That Rainy Race

In every race of life, our natural instinct is to win and cross the finish line first. But true winners are those who find the strength to keep moving when everything tries to stop them.

It was a rainy Sunday afternoon, and I wasn’t in the mood to step out, disrupting my binge-watching. But if I didn’t go, my wife would prepare a meal without salt. Though ordering online crossed my mind, the absurd delivery charges stopped me. So, I did what a typical middle-class Indian husband would – hopped on my bike and headed to the nearby supermarket, just two kilometres away.

Halfway across, staring at the traffic signal, I realised I had forgotten my helmet and raincoat. Classic me! As I stood there anxious about the impending rain, suddenly, my eye caught sight of a bicyclist passing close to my bike. He was visibly poor, his worn-out clothes clinging to his soaked body, yet he pedalled steadily through the traffic intersection on his old, battered cycle. Neither the rain nor the signal seemed to matter to him.

The signal turned green, and I started moving just as a light sprinkle began to fall. A few meters ahead, I spotted the same cyclist again, still peddling relentlessly through the drizzle. But this time, I was ahead of him.

However, as I continued, the light sprinkle suddenly turned into a torrential downpour, making it impossible to see the road ahead. Thankfully, I spotted a roadside tree and quickly pulled over to take shelter. As I stood there, drenched and silently regretting my decision not to opt for the online delivery option, my eyes caught sight of the cyclist again. Completely unfazed by the rain, he was cycling relentlessly. As I watched him, he crossed me once more.

Then, it struck me – this was the same guy who had overtaken me twice, first at the signal, and here he was again. It spurred a weird sense of rivalry inside me, but before I could even digest it, a red car zoomed past, splashing a wave of muddy water all over me. Drenched and furious, my attention shifted instantly. How dare the driver? I thought, determined to catch up and give the driver a piece of my mind. But how can I chase a speeding car when I am myself stuck and helpless? I soon realized it was my hollow reaction.

A few minutes later, as the rain began to ease, I wanted to let go of what had happened and restarted my bike, ready to move on. After a few meters ahead, I encountered a massive traffic jam, with vehicles crawling at a snail’s pace. There wasn’t much I could do about it. Then, out of the blue, I thought of the red car. It must be stuck in the traffic too. I realized that on my bike, I might have a chance to catch up to it.

With renewed determination, I began searching for the red car in the traffic jam. After a while, I spotted it—on the far-right side of the road, while I was stuck on the left. Driving in this chaos would not be easy, but I wasn’t about to back down. I skillfully zigzagged through the mess, inch by inch. Yet every time I got closer, the traffic would crawl forward, and the red car slipped just out of reach. Frustration mounted, but I kept pushing, refusing to give up.

Finally, as we approached the front of the line, the traffic light ahead suddenly turned red. My hope rekindled—this was my chance. I edged closer to the red car, ready to knock on the window and give the driver a piece of my mind. However, as I looked inside, I was taken aback to see a sexagenarian man in the driver’s seat. Perplexed, our eyes met, and he gave a gentle smile while gesturing toward my head, pointing out my missing helmet.

I was taken aback to see a sexagenarian man in the driver’s seat. Perplexed, our eyes met, and he gave a gentle smile while gesturing toward my head, pointing out my missing helmet.

Embarrassed, I exchanged a reluctant smile and quickly turned away. It was a double whammy—rather than teaching him a lesson, I learned one. It served as a reality check for me!

This revelation hit me like a splash of cold water. My frustration gradually melted, and clarity began to dawn on me. Meanwhile, the rain intensified again, pushing me to find a way out quickly. Luckily, the left-turn signal for my lane turned green, giving me the perfect chance. I quickly made the turn, then took a right onto the adjoining road, where the green light was about to turn on.

As I was about to pass through the signal, there he was once again—the cyclist! The same cyclist behind me was now approaching the signal. The relentless rain, the slick road, and the traffic signal—none of these could dampen his unwavering spirit. Watching him navigate each obstacle with determination, I felt a profound sense of humility. His silent courage challenged everything I believed about strength, success, and survival.

In that profound moment, I understood a deeper truth about life. I realized that this unspoken race was one I had created, and the only way to truly honor his unbreakable spirit was to step aside. So, I slowed down my bike, letting him pass and overtake me—allowing him to win this unspoken race he never even knew he was part of. Thank you and enjoy your reading!

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