PART 2 THE BLUE RIBBON Contd.... He looked at Zaheer with resentment, tinged with envy. Zaheer was tall, athletic and mad about sports. If seeing him run after the ball during school hours was not enough, Ali Noor had to bear the sight of him playing every evening as well. They lived across the street from each other. Every evening, while Ali Noor was bent over his books, he heard Zaheer and his friends playing cricket or dribbling the football on the concrete road outside. This was usually accompanied by shouts of joy, laughter and high-fives. Ali Noor would draw his curtains in an attempt to block out the sight of these boys enjoying themselves but the sound of running footsteps would continue to torment him. "What would you know about what's tough for me, Zaheer?" he asked bitterly. Zaheer's smile faded when he saw Ali Noor's stony face. Ali's hostile gaze had made him uncomfortable. He was a good natured boy who made friends easily. He was highly revered by his coach and class-mates for his athleticism but this attention had not made him vain. He did not know how to respond to Ali's blatant antagonism so he tucked his football under his arm and turned to race back towards his team-mates. But the anguished look in Ali's eyes checked his feet. He came back towards Ali and looked down at his crippled class-mate. "Listen, Ali," he said earnestly. "Would you like to compete in a race?" Ali Noor's face darkened with anger. He felt sure that Zaheer was making fun of his disability. "Yes, Zaheer," he replied sarcastically." Maybe we should have a wheelchair race and I'll be the only participant and we'll see who runs the fastest." "I did not mean to hurt your feelings, Ali," Zaheer added gently." We are having a three-legged race. If you agree to be my partner, you'll be able to participate in the sports day with the rest of the school. I'll talk to the coach." Zaheer's words left Ali speechless. He was suddenly ashamed of his outburst. "It's not possible, Zaheer. I'll slow you down and you'll lose the race." "Maybe," shrugged Zaheer. "But maybe I'll win a friend, instead." Ali Noor's head was suddenly filled with visions of him running alongside the school's sports captain. He wanted to run, to feel the wind on his face and to feel that rush of adrenalin. He imagined himself racing towards the finish line, faster than anyone else The coach's shrill whistle brought him down to the earth. He looked down at his leg encased in a metal and wood brace, deformed and shrunken. He let out a half-laugh, half-sob to be contd....