He
forced a smile on his face. It was imperative for him to keep his calm; to keep
his nerve. Faltering was not an option. It never was. But especially not now.
His
time had come. He started the walk, still trying to force a smile on his face. He
wasn’t so sure about how fast he was walking, but he felt like a snail could
beat him for pace now. He was tired, yes. The past couple of hours were
draining. He had very little energy left in him, because he had given more than
he ever had. Mentally too, it was a tough two hours. These, though, weren’t the
reasons why he was walking slowly.
Every
passing second would one day go down in history, and it took him closer to
being a part of history himself. No matter what happens, he will be etched into
history books. It was this knowledge that made him slow.
“Not
just the books, even documentaries I’m sure!”
That
thought in his head actually made him smile. For a fraction, he felt confidence
surge in him. But it only lasted that long.
He felt
a hundred thousand pairs of eyes on him. Some rooting for him, some willing
against him. The people around him were screaming their lungs out. If there
ever was a situation where one could feel the weight of 100kgs on him, though
he was carrying nothing, this was it. Expectation weighed on him. He was also
aware of a million other eyes across the globe that were fixated on him. Again,
some rooting for him, some willing against him. He continued to walk, at the
same unknown pace.
His
opponents would have studied him in all detail. He wasn’t going to do anything new.
It was something he had practiced before and done effectively over the years.
But if that was an advantage at all, he didn’t think so now. He wondered if it
would play against him.
His
walk had carried him to his destination, but that wasn’t the end of it. He had done
only the easiest part right. Now came the defining moment. A moment that would
make a celebrated hero whose name would be sung in praise or the villain of an
entire nation who would always be known as the man who let them down when it
really mattered. His heart was hammering against his ribcage. His mind was
still racing with thoughts of the aftermath. What would happen now?
He
stood with his arms on his hips, legs apart. Suddenly, he felt adrenaline
rushing inside him. He knew what he should do. And to do that, he threw the
thoughts of the consequences out of his head. The screams of the people, though
loud as ever, were reduced to a mere whisper. He had one quick glance at the
opponent in front of him. He focused his mind and picked his target. His face
held an expression that wasn’t quite decipherable, but it decidedly was what a
confident man would wear.
