I stopped. I had two options in front of me. A. Continue with the ride that had become too painful to enjoy. B. Discontinue and walk back.

No one cared about which option I chose. No one knew I was skating anyways. It was all about me. Whether I wanted to reach my goal, that I had set minutes ago or was I ready to give up?

The goal was to skate from hostel to the IIT main gate and then return. Close to six kilometers. I had done it before. But never with this pair of skates. This one with attached shoes was smaller for my feet. But I had taken the challenge. And it soon proved to be so painful. There was hardly any space for the toe. It got too squeezed in, as I kept struggling and soon it was hurting. With each roll forward, it hurt. I had to decide.

I was about to unbuckle the skates, and walk back to hostel. Bare foot. Main gate might have been a kilometer away. And then suddenly something happened. I heard a voice. It came from within.

'Isn't this how life is? Things don't always turn out the way you thought them to. Difficulties pop in from nowhere. The calculations go wrong and giving up appears to be the easiest option. But would you really like doing that? Just because it hurts? Can't you still complete the journey which you began with so much passion and excitement? Will you let the small shoe decide how you live? Can't you still talk to air, roll on wheels, and roll faster than before? How could you forget the phrase that when the going gets tough, the tough gets going? Or are you even tough?'

I picked option A. I took the complete round trip. I talked to air, rolled on wheels and let my toe fight for itself. Yes, some skin did wear off on both the feet and the hallux is still swolen. But then I felt powerful. I made the right choice. And I learnt a little more about life. I grew up a little more.