Asha loved running. Whenever possible, the 13-year-old girl would run instead of walk. One day, her friend, Sheila, said, “Asha, there’s a race for girls next Sunday with a ₹10,000 prize.
Asha replied eagerly, “I will definitely take part in it!”
Sheila added, “But there’s also a ₹500 entrance fee.”
Asha’s face fell. She had lost her father the previous year, and she knew her mother earned barely enough to make ends meet. But, she was so excited about the race that, when she got home that evening, she asked her mother about the money.
“I don’t know; ₹500 is a lot. What if you don’t win?” her mother asked anxiously.
“Amma, you know I’m a good runner. I will win!” Asha replied confidently. “Please, Amma!”
Her mother knew how much her daughter loved running and didn’t want to disappoint her. So, instead of buying a month’s worth of groceries, she gave the money to Asha. “Best of luck!” she said.
Get set
On the day of the competition, when Asha paid the entrance fee, she saw that there were around 100 girls participating. She stood at the start line with the others and, when the whistle blew, off they went!
Many began sprinting immediately, but Asha took it comfortably. This was a 10-km run, and she knew she had to conserve her strength till the end. After some distance, her strategy bore fruit. Many girls quit because they were already spent. After the halfway mark, only 20 girls remained; Asha was in the 10th position. But now a hill had to be climbed. At the eight kilometre mark, only three girls were ahead of her. With 500 metres to go, Asha crossed the leading runner. She was exultant; there were only a few hundred metres to the finish line.
Suddenly she heard a scream behind her: Help me, please!
Asha stopped and looked behind. The girl she had just overtaken was writhing in pain. Blood poured from a deep gash on her forehead. She had probably fallen and hit her head on a rock. Asha was torn! To halt now would mean she would lose this race. But, if she did not stop, what would happen to the wounded girl? Asha didn’t stop to think. She ran up to the girl.
Disappointment
That evening, when her mother opened the door, Asha burst into tears. “Sorry, Amma!” she cried. “I did not win!”
Her mother hugged her crestfallen daughter. “It’s all right, Asha.” Asha did not sleep that night, disappointed at not having won when she was so close. “What if I had not stopped to help the girl?” she wondered.
The next day, at the school assembly, the headmaster introduced an important-looking man. “Children. This is our MLA, Mr. Nag. He has an announcement to make.”
“Boys and girls, yesterday, there was a running competition for girls. The first prize was ₹10,000. A girl from this school would have won that race, but she did not because she stopped to help another who was badly injured. Asha Rani, please come forward.”
A dazed Asha walked up to the MLA who shook her hand. “What you did was selfless. You could have won the prize, which your family really needs. Instead, you stopped to help someone and lost.”
Then he took out a paper. “I would like to present this cheque for Rs ₹25,000 to you. If only there were more people like you, this world would be a much better place. While you did not win this time, remember, there are many more races to be run. I hope you win all of them!”
