harsh jain

Children Stories Inspirational Fantasy

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harsh jain

Children Stories Inspirational Fantasy

The Guy With 4 Arms - Part 1/3

The Guy With 4 Arms - Part 1/3

5 mins
819


The doctor who delivered Master Samsar actually cared for his patients. That's why Samsar's identity was never revealed to all the world renowned doctors and surgeons who came to study him over the years. When Sam used to visit the Indian gods in temples, he always wondered if they had the same condition as him. Unlike the gods however, his extra hands could not hold that extra book or flower. They were plain dead, thin and tied at his back, hiding beneath his shirt. Other kids at school didn't really understand what the lump at his back was and thought he had some form of disability. For Sam it was a liability. That was until his 10th birthday when his parents shifted him to a room of his own. It had a big dressing mirror besides his bed. Next morning, half awake, still lying on the bed, he turned his head towards the mirror and saw that his extra arms were moving randomly. Yawning and stretching, as if they had a mind of their own. Samsa felt as if someone else resided in his body, and wetted his bed out of horror. He was reminded of the doctor who once told Samsar that the links with the brain seemed intact and he could actually discover how to control the parasitic arms someday, unconsciously. From then, he spent every night full of excitement trying to discover what his extra arms could do. He found that they moved only when he was isolated. He gained control and started training them. The attention he paid to the task was more than anything else he ever did. Over a couple of years, he taught himself writing, juggling, doing pullups, and handstands with 4, 3 and eventually any 2 hands (6 ways). His arms were no longer thin and they were now harder to hide. Drowsing during school periods, he imagined a terrorist attack or fire emergency that would force him to reveal his secret and make him a hero in front of the class. His father wanted him to focus on living a normal life or he'd end up being a circus exhibit for the people. His mother always worried about his marriage. Their hopelessness seemed to cage him behind bars and two arms weren't strong enough to break through. It was Olympics season and he got caught with the idea that with 4 arms, he could be the fastest swimmer in the world. He wanted to join the school team. So he went to Coach Kaifka and told him that he had 2 extra arms hiding behind his back and could be a faster swimmer. Coach touched the lump which made Sam's arms suddenly twitch. Coach was baffled and gave a scream out of shock. Coach saw that the reaction had brought tears to Sam's eyes, his lips quivering, making the Coach feel remorseful. To make up for it, the Coach asked him to come to the pool late in the evening when it used to stay closed. Sam learnt fast. They started practicing every day. He quickly became Kaifka's prized possession and a best kept secret. Sam's own secrets included climbing the pool walls late in the night to practice some more. "If not a swimmer, I'd be a rock climber." Sam thought.

That was last year. Today Sam & Kaifka are on their way to Delhi to meet Coach Francis. Francis has been a member of the Indian Olympics Committee. Kaifka was awestruck when Francis replied to his mail. Sam is full of self-doubt. "Am I the only person in the world who may be ineligible for Olympics as well as Paralympics?" "Kids in big cities start practicing from age 5. How can I compete with them?" "Did you make sure Coach would come alone to see me?" worried Samsar as he asked Kaifka. Kaifka had few answers. Questions that worried him more were not from Samsar, but his father and school authority. When they reach the Stadium, they see the big 50-meter pool with 10 lanes and full of swimmers. Kaifka goes on to talk to Coach Francis, and a few minutes later Sam hears Francis screaming, "Do you expect me to cancel all these people's practice? Ask your kid to get ready." Samsar comes out of his secret in his costume, terrified. Francis ties two of his weak hands so that he doesn't have an unfair advantage. The people's eyes, pointing fingers and laughs are creating amplified noise in Sam's head. Sam feels like a fraud. Sam says to himself, "It is over. My dream is over. But this is the largest and the cleanest pool I'll ever swim in. I'll just enjoy that." This follows Francis' screams and Sam's butterflies, breaststrokes and freestyle. When Sam finishes, he finds everyone gathered at the end of the pool, clapping. Later they meet Francis in his office. "The lap times your coach mailed me were unbelievable! Normal hearts can't pump that much. It's not your extra arms but the heart and lungs that make you special. Probably because they endure so many limbs. Even with two hands tied, you are the fastest kid at your age I've ever seen.

Don't think whether you'd be allowed to swim in any sports competition. If you consider yourself human, you are eligible everywhere. Even Olympics. If you want to win a medal, it's going to be a hell lot of practice from now. Go home & take rest. Decide whether you want to join. If you come back, bring all your stuff. I'm rude but I love my kids."

On their way out, Kaifka tells Samsar, "It's your love for the sport and the secret practice nights that make you better than all the kids who train from age 5. Now that you've got a new coach, remember me and always say this to yourself: Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."



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