Black Panther - The Beginning

"You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?"
- George Bernard Shaw

The boy was born in one of the many villages of south India. He was raised in a world where injustice was commonplace. He couldn't stop noticing the cruelty of man around him. He knew he had to do something. He knew he was born to save the world. But, he was just a kid and he couldn't do much. But he will when he grew up. He had watched "The mask of zorro" too many times and "Batman" "Robinhood" and what not. He will become them someday, he knew. He did everything he could in his age to condition himself to what a superhero lifestyle might demand. He ran, jumped over walls, swam, subjected himself to mild electricity and tamed animals. By the time he was eighteen, he could run like the horse, and jump, swim like the fish, pass electricity like the high tension copper wire and he almost became an animal. He had given up studying since long. This put his mother to worry. She told herself that her boy knew what he was doing and that he'll never let her down.

The time has come. He was now strong enough to fight the wrongs of this world. It was time for the superhero in him to surface. He was going to need an outfit and a mask. Every superhero needs. He designed his own suit and mask. The suit was in the darkest black, this will give him some invisiblity in the night. The mask was in black too. The mask bore the face of panther. And he called himself black-panther. He kept the black-panther suit and the mask in the side-box of his bike. He might need it anytime.

He wore the suit and the mask and stood before the mirror, he looked super. He admired the way he looked from every aspect. He then got into regular clothes and set out into the city, on his bike. He rode slowly, with the air of a superhero. He rode for hours, everything seemed alright. He needed a plan, he thought. With ideas to make this world a better place, he rode gallantly. Just as he was sinking into his thoughts, he heard the sound of a siren, it was a police car speeding along on the other lane. He missed what was in the front, but he had all the time to find out, he was no ordinary person. He was now a superhero. He turned around at the end of the road and as he began racing behind the car, he remembered that he wasn't wearing the suit and the mask. He knew he couldn't stop to suit up. But he certainly could wear the mask. The mask was in the side-box along with the suit. He wouldn't stop to get the mask. He instead wrung all the way to top speed, then he got the gear to neutral, he got the key out and bent backwards to reach the side-box while the bike was still moving quite fast from the momentum. He managed to open the box and get the mask out. He did it swiftly and gracefully. This was a walkover, superheroes are made for more. He had the mask in his hand now. His speed was declining, he needed to catch up with the car. He also needed to wear the mask. Now, he realized his gimmick had created quite a stir around there. People have seen him. He couldn't possibly let them see him wear the mask. Now, caught in a profound mental hang-up, he lost focus for a bit, and before he could come back, he was sliding on the ground, in the middle of the road. And, before even he knew what was happening, a harmless biker ran over his leg. The superhero crushed his leg.

Few weeks later. He was sitting in a wheel-chair, in front of the TV. His leg had suffered multiple fractures, from the misadventure. The doctor had said he will walk, but with a limp. But before that, there will be an intense regimen of physiotherapy. He was bored. He bellowed

"Amma, amma, get me the remote"

His mother came from the kitchen.

"Ayyo, en thalaiezhuthu, yen da ippidi nachi edukire. Kaludhe padikattiyum paravale edhavadhu velai thedi polaichikuvanu bike vaangi kudutha, ippidi kale udachikitu vandhu en uyire edukire. inime bike thottu paru solren. Ippo nee TV paakati enna vandhuchan, indha, idhule inglisu vere"

He took the remote ignoring what his mother said, numbed by her countless tirades from the time he fell. He turned on the TV. He lifelessly changed channels and he paused for a while at HBO, "Batman begins" was on it. He heaved a wistful sigh and continued to change channels. He finally settled for "Adithya TV".

Superheroes aren't there, dude. So, don't try anything stuppid. Just go drink water, younger brother, drink some water. And don't take quotes seriously.