He stood there, trying hard to hide his nervousness. It was do or die now. He had to succeed.
"You can do it!", he psyched himself up as the crucial moment approached, "You have scored 4 goals in a football match, run 100 metres in under 11 seconds, and benchpressed a 100 kgs. You can do this."
He looked around again to evaluate his opponents, his rivals, his competitors. An old pro once advised him that the key to success is in thinking of them as collaborators rather than competitiors. Use their expertise to your advantage, he had been advised.
The moment approached even closer. He reminded himself of his father who had won medals at the national level, his grandfather who represented India in football, and his ancestors who fought the britishers, the Mughals, and no doubt, even Alexander's armies.
The moment was here. He had to succeed and cover himself with glory. He took in a deep breath and rushed ahead..........
.... A few moments later, his face glowed with the pride of triumph. He had done it. He had succeeded. This was a famous victory for him. He tried to pump his fist in the air, but he couldn't, as there were bodies pressing into him from all sides.
He had managed to get into the 8:40 fast local at the first attempt on his very first day in Mumbai. The scent of victory smelt sweet, mixed with sweat and different brands of deodorants.