Memory of a walking marathon

It gave me quite a good shudder to know that my name was registered for the forthcoming marathon.....and my heartbeat further accelerated when I knew that we had to run sixteen kilometers to complete the race. Huh! me going to complete the race? Impossible- I told myself. The race was to start at five thirty in the morning and quite obviously we had to reach at five at the starting point. That in itself was a darn big task for me- getting up at four thirty and coming to the school ground at that unearthly hour(that's how i put it). This entire year I hadn't known what 4:30 am looks like by today I did. The chilly breeze was blowing and robbed me of my sleep. The most beautiful part was seeing the sunrise,  I must say -nothing can match the beauty of the yellowish-orange sky when the sun is announcing its arrival. 

The sparkling morning rays of sun made its way though the gaps in the clouds and fell upon us (oh I forgot to say- we all were already in the starting point by then). My friends were filled with anxiety of completing the race but all I could feel was the calmness and serenity of the morning. There was still more to the beautiful morning, a slightly thick layer of fog was covering the gushing river nearby just like a blanket, and the Dzong (a historical monument of Bhutan) was lit with yellow shades of light which added a lot more beauty to the already marvelous-looking-morning. Wow..I just had no words, all this sight was quite rare for a not-at-all-morning-person like me. It just took me in and I was totally lost in it. That's when everyone started running. "But hey did the coach blow the whistle?" I asked to a fast running panicky friend of mine and she looked at me with her chinky eyes all enraged. Oh I understood it. Yes, I had lost myself way too much in the nature that I missed the primary thing of the marathon- the whistle. Putting an end to my nature contemplating time I jogged along keeping up my pace with the runners at last.

Ha ha I swear guys we looked like a mad herd of elephants running away from the hunters behind...smiling to myself I tried running, but all turned out as I expected it to. I hadn't even run few meters that I had already strarted getting cramps....it was quite annoying you know to see everyone racing for the first prize when you were trying hard to ease the pain on your muscles. But I was not alone, there were many lazy bugs like me who were planning to give it up. But I wanted to make it at least up to the first checkpoint, so I started walking a little fast than the normal days. I walked and walked and walked and walked but the first checkpoint was nowhere to be seen, where in the world is it? I asked myself having no others to ask to because by then everyone had left me behind. Oh at last there it was - the first checkpoint, having registered myself there I continued walking when the official there said to me that the second checkpoint was just a little away...I went on and on. A part in me wanted to give it all up and go back to where I began but another part in me expressed a wish that was buried within me for quite a long time- a wish to complete the marathon at least once in my life. I surrendered to that part and decided to fulfill that wish in me.

 Its seldom that my heart craves for something and when it does, my brain never says no. So me along with my both decision making friends- my heart and brain walked on. I knew way too well that I wont be able to run but I had a belief that yes I can walk at least. By the time I crossed the second checkpoint the first position holder was returning. I clapped for her and moved on, thinking that it was the least I could do.My friends who were now returning all expressed one thing in common- they all said- "Come on Ammu, you can do it girl." Now, I had made up my mind that I will complete the distance by any means. I was contended by my decision and I moved on. It was very fast that I crossed the third checkpoint and now there is only one more left I said to all the cells in my body which was now turning rather weak. 

Without much awaiting I crossed the last point, yes I did it. I was darn happy but reaching there my mind got engulfed by the thought of giving up. But something within me said to me that if you can make it up to here then why not all the way back?  Why not? I thought to myself and pushing my pessimistic thoughts away I continued to walk. On my way back a got two friends who were at the verge of giving up but on my insistence they also moved along with me as my companions. We all walked and talked of various things. Some subjects were so distant from the point of relevancy. All the three of us just wanted to do it by any means.

 I had never once felt  such a strong force of determination within me like the one I was feeling today. It felt really good to have that I-can-do-it feeling within myself. There were people jeering and mocking at us but I sticked on to those encouraging words of my friends. Walking and completing the distance was really tough so I could imagine the runners. Slowly and steadily all the three of us crossed those checkpoints again. Each step we took was painful but I reminded myself that one step forward is one step less from fulfilling my wish. We even denied a lift you know. After a long period of two and half hours we reached our starting point and we could join the prize distribution too. I didn't hold any position, neither did I complete the race in the stipulated time but now when I think back my chest gets puffed up with pride, with the pride of completing 16 kilometers in two and half hours. Now when I am sitting at the edge of my bed, typing this article my leg still hurts, but it reminds me of the wish I fulfilled a couple of hours ago, and I cant help but feel satisfied of doing something I thought was never possible.
Life is all about believing in yourself and having the determination and above all the feeling that yes I can do it.