate more on the ground. Only then you will win." I realised the hidden fact that over happiness is more powerful than our enemy in the war. It will make you blind, which ends up in losing your aim. I set my goal to win the Olympic Gold Medal rather than getting selected in the preliminary. I spend my each morning and evening in the ground. After a month the day came and there also I won the first place, but this time with only in a difference of 4 seconds. I was selected for the Olympics and finally my dream came in to reality. I'm gonna fly. But rather than flying I was wanna win the medal. This time the pressure on me was more than in the previous events. I was representing a a Country and if I lose it will be lose for the whole people in My Country.

I practiced with more distance and less timings and I realised I was over stressing myself to win. The day comes and I flew with my coach. I said the whole story on my dream to fly. He just smiled and said, "you wished to fly then not to win a race, but now the races you won made you fly". Tears flushed out and my coach made me relaxed. I was now waiting for the whistle to blown to start the race. There was a silence in the crowd and couple of sweat drops touched the ground. Suddenly the whistle blown and we all started running. I was not in the first place after completing one lap and even after completing the other 2 laps. I could realise my heart beats increasing unusually. I was fully drenched before competing 3 laps. I felt like i was losing the race. I closed my eyes for a couple of seconds and think of the people in My Country eagerly looking after the medal with the trust on me. I don't wanna loose their trust. I was about to complete the 4th lap and only one lap left behind to reach the line of victory. I increased by energy as much possible and run fast. Somehow i able to reach the second position and only a couple of meters ahead to reach my destiny. I closed my eyes and run more faster. Slowly I fainted and I felt down unconsciously. My coach was calling me wake up wake up. I slowly opened my eyes and I could see people shouting India... India.... India. My coach hugged me strongly and said, "You made it my boy".