The Skinny Guy From 7B - Ashwin Pillai, TAPMI

I was lying on the football ground, gasping in pain from the hit. It was a direct hit to the chest this time. He had gotten hold of me, pulled me by my shoulders and buried his knee into my skinny chest. As the helpless guy, I had always been, I cried in pain. The social non-acceptance of a man crying embarrassing me even further. There were people around me; laughing, unempathetic… disgusting. I knew I was alone in this. I knew there was nobody who could help me. The teachers viewed me as a weakling and I didn’t have the guts to reveal anything to my family. But there was nothing I could have possibly done, after all, I was ‘not their equal’. My ordeal continued all my school life, all the while hoping I’d never see their faces in my life. But there was very little I could’ve done. They were my only ‘friends’ and for them, all of this was just a way to have fun. After boards, I got into a good college in a far-off neighbourhood. I thought all my nightmares are of the past even though all of them lived in the same colony as I. I had strategized plans to avoid taking routes where I’d have a chance of meeting them. But all behold! The biggest bully among them all was in my college, in the same class. I had lost hope, but oddly enough, he behaved. Hung out with me and my friends at the canteen as if nothing had happened in the past. Even though still fearful, I had somehow believed this absolute horror of a person had somehow become an empathetic ‘friend’; until that day. He had randomly picked stones, aimed at me from a distance and started throwing them. ‘My friends’ had joined him in no time to join the ‘fun’. But this time that was it. I was done with all of this. I needed relief from all of it. Thankfully it was nearing my vacation. I skipped the rest of my lectures till the semester break and only went to college for exams. I started eating healthy and started taking care of my health. Started running in the mornings to improve stamina. Joined the gym to get ripped and in 6 months time, I was a completely changed human being. Initially I was being ridiculed for going to the gym even after being the skeleton of the person I was, but to everyone’s surprise, there I was! Huge and strong. Stronger than the bully himself! From being my ultimate foe, he tried gelling up with me to help him bully others. Never had I ever, till then, had the guts to say no to him and now this was it. I was the owner of my own life. No more planning to avoid routes. No more living in fear. Even though I never had to use my strengths, it certainly was a relief the day I understood that I was considered as a person never to be messed with. The empowerment, the strength that it gave me in those days still remain with me. I believe I wouldn’t even be the confident and strong guy that I am today if it wasn’t for my bully.