Hello, my name is Malkhan Singh,
I am an athlete. Ooh! you recognize me! shocking, as you are the first
one ever. Otherwise beside people from my neighborhood and relatives, no
one recognizes me. Yes, I participate in Olympics for India. Even if I
loose the race, I don't loose hopes, I don't feel defeated as
participating for India is winning per se.
They asks me all sorts of questions, and mind you, its not media that asks me questions, as I haven't won any medal yet. All those, whom I tell that I represent India they say, "how do you run so fast?" well the answer is that I have to catch a bus 6 times a day, because of work for the grocery store (where i am working for money). As Indian citizen we all have speed and competitiveness in us, which we take for granted. I mean if one gets time to ponder over how fast we run for bus, metro, locals we will get thousands of PT Usha n Jeev Milkha Singhs. If you happen to see talent of drivers on road, there are several Michael Shoemakers out their, so damn competitive, so damn fast. But they cant think out of the box, they have a life to live and plethora of problems to occupy their mind.
"You run marathon; naaaice... that must be really tiring, from where did you got this stamina?? its naaice" is another FAQ. Well without any relative in government office I got made my ration card, PAN card, Passport, Driving license, Aadhar card,Voter ID, I stands in queue of electricity bills, water bills, telephone bills, income tax office; I have stamina of a statue, my legs wont crumble or tremble. I wont feel any pain, that feeling has long gone. Ive understood that cribbing out of pain only makes you socially unattractive. Facebook may be the right place to showcase your suffering, where people are allowed even liking it. But they want a happy high pleasant person. In India the place for empathy/craze for a performer is usurped by the failing/rising cricketers and film stars.
"So you haven't won any medal yet, isn't it heart breaking? Don't you feel ashamed?" A question asked by almost everyone, and again its not media that asks me this question. I usually just smile, some times I say "Hum honge kaamyaab, ek din." But it becomes frustrating when people say that, "sharmaji ka ladka to B.A. me gold medalist aaya hai...tumhare wo kalmadi ka game me kya hua?? Waha bhi nahi jeet paaye kya?" Yes, people do that a lot. I am a general category, with family income just above the income tax threshold. I tried for IIT, when dad mortgaged his ancestral land to buy me Kota coaching center training. I managed to secured excellent score, but what my dad couldn't buy was quota; I lost to a half hearted, half deserving candidate, who got a costly car as gift from parents on selection. Like other civil servant who serves and worship money, my dad happened to be a mutation, Dad was not religious enough to gather and pass on the donation. Hence in the name of second attempt, we now we pay rent for the house we use to own. I then studied in a government college, fell in love. Girl also loved me; our affair would have lasted longer if my future was secure or my present pockets were deeper. It brusquely ended, when I got backs in few subjects of 3rd sem; it was tough to study after 10hour labour in store. Now, no I don't feel ashamed of loosing. I've lost too much and too many times. My heart doesn't break now; we have ears, legs, hands, teeth, but heart is not in plural.
I am not running from life, I am running for life. I'll be recognized one day, may be when I enter big boss house, after winning a medal. I think for that purpose odds are in my favor if I fail the dope test; but that's my backup plan.
lets see, its our closing time, thank you for visiting. I have to wake early to catch the bus to fruit market, as my warm up, as I have a race tomorrow - The race of life, where after putting the efforts one has to flip the coin.
They asks me all sorts of questions, and mind you, its not media that asks me questions, as I haven't won any medal yet. All those, whom I tell that I represent India they say, "how do you run so fast?" well the answer is that I have to catch a bus 6 times a day, because of work for the grocery store (where i am working for money). As Indian citizen we all have speed and competitiveness in us, which we take for granted. I mean if one gets time to ponder over how fast we run for bus, metro, locals we will get thousands of PT Usha n Jeev Milkha Singhs. If you happen to see talent of drivers on road, there are several Michael Shoemakers out their, so damn competitive, so damn fast. But they cant think out of the box, they have a life to live and plethora of problems to occupy their mind.
"You run marathon; naaaice... that must be really tiring, from where did you got this stamina?? its naaice" is another FAQ. Well without any relative in government office I got made my ration card, PAN card, Passport, Driving license, Aadhar card,Voter ID, I stands in queue of electricity bills, water bills, telephone bills, income tax office; I have stamina of a statue, my legs wont crumble or tremble. I wont feel any pain, that feeling has long gone. Ive understood that cribbing out of pain only makes you socially unattractive. Facebook may be the right place to showcase your suffering, where people are allowed even liking it. But they want a happy high pleasant person. In India the place for empathy/craze for a performer is usurped by the failing/rising cricketers and film stars.
"So you haven't won any medal yet, isn't it heart breaking? Don't you feel ashamed?" A question asked by almost everyone, and again its not media that asks me this question. I usually just smile, some times I say "Hum honge kaamyaab, ek din." But it becomes frustrating when people say that, "sharmaji ka ladka to B.A. me gold medalist aaya hai...tumhare wo kalmadi ka game me kya hua?? Waha bhi nahi jeet paaye kya?" Yes, people do that a lot. I am a general category, with family income just above the income tax threshold. I tried for IIT, when dad mortgaged his ancestral land to buy me Kota coaching center training. I managed to secured excellent score, but what my dad couldn't buy was quota; I lost to a half hearted, half deserving candidate, who got a costly car as gift from parents on selection. Like other civil servant who serves and worship money, my dad happened to be a mutation, Dad was not religious enough to gather and pass on the donation. Hence in the name of second attempt, we now we pay rent for the house we use to own. I then studied in a government college, fell in love. Girl also loved me; our affair would have lasted longer if my future was secure or my present pockets were deeper. It brusquely ended, when I got backs in few subjects of 3rd sem; it was tough to study after 10hour labour in store. Now, no I don't feel ashamed of loosing. I've lost too much and too many times. My heart doesn't break now; we have ears, legs, hands, teeth, but heart is not in plural.
I am not running from life, I am running for life. I'll be recognized one day, may be when I enter big boss house, after winning a medal. I think for that purpose odds are in my favor if I fail the dope test; but that's my backup plan.
lets see, its our closing time, thank you for visiting. I have to wake early to catch the bus to fruit market, as my warm up, as I have a race tomorrow - The race of life, where after putting the efforts one has to flip the coin.
