CH-5 To Be There When It's Needed

Shani requested, " Jhansi, could you help me with my workout? I want as much weight on me as possible."

Jhansi glanced mischievously at him, "You should be careful with your wishes. I am going to make sure it won't be easy for you. "

Shani played along, "I doubt that." He went to the Weight Lifter taking the heaviest weight(100 kg) each in both hands. Jhansi picked the 75 kg weights in her hands before sitting on his abdomen. For a moment, he felt his vision go blurry due to the immense strain on his body and mind.

"F***, did you have to do this?"

Jhansi acted innocently, " Isn't this what you wanted? I am just doing as per your request. But you seem to have forgotten an important detail, even I have to exercise my body."

"You cheeky… "

"There is no fun when no risk is involved. I wonder if you can even last for an hour. It's kind of too hard for you, after all."

She had stroked the competitive fire in him, " Of course, I can do it. I will show you how strong I am."

An hour later, 'The Nikambes' took a break to enjoy Shani's agony. The poor guy lifted over 500 kg for an hour but still refused to give up. A few ruptured nerves leaking blood could be seen but that didn't stop him. Jhansi sitting atop was enjoying herself taunting him the whole time while training herself.

The last 10 seconds had finally come, "10 .. 9 .. 8" Shani was relieved to see the finish line but Jhansi used a devious trick to force her full weight into his abdomen making him groan painfully but he still somehow managed not to fall.

"3 .. 2.. 1 .. Over"

Shani threw Jhansi in a jerk motion lightening the burden on his body. His body gave out and he lay flat on the ground too exhausted to move. She landed with a good balance of her legs.

Jhansi closely observed the tired and panting Shani, as she felt butterflies flying in her stomach, an intense emotion she didn't have a name for gripping her heart. She tried to ignore it but its grip became tighter and tighter.

An old man entered the Outdoor Gym with a maw cutter in hand, the cleaning man whose job was to clean the ground. His weary face looked up at the lively outdoor gym with his mouth ajar from shock.

"The Nikambes" soon noticed the old man's presence still in shock. Charan approached with concern, " Sir, is there any problem?"

The old man spoke with a weak voice, "It's been so long since the Lokandwala Outdoor Gym was this lively. It reminds me of the old days when everyone used to come out and this place was lively and packed with people."

Ananya asked with surprise, "Use to? What about nowadays? How could anyone resist this heaven?"

"Unfortunately, not anymore. The current generation doesn't see the benefits of training their body. All they care about is playing video games and wasting time at home. The advancement in technology has given a boost to their procrastination. There is no need to go out. But, you guys are different still exercising like old times. This old man is happy to know not all have lost their way."

Shani got up panting from exhaustion but stood still," Anna, why are you here though?"

"It is my job to clean this area." He pointed at the mowing machine he held, " I am an illiterate man with no schooling. Not many options are open for me to make money. I got the job of cleaning this part of the locality and earning just enough money to take care of my family."

'The Nikambes' gathered around the old man - Sashi chatting with him. They knew about the old man intimately and heard stories of the world 30 years back when he was a young man.

"Mumba is a coastal area, right beside the sea. Before the development of new technology to control the weather, the humidity here was maddening and the rain was scary. At the peak of monsoon season, the water level would accumulate to reach above waist level, it would be difficult to take another step. People had to wait for hours to finally reach home.

The traffic was a feature, with congested roads and too many vehicles ready to use the road, roads would become so packed with vehicles moving a metre forward would take a long time.

The crazy love of my life, cricket, and Sachin Tendulkar was a part of Mumba. This is the place where most of the cricketers come from. It is the heart of Indai cricket. Everyone loved playing outdoor games but now they are close to extinct it's a pity.

Most Bollywood actors live here and the actresses are the fantasy girl of all men. The public used to wait for the movie with bated breath and the lines for the movie ticket could only be described as terrifying. But even this has been replaced with people unwilling to come out of their rooms.

The Nikambes paid attention to each of his words picturing the world a few years back before the emergence of Genesis. It seemed like a completely different world to them.

Shani felt his hand vibrate and realised it was 6:30 pm already. He looked at Sashi and smiled, " Sir, would you care to join us for a treat?"

Sashi was stunned by the request, "No, no, how could I accept a treat from someone younger than me? It's me who should be giving your children a treat. Unfortunately, I am so poor that spending money would mean leaving my family hungry. I can't do that to them."

Shani's eyes became softer, " Sir, it's a special occasion for me and I want to celebrate it. I hope you can come, it is my wish to celebrate it with you, wouldn't you come?"

Nikambes' had a look of realisation and their suspicion were confirmed after checking the date. Now, it made sense for Shani's action. They were not going anywhere, he had been with them when it was tough for them, so of course they would be with him when he was going through a tough time.

Jhansi involuntarily closed her eyes in pain wanting to be there for Shani, she wanted him to rely on her.

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