INDEBTED TO A SAVIOUR (part 2)

“Tingg!”
The beep sounded, signaling for me to begin my routine. With a deft kick of my legs, the ball flew high up, giving me time to lower myself to the ground before catching it and rolling over again to do a ‘walkover to flexion’.(It is a move whereby my hands are placed on the ground and I kick my legs over in a split position. When the first leg touches the ground, the other leg is fixed in position to form 180 degrees and my hands are gently lifted a little from the floor. The position when my hands are not touching the floor, my legs in the split position, and my back arched, is known as a flexion.)




I went through my ball routine with ease and fluidity,just like how I had envisioned it. Then came my favourite part. I was to balance on one leg and go all the way down till my body was parallel with the floor and my legs form a straight vertical line. As I lowered my body, I could feel my muscles tightening to give me the balance I needed.




Then suddenly I heard a buckling noise from the joint where my thigh bone meets my hip bone. I felt a sharp jolt of pain shoot right up my leg. Before I knew it, I found myself lying on the floor, my body covering the leg protectively. Then the tears came. As the salty tears streamed down my cheeks, smudging the mascara and eyeliner I had applied, I thought about how agonizing it was to lie there without anyone to help me up from my pitiful, crumpled state I was on the carpet.




Couldn’t anyone see me lying here?



Why is the music still playing? Why can’t they just turn it off?




The melodious tune which I loved and was supposed to be dancing to, was now burning into my ears. I never ever wanted to hear it again. I thought about how life had been, how much time I had sacrificed to commit myself to the sport, all resulting in getting injured on the competition day right in the middle of the routine? I could barely hear the tinkle of narcissistic laughter from my archrivals. With me out, they would go on to claim the medals that I had been training so hard for.




As I lay there, I gave in to the immense feeling that was covering me like a thick, woolen blanket. I gave in to the anguish of letting such an opportunity slip away from me, allowing the sorrow and despair to overwhelm me as I buried my head in my arms and cried and cried till there was no more tears left.