The Girl in the Gym

A journey of the Self

The plane ride was long, but not tedious. The business class seats on Jet Airways were very comfortable and the service was amazing too. Bud had to be tranquilised and put in a small cage. Jack settled down on his seat and accepted a glass of juice and a croissant from the steward. After buckling himself in, he leaned toward the window to catch a glimpse of his city one last time. Although he wasn't going away forever, Jack was not sure when he would be back. It felt like a goodbye, even though it was a temporary one. The plane began a sharp ascent toward the sky, they were suddenly amidst clouds. After a few seconds, they broke free from the cloud cover, but when Jack leaned sideways to look outside the window again, his view was obscured by the clouds. With an impatient snort, he sat back. Unbuckling the seat belt, he took out his Macbook Air, switched it on and started reading.

Yoga could be anywhere between 5000 and 10000 years old, according to experts. The word yoga found its very first mention in the ancient Indian text, the Rig Veda. However, more details were found in the oldest Upanishad, the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, which mentioned some of the practices, like Pranayama. Yoga was developed over a period of thousands of years and had been evolving through the ages. Although it was an ancient practice, it was still limited to the Indian region in ancient times.

Jack shut his laptop after reading this sentence. If I'm reading about beer yoga, it's time to stop reading, he thought, amusedly. He adjusted his neck pillow and tried to get some shut-eye. There were almost six hours of flight time left, and he wanted to be fresh when he landed. He fell asleep almost immediately and started dreaming.

There was a narrow patch of grass, with an endless sea of water on one side and mercury on the other. Jack had to walk to the other side, but with each step, the patch grew narrower. He tried running, but his legs wouldn't move. There was a person on the other side, waiting for him, and he had to cross to get to her or him. A soft voice whispered, 'Swim, Jack. You have to swim'. Stopping abruptly, he realised that the patch was had reduced to less than two feet in width. He would have to sink or swim. But in the dream, both mercury and water looked similar. They were both placid, and mirror, with not a hint of blue, green or silver to distinguish between the two. The dry land was closing further in and soon he would be left with nothing to stand on. A gust of wind rushed toward him, and he heard the voice again. 'Jack...'. He closed his eyes and jumped in.

Jack awoke with a jerk, expecting to be floundering in the water. The plane had landed and was taxing on the runways. He straightened his seat, ran a hand through his mussed hair and prepared to get down. The dream lay forgotten deep in the recesses of his mind.

It was mid-January, but it was warmer than it ever had been in Berlin.

Even though Jack had prepared himself for the rush and heat of Mumbai, the preparations had fallen woefully short. The wave of heat hit him as soon as he got off the plane. He picked up his luggage and Bud as quickly as he could and started walking toward the exit. They in the gym had told him that they would send a driver to the airport to receive him. While walking, he was met with so many colours, languages, fashion and culture. It was impossible to take in all at once. The driver who met him was quite professional and thankfully knew English.

"Hello, Prakash. Thanks for meeting me here," he said, extending his hand.

The driver, Prakash grinned and shook it. "Welcome to India, sir. I hope you'll like it here," he said, trying to size him up, his eyes lingering on his bulky shoulders and ample stomach. "Zero Bulge will be good for you, I'm sure," he added, politely enough.

Jack was almost annoyed but didn't react. He didn't blame Prakash, honestly. He was just too excited to catch a glimpse of the famous Mumbai city. And he wasn't disappointed. Prakash kept pointing out places and landmarks as they started their drive from the airport in Santa Cruz. The gym was located in the suburbs, but the mainland was quite close by ferry. Jack was enchanted with everything. From the sprawling high-rises to the tiny fruit and vegetable sellers that lined the roads. He couldn't wait to get out into the city and explore it for himself. He hoped he would make some friends in the gym with whom he could hang out and sightsee. He was, however, also dismayed to see the poverty here. He had lost count of the number of beggars and homeless he caught sight of, on the streets.

Feeling thirsty, he tapped Prakash on the shoulders and asked him if he could stop for a minute to get a bottle of water. "I'll do you one better, sir," grinned Prakash and stopped by the road. He came back bearing a huge green coconut. "See if you like that, sir. Otherwise, there's water in the car," he said, indicating a closed panel which contained several mini water bottles and juice packets.

Tentatively, Jack sipped the coconut water. Loving the taste, he drank it all in one go. He drank two more with the same gusto and they were on their way. Bud was starting to wake up and started whining, feeling apprehensive about the new place. Jack lifted him onto his lap to calm him down and fed him some puppy treats too.

"Double thumbs up for you, man. The coconut water was amazing!" he exclaimed.

"Haha, I'm glad you did. You'll be cut off from any and all sugar for a couple of months in the beginning. So enjoy for as long as you can," quipped Prakash.

Jack laughed along with him but started feeling apprehensive like Bud. What was I thinking? How am I supposed to lose so much weight? Would I not rather stay at home, and eat and drink as I wish?

Catching sight of Prakash, he noticed how fit he was, and felt a hot flash of jealousy. He wanted that. Girding his mind, he vowed to accomplish what he had come here to do.

Prakash, sensing the tension within Jack said, "Don't you worry, sir. Zero Bulge has a 100 per cent guarantee of positive results. And everyone is very helpful and nice. They will make you both feel at home."

As Prakash kept talking, he put Jack's mind at ease. Jack learned that in addition to being a driver for the gym, the former was also studying in college, taking evening classes in order to graduate. His parents were street hawkers and didn't have the means to enrol him in a college. After joining Zero Bulge, he earned and put himself through college. "Just one more year left, sir, then I'll be in the management," said Prakash happily.