i vs i

have you noticed how all great stories are stories of revenge and/or equaling a score? how all great protagonists spend their life engaged in a battle of wills with their rival, to emerge (always) victorious in the end? stories like that have everything – lots of passion, characters with an unbending resolve, ambition, some blood and gore, a light drizzle of stolen kisses on the steps of some beautiful building, a few car chases, a little bit (or a lot – depending on your preference) of sex, and of course, melancholic pictures of gorgeous people.

thing is, none of this is possible or worth anything at all, without a worthy adversary. not in the films. not in books. and definitely, not in your life.

in today’s day and age - you’re nobody (at least nobody important), if you don’t have somebody gunning for you.

those of you are generally one step ahead (and it doesn’t matter ahead of whom, if you’re wondering) and know this, also know that there are certain advantages to having an enemy. firstly, people start treating you with respect. sometimes also with great sympathy, but you’ve got to ignore that and concentrate on the respect, since, it’s a known fact that only important people have enemies. secondly, your life (till now only occupied with mundane earthly to-dos) suddenly becomes worthwhile. there is reason for living. there’s excitement in things even as ordinary as brushing your teeth. having an enemy is like being in love. only there’s no chance of it burning out or fading away.

now i don’t have a wildly exciting life. no adrenalin pumping car chases. no frame worthy black and white photographs of melancholic moments, no blood and gore, unless you could count the numerous cuts and bruises i give myself by just standing still.

but it (my life, ie), i have to admit has its moments. i spent half of last week in bed with food poisoning, thinking i was going to die. and the other half, partying like i just graduated, celebrating the fact that i was indeed alive. and in between that i realized one thing – i might not have an enemy worth basing a film on, but i do have a worthy adversary - in myself.

seriously, i am out to kill me.

it wasn’t enough that last week, i gave myself food poisoning from a masala toast sandwich, i bought from a shifty looking sidewalk vendor, because i thought his set-up had atmosphere (puh leese). today, i walk into office, and at the threshold, i trip over my own feet, almost breaking my teeth on the murky beige tiled floor.

there is an upside of being your own worst enemy, though, apart of relying on yourself for moments of high drama in your life. it’s just that one of you is going to win and for once, you can be damn sure, that it’s going to be you.