My color is #PINKA

The best memories I have of studying at the Cathedral & John Connon School, were of the numerous activities we had from day one of a school year all the way to the last - so apart from the studying and social service students had to do, they also did dramatics, music, art, debates, elocution (English & Hindi), basketball, gymnastics, throw-ball, track events, cricket, tennis, rugby, badminton, chess and the MARATHON ... simply superlative opportunities for the students to hone their respective skills. And as a student then, I take pride in saying, I took part in most of the above activities except for tennis, cricket and rugby; and of all of them, the toughest but the most fun was the marathon we ran amidst the wilderness for our respective houses (mine was Barham) to win the big chunk of points that would result in the glorious house cup at the end of the year. That was 33 years ago ...

Early this morning I broke routine and jumped out of my snug fleece blanket to wake up at 3.30 AM, got dressed, had a banana and some almonds and at 5 AM sharp drove with Aparna, Priyanka, Lata, Meenu, Nishita and Lipika to Bandra Kurla Complex to be there at 5.30 AM. My excitement was not unlike that of a child, as I had registered myself for the 10 km marathon at #pinkathon Mumbai 2015; an event to encourage women to make the choice of an active healthy lifestyle & by example, inspire their loved ones to do the same. This was a race for women and this morning 11,000+ women stood tall with me to do their bit in their own unique way to set an example to their families and friends and above all to themselves. 

Nostalgia and mixed emotions ran through my body as we were flagged off from the starting point at 6.30 AM amidst DJ music playing on the huge speakers and women dancing the Zoomba; the brand ambassador Milind Soman looking charismatic and appealing as ever in his salt and pepper hair waving and wishing the squealing women luck and assuring them that he would be waiting for them at the finish line; the MC screaming instructions while shutterbugs desperately clicked the action and paparazzi did their spiel with their backs to the runners; volunteers waved flags shouting 'Go Pinka go' as the Naval band played their drums and trumpets with much gusto and the time mapping machines beeped as each girl passed it ... and to add to all this cacophony and jamboree were of course the Pinka's - the pink sisters ... the 11000+ GIRLS who were screaming cheers of excitement, poking fun at each other, giggling, clicking quick selfies, dancing to the beats, then walking, then jogging and finally once they were out of the 100 m noisy corridor at the start, the real running.

And run they did, as did I! The streets of BKC were pink this morning with girls of every size, age, social status and religion. There were girls who were 75+ and under 5; girls wearing hip sports shoes to girls running in chappals and bare feet; girls in trendy and very sexy sportswear to girls in saris, salwar kameez, hijaab's and pink burkhas; girls with perfect fitness to fat girls and very skinny girls; girls in corporate Tshirts (Kotak Bank, Nomura, ICICI Bank, KPMG etc.) and girls dressed in the white event Tshirt; girls with earphones and girls with music playing on their phone loudspeakers some playing soulful Atif Aslam music, Mika and retro 80’s hits of the like of Bryan Adams, MJ; girls seriously running and girls ambling along as they clicked selfies, photos and videos at every milestone; girls who were young mothers walking with their babies strapped into a shoulder harness to a girl with a prosthetic limb and a girl with crutches; girls with their boyfriends on roaring bikes showing off their unnecessarily dangerous skills and girls with a boy running along with them pushing them to go on; girls running alone and girls running in groups; girls silently running and girls chatting ... errr ... about this and that and that and this, and then and now and now and then, and who and what and what and who and … God alone knows what not else!

Although I have been walking as a daily form of exercise, this was my first run after so long, so my run went something like this … Jogging – Running - Slow jogging - walking – attempt to run and back to walking – slow jogging and so on. And hence without having a choice in the matter, I was privy to a variety of conversations of the enthusiastic Pinkas :) ...

"I'm already tired"

"Seriously ... and its not even one kilometer! Shit ya ... what if I faint!? Aye you better take my photo at the finish line where it is written 10 km okay." 

"Arey why bother, lets take a photo of you lying at the 1 km milestone ... we'll add a zero for you. Itni toh dosti nibhayengey" (laughter and backslapping)

"We are looking best in these red Tshirts yaar", said one of the Kotak girls. 

"Yes we are the best."

"Yaar signal nahin hai"

"Tera Vodafone hai na ... Idea laga ... dekh mera network full hai"

"Chal selfie lete hain - dekh 1 KM aagaya - FB pe mujhe tag kar"

The KPMG girls bursting into a sudden sprint "Come on yaar, stop walking ... run run run" giggles as they all followed suit with their ponytails swishing behind them

"Skuze me .. can you please take our photo?"

"Sure"

"Please take a full length"

An middle aged more than plump Pinka to the volunteers at the water station

"Koi buscuits nahin hai kya?"

"You will get at the finish line maam"

"Tch .. arrey but mujhe abhi chahiye na -- chakkar aaraha hai"

"Maam aap please baith jao"

"Here have this sweet" said an onlooking Pinka

"Oh ... thank you"

"Modi ka latest video dekha tuney? Arrey awesome hai" "Nahin, bhej mujhe - baad mein dekhoongi - tch phone theek se charge hi nahin hua ... aur selfie kheench kheench ke battery aur bhi marr gayi hai" giggles

"Salman aur kaun ... " 

"Mera toh Shahrukh ... only shahrukh - Dilwale first day first show jaoongi" 

"Bol toh aise rahi hai jaise tera boyfriend hai"

"Haan toh hai na... tu jal matt khali peeli"

"Mama godii"

"No darling no godii ... see Pooja and her mama have already gone so far - you want to come first na? Come on walk fast"

"...aur compound ekdum mast hai toh roz walk ho jaati hai"

"Lucky yaar - apne yahan to chalne ke bhi waandey hain"

"Toilet .. chal na susu karna hai mujhe"

"Tch .. phir se? Chal jaldi kar yaar"

"Do minute baba"

"You are the only boy I am seeing in this race - very good!" said a Pinka to a young boy running alongside a young Pinka

"Thank you ... actually I'm just with her - to encourage"

His Pinka girl giggled 

"You are still a boy only okay"

"Ya .. so? ... I am a boy ... come on run faster!"

"Where is this Kamala ya" 

"God alone knows"

"Has she gone ahead?"

"I think she got left behind at the turning"

"Should we wait?"

"No no ... we'll meet her after the race"

"You have been running for one hour and twenty minutes, you have completed 8 km and burned 1500+ calories"

"Hey what is that?"

"Oh that is my phone - its an APP called Runtastic, that tracks progress of my walk/run routine - You can download it too"

"Cool"

... and so on :)

Until 6 km I was doing fine, but after that my body started dragging itself and I had to really push myself to keep going walking, jogging, walking quick spurts of running for what seemed like an age and I finally saw the last 100 m mark. The cacophony began again - C'mon you can do it - its almost over - Pink Pinka Pinka - Awesome job - keep it going - last few steps - claps - more claps - naval band playing - screaming MC cheering us on - music blaring in the speakers - shutterbugs contouring themselves to get the best possible angles ... my 10 km run finally came to a close at 8.05 am - it had taken me 1 hour and 35 minutes to complete the race and I was pooped to the last bone in my body, but my heart and mind were rejoicing at the fact that I had finally pushed myself to complete the race and I believe despite the chatter and ambling and clicking so did the rest of the 11000+ pink sisters. 

As promised, Milind Soman was on stage in all his glory ... prizes were distributed to the winners, dancers came on stage to celebrate with the girls as they danced along. The only photo booth had a thick snaking line so I decided to ditch it and stood in line for my medal, certificate and refreshments as I stretched my limbs to avoid breaking into cramps. As I was slowly moving forward I surveyed the milieu of girls around me and saw tired but smiling and happy faces discussing their respective runs. And then I saw the little girl who wanted godii finally in her father's godii as her mother animatedly narrated their experience to him ... and when he looked on with pride at his two special girls I couldn't help but smile ... 

It was my turn finally and I took my refreshments bag, which included a tiny bottle of RAW fresh juice, digestive biscuits and a Kiwi ... AND a Pinkathon medal!?$#@ (which unfortunately was the only disappointment as there was no distinction from one race' medal to another) ... I wore my medal, drank the juice, chomped on some of the biscuits and slowly limped back to the car to get homeward bound with a firm resolve to be back again!