Rat Race !!


He was sputtering and stuttering, he knew he could not carry on like this. He had to get out, he had to quit. But quitting was a sign of giving up, of losing and he was no loser. “I am a champion and always will be”, he affirmed to himself. Even when nobody was listening he would keep repeating this to himself, trying to convince the cynic inside of him. His rational side questioned, champion at what cost?

Well this is how it’s always been in life you keep moving on, tirelessly, moving ahead in face of obstacles, challenges, turmoil and pain, but you just don’t stop, you keep moving ahead. And he remembered how he had always been told as a child that life is a race and one has to win at this race or die trying. Suddenly the latter possibility seemed more real.

He had been an achiever, in pursuit of excellence and success and that was a noble pursuit and an honest truth. But suddenly the truth seemed hazy, vapourizing in the heat of life. And what would become of him if he gave up, if he stepped out of this race, he would lose his identity. But what would his identity matter, if he stopped existing.

And so the unending series of conflicting thoughts fought on an ever raging battle in his mind. And he eventually gave in; he had to run the race, the race for glory, for victory. There was no other option or so he believed. Thus he continued to run, neglecting his emotions, neglecting his health and even neglecting his own thresholds.

Soon he could see the end point, where were the other competitors, had he left them so behind? Who would announce his unprecedented victory and why was nobody paying attention? Oh!! He saw the reason; everyone was so engrossed in their own race that they didn’t care to acknowledge his victory. And then to his horror and dismay he saw the end point coming towards him. The end was moving and it was getting nearer, but he didn’t want the race to end now. He wanted to enjoy his success; it would be foolish to end now.

But he couldn’t stop the end point from moving towards him. And he could not run behind, he could not even slow down. The momentum of his much cherished speed was carrying him. But the only thought flashing in his now partially numb mind was “Why, How did this happen?” The race he was competing in, he would win; but lose his life.

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