This Wednesday morning when I woke up groggy-eyed and upset about the prospects of a long day at work, I didn't expect to see this on the front page of The Hindu.
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| Arunima Sinha with India & Tata Steel's flags on the Everest |
It was just too overwhelming. Imagine yourself being thrown out of a train during an armed robbery. As you are flung in the air, you hit the bogie of a train coming in from the opposite direction on the adjacent track. With the impact, your left leg comes under the wheels of one of the trains (you don't know which one because you are too numb to comprehend). Finally, when the trains have gone, you find your left leg hanging out of your jeans below the knee. You then touch your right leg to find broken bones poking out of everywhere. Your spinal cord feels like shattered glass. You can't move one inch. You cry for help, but its miles and miles of tracks amidst empty fields. Every half hour trains pass within inches of you and rattle you body and spirit. Rodents start coming out from the burrows; the smell of your blood and flesh is all around.
Now imagine yourself scaling Mt. Everest just two years later. You are the first amputee in India to do it, and the first female one at that in the entire world. Come on, if Arunima can actually do it, you can at least imagine it, right??
When I met Arunima in Uttarkashi last year, she really didn't look like someone who would be able to win Everest so soon. She walked with a lot of effort. Climbing was tough, and she had a considerable discomfort at all times. I had written this piece about her back then - (http://igavemybest.blogspot.in/2012/04/1st-row-from-left-ashish-singhania.html) I had lauded her determination and spirit. I had prayed for her. Yes, she had a big heart. But, I had thought getting to Everest would be almost impossible. But like the entire nation, how I was proven wrong. I was left awe-struck and teary-eyed on that Wednesday morning.
So after I get to know of her feat, I reminisce the interaction I had with her outside our tent during the trek last year. I also call up all my friends who were there in the trek. We are all very happy for her. How often do you get to share tents and have dinner with real life heroes??.
On retrospect, there is one thing which makes me feel slightly upset about the entire episode. Its just that one minor thing, Something that doesn't matter much, but remains at the back of your mind and doesn't let you cherish something as much as would like to. That one thing is this picture of Arunima with us.
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| Where Am I? :-( |
I still curse my decision of being the photographer for this pic. In fact, I still lament being the designated photographer for the entire trip. There are so few pics of me for the entire trek!! But I mostly regret not having Arunima and me in one frame. Why didn't I take a selfie with her?? :P
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mIIxU3gI4c
