Hit the Rewind button and go back
to 2011 New Year Eve, Mom calls me and presents
a 1000 rupees and says save this money for yourself and use it when you
are in real need of some bugs. And as usual mind says” yea man u got some 1000
bugs and u have to find a way to spend it” and there came a sound from nowhere
again from Abigail mind “dude you gotta buy some shoes for you, you need
it”. Well your heart says go on with
what your mind says..
The very next day, lied to mom tat
i need the money for paying exam fees and went to that all time favourite shop
“ patternz”....there sleeping this wonderful pair of shoes shining with three
colours “ neon green, lemon yellow and black laces” engraved dc.. Oops this is
for real..? Am i gona really wear this shoes?? Goddamn it!! It looks like a beast
mode enabled pair of shoes!! What would be the feeling when you wear this for
the first time.. i was speaking to myself And there cometh a voice “thambi(bro) what do you want?? Oh that’s the
salesperson.. my reply was “ bro i m looking for this pair of shoes- this one
neon green n lemon yellow” dc shoes.. well this one costs 1990 only.. uhhh??
Only??
again mind voice:
Man I’ve got only 1000 bugs and its 1990, god
bless this shoes i don’t deserve one...left the shop with utter disappointment
with no idea of purchasing them. While coming back home just saw writing on an
auto rickshaw “think you can and definitely you will do it” now the heart says yes
i can and why don’t i deserve?? All you gotta do is save the remaining cash and
buy the shoes.
Later after reaching sweet home,
came this thought what will be the plan for saving money after all mom gives me
only 50 rupees a day and 45 rupees is for bus fare. If i save 5 bugs a day it
will take atleast 198 days for me to buy. But before that what if some random
guy purchases what’s mine. I can’t let that happen!! Ok i must go with an
alternate plan too.. why can’t i work somewhere part time and earn something
out of which i can make some money. But mum won’t allow me to do.. Anyways will
have to find some way to purchase the shoes..
Two days later, some of your
college senior calls me and asks “ bro we heard that you dance pretty well!!
Why don’t you join us for the coming performance??” i said why not??? We met we
practiced and on the second day of practice, the guy who is supposed to teach
us stopped coming complaining about the timings and the the difficult part was
handed over to me.. “ The choreography”.. Without even having a second thought
remembering “think you can and definitely you will find a way to do it” took up
the responsibility and did some basic hip-hop choreo for some random tracks.
The day came.. the floor was all set.. and we performed.. end of the day..
people came looking for us showing some love and support for the performance.
Although there were lags and mistakes, the crowd’s support was massive and the
performance came out well.. Two days later one of the professor calls me to his
cabin and says “ kid!! You nailed the other day!! And will you do me a
favour??” Well appreciation made me reply“ anything sir!!” He then told me to
go to his brother’s school and teach the
kids the same dance for their annual day show” I was like ok this can be an
experience or a learning.
Entered the school, started the
choreo, despite difficulties in making the kids understand the lessons,
everything went well and the kids too performed tight and neat. The school’s
management was really happy about the dance and they gave me a cover saying “ A
small piece of gift from us”.. Wondering what would it be?? Opened the cover
and waw it was a new 1000 rupee note. And now i have 2000 rupees. Came the quote again to ma mind “think you can
and definitely you will do it” uhhh “ yeay I did it “
Yes I found a way to do it.. I
couldn’t wait to buy that pair of shoes.. The very next day i bought them..
Wore them throughout the day..people started commenting “ machi(dude) great
shoes, stylish da etc etc...” and i was one happiest kid that day.. Sooner the
shoes became the identity of me.. Even in a crowd people identifies me with the
shoes.. When i go on the road what people notices about me is that unusual and
strange bright coloured skytop shoes.. These pair of shoes was the identity of
priyason for two years until it got seriously torn off and the bottom went so
thin that there is no way i can wear them for any purpose again. It again went
to sleep in the shoes rack and yesterday when mom was cleaning. She took out
the shoes and told me that she is dumping all my old stuffs.. I was complaining
“ Let the shoes stay” There was a big no from mom and she took them off for
dumping.. Before that I just clicked
some pics of them and its gone today..
And again my heart said
“Rest in Peace! My Identity! My
First DC shoes!!
It could have been just another
pair of shoes which you buy, use and throw..but this one was special because
you bought it out of your first cash income and not just that.. it taught me a
lesson “think you can and definitely you will do it”
One Love
Priyason Paul


