Significance.

There are some days when i feel insignificant. Alright, most days. But then, days like these, i feel significant. The sky was a washed out blue and at one direction(geography told me, east) the sun was having an epic battle with the fog. So, it was still dark, dark enough to slip into my tracks and tiptoe out of the house without letting anyone know.
I was out jogging. I decided to let the world know how significant i am.
I have been living here for the past four years. It's strange to the point of being amusing, how little i know about my locality. I know more about my friends locality. My geography comprised about 200m all around my house. I decided to extend my boundaries.
The rooster was wasting its breath. The fog, encompassing the entire neighbourhood(and helped, no doubt, by the chemical factories around), was in no hurry to let the sun in just yet. But logic, apparently, didn't form an important part of the rooster's brain. So, it went on crowing.
I found some stray canines industriously ransacking the garbage dump. Every locality has a traditional "Lalu". Our Lalu had managed to assemble some important looking professionals who seemed most proficient at littering the road. i sternly told Lalu to disperse which he did. His comrades followed with their tails down.(literally)
A quarter of an hour hence, I slowed down to a walk. The continuous jogging was taking it toll and my rasping breath forced me to slow down. I noticed a couple of youngsters looking oddly at me. They held badminton rackets.
"Wassup fellas?" i said, still short of breath.
"The shrank away from me. Apparently, the government propaganda about terrorists had some takers.
I smiled. That generally eases tension.
"What happened? Why arent you guys playing? i asked.
One of them smiled while the other decided talking would be a better pursuit.
"The shuttle's stuck in that tree and we cant reach it." he said, pointing sadly at a nearby Neem tree.
I am quite tall by kid standards.At least.
"Gimme the racket."
I easily reached the branch, jiggled it a bit and the shuttle was back in business within seconds.
"You gotta let me play too!" i said.
"Sure thing." they said.
Now that i had got the shuttle for them, all previous animosity evaporated.
Before i left, i made it quite clear to them that I was the rising badminton star, the next big thing after Saina Nehwal. They were visibly impressed by my backhand. I took on both of them and beat them 11-2. Just one thing to be noted, they were 8 yer olds.
By then the fog had lifted and visibility was good. There was a marked rise in the temperature as well. I could hear the occasional trade cries of various hawkers and peddlers. It always amazes me, the trade-cries. The rhythm,the length the particular note, remains the same, every day. One of the few roadside tea shops and started their business and fellow joggers began to make their presence felt as well.
I was heading back when i found another little kid, this time a little girl trying out the bi-cycle. She barely managed to proceed 2 feet before she tilted and ended up sprawled on the ground. But she persisted. I decided to help.
"Want me to teach you?" i asked, enthusiastically checking out the bi-cycle. I love bi-cycles ever since the day i overcame the confusion of whether it was bycicle or bicycle.
"Why?" she asked suspiciously. 'Kids these days...'
"you don't seem to be making any headway, i can give you some handy tips." i said, winking at her.
"Okay!" she said happily, giving me a toothy smile. That was easy.
After fifteen minutes, after several crashes, one of which knocked the air out of me, i left her paddling happily in her garage. Her bye-bye was most distinguished.
"Tata, cycle dada."
I looked at the white building from afar and trudged on sadly. My walk was already over and i had to go back and study! But i found, to my delight, a few friends arranging the stumps for a cricket match. I hurried towards them.
"Shall i join you? I am Tendulkar-" i began.
"Off the field."said a voice."on it, he just regularly runs out of luck."
My mum was smiling down from the terrace.
"Maybe some other time" i told my grinning friends. i climbed up the stairs and looked at the dust motes dancing in the sunlight just outside the door. I wondered how i could feel so down on such a bright day. I pushed the door open. My day had begun.