Every locality has its character actors. The types who happen to be present on every occasion. They might not be the life of the gathering, but their absence makes things a bit dull. So when our community religio-cultural organization decided to celebrate the centenary of its existence, Kuttu and Pappu were active participants in almost everything with varying degrees of success. Then came the much anticipated mini-marathon.

After weeks of early morning exercises and training, Kuttu and Pappu were ready for the run. Jostling their way through the motley crowd of runners, they hit upon a brilliant idea – “Why not take a shortcut?” They gave the metalled roads a skip and stumbled down the pine covered hilly slopes, waded through the brooks and finally reached the finishing line – exhausted. Only to find the whole place deserted, except for a solitary caretaker. No runners in sight, they congratulated each other on their momentous victory – the underdogs finally had their day.

The caretaker, somewhat bemused with the jubilation said, “The race is long over and everyone has gone home.”

Categories: Shillong