.' I didn't want to leave the bus, but was to scared to object. We stepped off and the bus lurched off as a couple of people glanced out the window at...us. I looked at the two guys and sized them up quickly, the one in front looked to be mid twenty's to thirty and the one behind me was at least forty years old. Both was huge and you could see that when they told you to move...you moved. The two of them looked at me and than at each other and suddenly said '...yeah, he'll do what about the old. It was also the case with Kriti when she was here. But at home, she could do whatever she wanted.They hardly came up to check on their daughters since there was no need. Even with my presence, they never came up. Smriti and I became friends and were attracted to each other. I usually came late after work.Smriti used to stay awake till late as all of us do. So she would get me food after I came back. We used to talk about our day and generally chat about anything and everything.They had an open. I was sure she’d run close to the eighteen minutes we’d been practicing at. We didn’t have time to stop and celebrate as the starter called our attention. At nine-thirty, we took off. I could see the sense in Jock’s strategy. Benny’s pace pulled the strongest runners out of the pack and got them clear. Nearly a hundred other runners started to stretch out behind them. My watch ticked the pace for me and I settled in, working mostly on keeping out of traffic jams. By the time we’d circled campus. I waited for her instruction. But I didn’t get anything. Instead she asked me to continue doing. Reluctantly I continued even while knowing that I am not able to keep myself afloat. I continued on and on expecting the instructor to say stop anytime. But I became exhausted before that and soon my legs touched the floor. She just remained there in silent, just watching me. Once I calmed down, she asked me to keep practicing and told that if needed, she will help me. I started practicing again. I.