21st Feb - 7AM – Mumbai

I was going through our usual fitness routine doing shuttle runs, stretches, horizontal nietchzes, power jumps and all the plyometrics that Sukrit had ‘drilled’ into our systems. There was this fruit vendor with a cart that I had kept passing during the course of my shuttle runs but had been oblivious of until he called out to me half way through my power jump routine.
“Bhai!”, he said, abandoning his cart and approaching me. I stopped and impulsively looked down at my shoe laces thinking they had become undone!
I was gasping for breath and determined to finish my routine at one go. And hence was impatient.
But I waited to hear what he had to say. And I am glad I did. In essence this is what he said, putting his arm around my shoulder (He spoke in Hindi. I have tried to reproduce the same in English because my Hindi is pathetic)–
a) I saw you doing the sprints earlier. I thought you were good. I smile. But you made a couple of mistakes. If I may point them out to you…
1. You were not running with your body tucked in. You were offering a lot of resistance to the wind because your hands and legs were flailing in the air. Make yourself as small as possible. It’s a waste of energy, my brother.
2. You were breathing heavily through your mouth. Try not to do that. You will be faster that way. Just try it. It worked for me.
b) Do not do power jumps on the road. Do it on grass or better on the beach. Else your knees will get damaged.

Needless to say, I was stunned.

He then proceeded to explain how he used to be a runner in school. His voice cracked as memories came flooding in. I didn’t push him, though I would have loved to hear more.

The unknown face. The patience and the kindness that expected nothing in return.
An often unacknowledged face of Mumbai…

“Nothing bonds like sport”