Ansh made sure his evenings always had time for brisk walks. It gave him a window to what he called giving his mind and body time to breathe, that were otherwise restricted on a chair in a cubicle of an office for long hours.
Ansh carried a face mask along with him for the days he could feel the pollution in the air. He made sure to check the AQI every day while he was in the local train returning home from work. He specifically preferred the time when the cold had just begun to settle in, before there was a bit of smog, a problem in densely populated big cities during winters.
On a Wednesday, Ansh had his facemask on and he was feeling a bit tired. The day had been long and gruelling; Ansh was beginning to feel that his eyes might need a new pair of spectacles. Ansh saw an empty roadside bench that was almost never empty and his body pushed him to it.
Ansh sat and thought about his day, and if there was anything possible to be done to make the next day easier. Meanwhile a man around Ansh’s age came by cycling. He was drenched in sweat and had a heavy rhythm to his breathing.
“Why don’t you sit down and catch your breath before continuing on,” said Ansh
The man thought about it and got off the bicycle with disappointment on his face. He balanced the bicycle on its stand and pushed himself forward towards the bench where he sat and looked up at the sky.
“We have our limits,” said Ansh, “there was a time I could run at long stretches, it just doesn’t happen the same way anymore.”
The man took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his face and looked back at the road he had come from.
“Where did you want to reach,” asked Ansh
“Definitely not here,” said the man without looking at Ansh
“Have you taken the wrong road?”
“I did, but I didn’t think finding the right one would be this difficult. I thought I had knew the right directions,” said the man
“Let me guess, you don’t take your smartphone with you during your fitness routine. I don’t bring it as well; it’s a bad distraction”
“I don’t think I can do this. I cannot keep up,” said the man quite thoughtfully
“I feel that too sometimes, but there are some great motivation videos online, would you like some recommendations?” asked Ansh
The man rubbed his forehead and got up, “I will just take a little walk to cool things off”
“Whatever helps,” said Ansh. The man walked away slowly and Ansh thought about how he himself wasn’t the only one having a day of rough nature.
Ansh thought of waiting for the man since he did leave his bicycle unlocked. That man did not return, but someone else came by in a bright red coloured hatchback car. He got out of the car and rushed to the bicycle, looking at it frantically and then he looked at Ansh wearing his facemask who also had a surprised expression. The man quickly took out his smartphone and started recording video.
“Don’t try to run, I have you on camera. You thought you could get away with stealing my bicycle?” said the man as he came closer
Ansh remained confused with a number of thoughts running through his mind as he tried to come up with a good enough explanation.
Written by Anuran Chatterji
One response to “A Hard Day”
What an intriguing story, Anuran! I enjoyed how an ordinary evening walk turned into an unexpected encounter, with a surprising twist at the end. The conversation between Ansh and the cyclist subtly reflects the struggles, exhaustion, and uncertainties we all experience in life.
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