Balance

"Oh, what a shot! That's a monster six! Virat Kohli finishes it off in style! Royal Challengers Bangalore are through to the finals! What a moment, what a game!" exclaimed Harsha Bhogle, his voice brimming with excitement. All the players were ecstatic, practically flying in their jubilation. They hugged each other, high-fiving in the air like children who’d just won the ultimate prize. The team anthem reverberated through the stadium, amplifying the electrifying energy of the moment.

Neeraj was over the moon. WhatsApp messages flooded his inbox. One notification read, "Machaa, I said no, we won!" from the Dream11 Benki Boyzz group. Another read, "5000 nenpirli, naaLe sigtini" from the Betting group, roughly translating to "Don’t forget, it’s 5000. See ya tomorrow!" He swiped away all the notifications with an air of satisfaction. Lying on his bed, Neeraj stared at the ceiling, feeling a rare sense of calm and contentment. The bed beneath him felt as soft as a cloud, cradling him in its gentle embrace.

It had only been a week since Neeraj moved into this apartment. Before that, he lived in a men’s PG close to his office. Life there had been far from ideal, but Neeraj never complained except for his roommate’s habit of drunkenly sobbing and panting on phone calls late at night. His fiancée, Archana, however, was horrified when she visited. The sight of haphazardly laying ashtray, an unorganized shoe rack, untidy beds had her spiraling into concern.

"How have you survived here for so long?" she had asked, wide-eyed. Neeraj had shrugged. To him, it was home. Archana wasn’t one to let things slide. For weeks, she bombarded him with messages. "Your surroundings reflect your state of mind, Neeraj," she insisted, nudging him toward a better living space. Her persistence finally worked, and now, in his new apartment, Neeraj couldn’t deny the change. The air felt lighter, the space quieter, and for the first time in years, he found himself staring at the ceiling with a sense of calm.

But habits die hard, and mornings were still chaos. The next day, as usual, he was running late for work. He shuffled back and forth from his balcony to the living room and then to his bedroom, clutching a single sock in his hand. Its partner, as if in a messy breakup, had vanished without a trace. To Neeraj, it felt like the world thrived on throwing problems his way just to annoy him. Despite the chaos, he managed to reach the office on time, greeted by his team’s cheerful, "Good morning!"

At work, Neeraj was the epitome of sincerity. Juniors and colleagues admired him, but his hurried, clumsy demeanor often offset his reputation. His lifestyle could be best described as uninspiring and unhealthy—though how uninspiring is a matter of perspective. The unhealthy part, however, was undisputed.

By midday, Neeraj was lazily reclining at his desk after making a quick transaction on his phone. He stretched out his legs on the desk, his head comfortably resting on the back of his rotating chair. With the boredom of someone on autopilot, he began scratching off rewards on a payment app, one after another. Nothing excited him—just the same old food delivery discounts. But then, as if the universe had decided to surprise him, he stumbled upon something different: a coupon for Decathlon. Though he had no immediate idea how or even if he’d use it, the thought excited him. Decathlon’s tagline had worked its magic.

On his way back home, curiosity led Neeraj to stop by a Decathlon store. Despite browsing their online catalog earlier, he still had no clue what he was looking for. The store welcomed him like an endless maze of possibilities, leaving him both intrigued and slightly overwhelmed. The smell of new sports gear lingered in the air, kids played with roller skates, first-time skaters wobbled with excitement, and groups of teenagers marveled at camping tents. For Neeraj, who was only familiar with the aroma of hot chips and dosa hotels, it was a completely new world.

He wandered aimlessly, even attempting to lift a dumbbell as casually as he would his laptop. It didn’t go well—"geez, that’s heavy!" He quickly put it back and glanced around, hoping no one saw him. Just as he was about to leave, his eyes landed on a rack of yoga mats. The sight reminded him of Sandhya, a school friend and yoga practitioner whose inspiring stories he often watched on social media. Though he never responded to her posts, they left him quietly yearning for a more balanced life. A colleague, Sharan saw him in the billing counter and was surprised and started making a conversation but Neeraj was running late to his home according to him.

Neeraj walked out of the store with a brand-new violet yoga mat in his hand and a smug sense of victory; after all, he’d successfully cut short Sharan’s conversation. Little did he know, he’d just brewed the perfect hot tea for his teammates to sip on the next day at the office. When he got home, he looked at the yoga mat and resolved to start practicing the very next morning, then changed his mind. “Monday sounds like a fresher start,” he reasoned.

The next afternoon, during lunch, the fading chatter of conversations and the occasional clink of cutlery filled the cafeteria. Neeraj sat quietly, hoping to stay out of the spotlight, but Sharan and his friends had other plans. They had turned Neeraj’s yoga mat purchase into the talk of the office, and the jokes had followed them all the way from their desks to the cafeteria.

Before Neeraj could say much, Gourav enthusiastically suggested that they all join Indu, who was known for her dedication to yoga. Indu smiled warmly, clearly amused by the idea, and said she’d love to have them join her. She explained that she usually went to Ayushi Park early in the morning for a jog, meditation, and yoga practice, including her daily Surya Namaskar. She even encouraged Neeraj to give it a try. However, the decision was not in Neeraj's hands. So, they announced that they would see each other sharp at 6.30 am at Ayushi park.

The night before, Neeraj laid out his socks in preparation but spent a good 20 minutes rummaging through a mountain of clothes to find a suitable pair of pajamas. The scene resembled the Samudra Manthan, with Devas and Asuras - clean and dirty clothes scattered across the floor. As he glanced at the clock, he doubted whether he’d have time to grab something to eat. His gut feeling assured him, though: yoga is probably meant to be done on an empty stomach. 

By morning, everyone stood in Vrikshasana, the tree pose on their colorful mats. From above, they looked like dots of paint on a canvas, each striking a balance. Neeraj stood on his violet mat, wobbling. His body was still, but his mind wandered. Did I turn off the stove after making coffee? The thought gnawed at him. The more he tried to balance, the more unsteady he became until—thud!—he fell.

A sudden jerk startled Neeraj. He woke up on his bed, panicked. What just happened? He grabbed his phone, it was 9:00 a.m. and he had five missed calls from Sharan and Indu. In the corner, the violet yoga mat lay untouched, price tag intact, mocking him with a silent, side-smirking taunt.