Dearest Darling Friends,
I had the fortune of meeting a living legend, Praveen Teotia on Aug 19th. Ufff! What an incredible man he is.
He was one of the marine commandos involved in dealing with the terrorist attack on the Taj. Four bullets pierced his body…and he survived. Did I say, “he survived”? Ooops, that was an understatement if there was ever any! Of course, he killed quite a few of the terrorists that day. He was in the first line of fire.
He was operated upon. 3 bullets had pierced his lungs. His lung size was reduced to about 33% of its original size. His body still has 100 + bullet sharpnels within.
Quite understandably, he was certified by the doctors with these words, “Will never be fit enough to be a commando.” He was offered a non-strenuous safe desk job. He resigned from the job with this inner ‘junoon’ that said, “No one can define what my body can do. I have a point to prove.”
Last year, PRAVEEN TEOTIA completed the most grueling human endurance race called the IRONMAN. It is not called the ironman for nothing! Ironman includes
A swim in the seas for 3.86 kms
A bicycle ride for 180.25 kms
A run for 42.2 kms
…all of them back-to-back, without a break, within a maximum permissible, 17 hours. Praveen did it in around 14 hours.
There is a video of his where the batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar is interviewing him. At the end of the interview, Sachin with a face filled with raw admiration stands up an gives a salute to our living legend Praveen Teotia.
A Sachin Tendulkar is worshipped by a cricket crazy country for he played his HOBBY well and he entertained us.
A Praveen Teotia is unknown to most of our countrymen even when he staked his life for us. Ahaa! he did not entertain us…he was busy saving us from terrorists.
I wish, there is a way, we can repay a man like Praveen Teotia. Praveen suggests, “Just do your duty as a citizen of this country. Please do not cheat this country in anyway.” Selflessness, courage, simplicity, thou name is Praveen Teotia. You make me want to be a better man. A thousand salutes to YOU.
With lots of love and deep gratitude,
naren
Imagine, when we wake up, we are given only what we had thanked for.
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