Girls : A Language Hazard at the Gym

I haven’t been much of a sports person all my life. But i was fit enough to play a match of cricket or a game of basketball. Of late the techie job that i have and my kind of lifestyle started to take a toll on my health. Following my employer’s motto, i ‘THINK’ and i IDEATE but i also took on the activity of IDLE-ating.

How bad did i get? Remember the movie Ice Age and the character Sid. He makes a portrait of himself on the rock and Diego draws a circle around his belly. Ya i started to look like that. Though more in a human form.

2 days back, a head rush or rather a knee jerk decision found me going up to the watchman and asking him the keys to the Gym, at my apartment.

Got into my room, changed and headed to the gym on the terrace. Most of the people are too lazy and more over since it was 7:30 in the evening, i didn’t expect any one to be there at the gym. As i neared i could make out that someone was using the thread-mill.

But Who?

OMG! A girl. And not bad .. she’s hot!!! Now its more of a challenge to me. My right-side of the brain telling my left-leg to step forward and enter the gym. At the same time my left-side of the brain ordering the right-leg to turn back. In that split second i almost did a 180 deg split, like Bruce Lee.

Snap! and i’m in the gym. I’m all too serious now. Kept the keys and the mobile by the window. Looked at her and said a ‘Hi’ and introduced myself. Hmmm.. she is smart. Doing her 2nd year BSc Computer Science at Christ College. And she answers to “Manisha”.

C’mon tiger! You can do it. Be cool. Do what you are here for. Ask her for a date! No No .. Do the damn exercise. If not, you will eventually look like Sid. Then even if you are migrating to avoid the Ice Age you wont even be half as lucky as Sid. Your story will end at the hands of the Rhinos.”

Ok, straight away, for the dumbbells. Hmm 10Kg, lifted it.. naah too heavy. Ahhh, 5Kg, i picked one in each hand. In any given situation people will lift the dumbbell one at time, bottom-up, pumping their biceps. I didn’t.

May be because i was praying to God not to mess up and may be that Jesus decided to play a prank with me, i did the worst thing ever. I lifted them shoulder height with my arms stretched out to the sides. Yes, Jesus got me crucified in a dumbbell situation. And the 30 year old crucified virgin started having fun with me. I began bringing them both forward and then back all in an arm stretched situation. I began clapping with 5Kg dumbbells. I only clapped twice, had to keep them back as i realized it would be a nice time to put’em back.

After that i did ask her some thing and we did talk for like 10 sec. But i was too fucked with what i did, i just cant remember.

Well by that time she was done with the thread-mill. I thought, ok now its time to show her what i can do on a thread mill. I will just run till she leaves.My eyes just popped out when i saw that she was running for 30min flat. So, lets just walk on the thread-mill.

Noooo! she just got the mat and is about to do something lying on the floor. What do i ask her? What do i ask her? Wait my mobile is still near the window. I will ask her to get hat for me and i can thanks her for that…

“Excuse me! Can you please get me my mobile… Its there near the window”

“Sure”, she promptly gets me my mobile… Mobile you lucky bastard.

I take the mobile from her, still walking very proudly on the thread-mill, keeps it in the holder, which was looking more like a bottle holder and then revert

“Sorry, Thank You, I’m “.

She just smiles and walks away.

What ever i did never got me sweating, but that dialog just sure did get me all sweating. From that moment onwards i just walked and never looked at her!!!

P.S. : I’m thankful that she doesnt have the Tuss-Effect !!!

Shattered Dreams

The monsoon breeze blew with a freshness that put everything in its path with renewed zest. It carried a very warm chillness. He felt it against his face and stood motionless. He had felt that before and rejoiced with child like innocence. But now it was different. He felt a cold lining on his cheeks. The path traced out by tears was more vivid now. A slight shiver.

Looking deep into the horizon he stood on the empty banks. His eyes fixed, some where far, searching for something lost, or, perhaps someone. He found no purpose in his existence. His ambitions, goals, dreams were now mere ashes. As i watched his head began to droop, he looked down, breathing gently. His breathing grew heavy, he looked up, left out a deep cry and dropped to his knees as i ran towards him.

I had never seen him like that. The friend i know was unfaltering and cheerful. He would grin ear-to-ear, make faces and just about do anything that would put a smile on your face.

Of lately i was seeing the change in him. That was a transition time for him. He became worse day by day. The guy looked like he could use some help. Many a time i asked him what bothered him. He would struggle and bring a smile on his face and say nothing. But you could read that in his eyes.

A week ago, when i was out with couple of my friends i spotted him along with a girl. The walked hand in hand. She leaning on his shoulders. There was an air of sadness around them. The next day at office i told of what i saw and felt the other day. I saw a tear run down his cheeks. He turned away and began typing furiously, pretending to be working.

I was loosing him. I pushed for an answer. He just replied,

“Even my folks don’t trust me. They where my greatest strength. I told them everything, hoping they would help me. But they are far from convinced. They want me to come back home and join a company there…”

With moist eyes he just walked out..

I contemplated that his relation with the girl was unapproved at home. There was nothing that i could do.

Things changed from bad to worse in the last two days. I saw him opening a letter and the disbelief an agony on his face upon reading that. He came to me and asked if i could just take him some where far from the hustles of the city. He mentioned, it was time for me to know.

Got into my car and we just drove away from the madness of the city. The first of the monsoon clouds where beginning to build up in the sky. I just pushed on. I was taking to the place where i always ran for a bit of peace.

The first of the drops were beginning to break away from the clouds and shatter against the windshield. They looked like suicide bombers. As i stopped. The rain was pouring down with all vigor. We sat in the car. With his head down and tears flowing down, he just sat there. We just sat there. Dont know for how long. The only sound was the heavy drops breaking on the roof. The rumbling was like a premonition for something bad to come. I wanted to belive otherwise, but i couldn’t cheat my heart.

The rain began to calm and that left an eerie silence between us. I don’t know how long we sat there. He broke the silence. His voice trembling

“She left me. I loved her with all my heart. Still she left me. I was helpless”

“There would be something, that we can do. Give me her number, i will talk to her.”, out of desperation and the scary thought of loosing a friend i mumbled.

“No! There is nothing left to do. She has gone far. Far from any of our reach. My parents if only they could believe me…”

He opened the door and ran towards the shore. I followed.

The rain was now gone. Sun was struggling to break out of the clouds. Nature looked so beautiful and gorgeous. The whole place was damped. Narrow streams of water still flowing towards the river. The first monsoon shower. It was beautiful…

His breathing grew heavy, he looked up, left out a deep cry and dropped to his knees as i ran towards him. I helped him on to his feet. He hugged me. I couldn’t fight my tears. He broke away, walked two steps and stopped.

After a deep sigh, he reached for his pocket and took our an envelope. I recognized it as the one that i saw with him days before. He opened it and handed me the letter.

With trembling hands i opened the folds…

“Appraisal Letter 2008″