Correct time

Through the past 8 weeks, this is one phrase which has troubled us all. In the morning, irrespective of what the preceding activity was, irrespective of how tired we were, irrespective of where the next destination was, the ‘correct’ time was 7.45. In the afternoon the ‘correct’ time was generally 3.00 and depending upon the largesse being felt, it was at times extended to 3.30. In the mornings, it was a race against time and in the afternoons, it was a struggle with sleep. What am I going to do when this is all over? I have got used to hurriedly having a bath, gulping down breakfast and rushing out to meet the 7.45 deadline. Likewise, the 3.00 correct time has hauled me out everyday into the sweltering heat. Where am I going to get this daily adrenaline fix? But, to be true to myself, I shall be glad when this is all over and I return back to my original serene, languid style of functioning. At this age and after these years of service, the human body and mind does not easily take to such frenzied activity. The various activities that we have gone through require the alertness, fitness and agility of a person in his twenties. But we have gone through most of them, even surpassing expectations. We have endured and pulled each other through on our own. It has been an revelation that training could be conducted from a distance. Barring the morning activity, at no time during the day have we been ‘trained’. Activity has mostly been ‘negative’. All efforts have been centred towards ensuring that we failed. But kudos to the tenacity of this group that we have remained intact.

२६ feet

A week later, a few feet closer to the elusive ‘window’, 26 feet up. Am I going to make it? Time will tell. But the destination of this 12 week journey is a glimpse of that window. A fortunate few have been going through it since they arrived. Some have been progressing through the past weeks and there is that handful (that includes me) who have yet to see what the inside of the window looks like.
It has been a sleepless night for Delhi and a tragedy for the near and dear ones of the innocent men and women yesterday, who lost their lives in the 5 bombs that went off through Delhi. The irony of it all was, there is always a lot of talk about terrorism, its future, likely targets, the philosophy of terrorism, and so on. Who would have guessed terror would come knocking so close? Are cowards like these men going to find acts like these so easy?

Training

It has been more than three months since the last post. Since when I returned from leave, I have been busy with work related and more often than not other activities. In particular, the past three months have kept me away from the net. But then, these three months have been spent in toning up the body with lots of physical activity. The mind has taken a back seat. Another three weeks to go before it (the mind) takes over and physicals take a back seat. I have come to realize the immense potential of the human body in terms of taking physical strain, irrespective of the age factor. Of course, the mind still plays an important part in convincing the body that what might seem insurmountable at first is achievable, after some hard work and lots of willpower. When I arrived at this place, I had absolutely no idea what was in store. The stories that I had heard of the fun we would be having while undergoing training remained just that – fairy tales. The bubble burst in the first week itself. It was like jumping onto a roller coaster that was already speeding. We did not get time to settle down before being shaken, thrown in all directions. However, most of us here have now started enjoying the ride. Speculations is rife as to how many will complete this roller coaster ride. It has been fun to meet old (pun intended!) friends and go through these rigours together.