“I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. No matter what the injury - unless it's completely debilitating - I'm going to be the same player I've always been. I'll figure it out. I'll make some tweaks, some changes, but I'm still coming.” – Kobe Bryant.
The day was 24th January 2010. I still remember the date because it was a Sunday yet we were supposed to attend school for the Republic day practice ceremony. Just before the lunch break, we had some free time and my friends decided to play a Basketball match. Now, being an avid lover of the sport and a member of the school team, I couldn’t let go of the opportunity and decided to join. Since it wasn’t a regular day at school, I wasn’t carrying my sports kit. Now, Basketball shoes are designed in a way that they provide maximum protection to injuries that are common in the game. Despite knowing the risks involved, I went ahead and decided to play in my school uniform and shoes. In the midst of the match, I had possession of the ball and decided to take it for a layup shot. Mid-air, I twisted my right ankle and instead of landing on my feet, I ended up landing on my ankle. I fell down and before I could realize what happened, my foot was swollen like a balloon. I was carried off the court and later taken for X-ray where the doctor told that it was a ligament tear. He advised me to not play for a month. I was devastated because there was an inter-school tournament scheduled in a couple of weeks and I was really looking forward to it. I used to just sit and watch the team practice during the sports hour of the school. Seeing my despair, my father brought me a T-shirt from Pantaloons that had a Basketball imprinted on it so that I would cheer up. I decided that I would wear this T-shirt only when I am back on the court. This acted as a motivator for me to work harder on my recovery. Eventually, I was able to recover fully and play again. I wore the above-mentioned T-shirt in my first practice session post-injury.
Looking back, I realize how symbolically crucial that T-shirt from Pantaloons was at that point in time. It not only made me work harder on my recovery but also acted as a catalyst to my desire of coming back and playing the game again. It not only served its intended purpose but also made me a stronger person than I was before. Whenever I visit Pantaloons now it brings back all of those memories and puts a smile on my face. Now that I am in SIBM, Pune and have the opportunity to have Aditya Birla Group on my campus, I would feel extremely lucky if I get associated with them in any capacity. It will give me immense pride to work for such a company that impacts lives regularly.
