Arjun Sharma weaved his Maruti 800 through Bandra's evening chaos, the Mumbai monsoon's 38°C heat thick with exhaust and vada pav aromas. Yesterday, after his first FitZone Gym session, he'd hustled Ola rides—Colaba's swanky cafes to CSIA's frenetic drop-offs—earning ₹3,400. A 2 km Juhu Beach run, dodging kites and bhel puri hawkers, added ₹2,000, pushing his SBI UPI balance from ₹25,050 to ₹30,450. His phone pinged with confirmations: "SBI: ₹3,400 credited for rides. ₹2,000 credited for run. Balance: ₹30,450."
Today, he'd repeated the grind: Ola rides through Andheri's potholed streets, dodging rickshaws and monsoon puddles, for another ₹3,400. His morning 2 km run along Juhu's shore—sea breeze cooling his sweat, kids flying kites—netted ₹2,000 more. At 45, 1.85 meters, and ~100 kg, Arjun felt a spark Meera's "psycho" chaos—screaming over chai spills or banning his cricket streams—had long snuffed out. Back in his IT days, her extravagant splurges and 80-hour workweeks bloated him with stress. Now, the Midlife Mastery System fueled his reboot: sharper gut, steadier steps, a grin that stuck.
Climbing the stairs to FitZone Gym on Linking Road, his ₹5,000 Nike sneakers gripped tight, the scent of bhajiyas from street stalls below mingling with gym air. His phone showed ₹30,850 after today's rides and run, with a ₹1,000 gym check-in pending. Meera controlled every paisa; now I invest in me, he mused, planning a pension for Priya's future or a new scooter. His hustle—₹3,400 Ola, ₹2,000 run, ₹1,000 gym daily—could hit more than ₹90,000 a month, crushing his old ₹50,000 IT peak.
Inside, FitZone thrummed with Bollywood remixes, treadmills whirring, and protein shake counters buzzing. Shalini Patel, in pink yoga pants and halter top, waved him to an InBody scanner, its screen glowing under neon lights. "Arjun bhai, let's measure your stats—weight, body fat, heart rate," she said, her 1.7-meter frame radiating hustle. Unlike Neha and Riya's smirks, her smile was genuine, her coaching sharp despite her new-trainer status.
Arjun gripped the scanner's handles, chuckling. Meera would've called this a fancy scam, like my ₹4,800 mangoes. A minute later, the AI-powered report printed, Shalini handing it over with a nod.
Health Report:
Age: 45Height: 185 cmWeight: 102 kg (with shoes, ~100 kg barefoot)BMI: 29.2 (overweight)Body Fat Percentage: 25% (high, overweight range)Advice: Target 20–24% with diet control, aerobic exercise.Visceral Fat Rating: 14 (above normal ≤10)Assessment: Elevated, risks diabetes, hypertension. Increase cardio.Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): 2,000 kcal/dayNote: High due to weight; supports active lifestyle changes.Resting Heart Rate: 80 bpm (normal 60–100)Assessment: Slightly high, tied to low exercise history.Heart Rate Variability (HRV): 35 ms (normal >50 ms better)Assessment: Low, indicating stress. Improve with workouts.Recommendations: Target 90 kg (BMI ~26) in six months. Combine 150 min/week cardio (running, cycling) with strength training. Cut processed foods, add protein.
Sub-healthy, but I'm climbing, Arjun thought, wincing at the 25% body fat. Meera's biryani binges piled this on. During his Juhu run, he'd reflected on those IT days—stress-eating under her rants—versus now, his stamina growing. "Started running two days ago," he told Shalini. "This is gym day two."
"Strong start, Arjun bhai," she said. "Running's your foundation. Today, 30 minutes treadmill, then equipment intro. No heavy machines yet—let's wake your body up." Her warmth, unlike Meera's chai-fueled tantrums, spurred him on.
They hit the treadmill row, facing windows showcasing Linking Road's chaos—rickshaws weaving, chaiwalas shouting, neon flickering. Shalini set a 6 km/h pace on a neighboring machine. "Run with me," she urged. Arjun's sneakers thumped, sweat soaking his tee after five minutes. Juhu's breeze was kinder, he thought, glimpsing a vada pav vendor outside. Shalini's breathing stayed steady. "Sync it—two in through the mouth, out through the nose," she coached.
He mimicked her, fighting the burn. "You're getting it!" she cheered. At eight minutes, his legs screamed, but her voice pulled him through. "One minute at a time, Arjun bhai!" At 30 minutes, he slowed, gasping but proud. Nailed it again.
Shalini tossed him a free electrolyte water from the gym's cooler. "Great job. Rest, then muscle relief." His phone buzzed—Priya: "Dad, aced a presentation! At Vile Parle café, back by 10." He typed: "Crushing it, kid. Save me a chai." Her heart emoji warmed him more than the treadmill.
Logging his gym check-in, his phone pinged: "Daily gym check-in complete! ₹1,000 credited. SBI: ₹1,000 credited to account ending 6867. Balance: ₹31,850. Earned: 1 knowledge scroll." Checking his UPI, ₹36,850 glowed. Meera's lehengas cost more than my gym year, he grinned, planning Priya's college fund.
At a mirrored corner, Shalini rolled out yoga mats and grabbed foam rollers with raised edges. "Post-run recovery," she explained, rolling one under her calves. Arjun copied, pressing the roller into his calves. Ouch! It felt like tiny hammers—painful yet satisfying. "Shalini, this is torture!" he laughed.
"Pain before gains," she grinned. "Roll ten times." Thighs and back followed, easing Meera's stress knots. Shalini shared: a new trainer, she scraped by, ignored by rich clients like Neha's. She's hustling, like me, Arjun thought.
His phone buzzed—Mrs. Desai: "Arjun bhai, Sanjay's whining about his ₹4,00,000 layoff loss. Says you're a gym star! Radhika's sulking over her Colaba date flop." He replied: "Just sweating, aunty. Tell Sanjay to run with me!" Her laughing emoji echoed her gossip queen vibe.
Shalini introduced basic equipment—dumbbells, leg press, pull-up bar. "We'll build strength slowly," she said. "You've got grit, Arjun bhai." Her encouragement mirrored the Midlife Mastery System's push. Outside, Linking Road pulsed—chaiwalas, rickshaws, neon. A pav-Bhaji vendor called, but Arjun waved, "Not today, bhai." With Priya's future secure and the system fueling his hustle, Meera's chaos—chai wars, game bans—was a fading echo. Arjun was measuring new heights, stronger with every rep.
Attribute Panel:
Height: 185 cm (+)Physical Age: 48 (-)Wealth: ₹31,850Strength: 60 (+)Spirit: 40 (+)Props: NoneDaily Tasks: Run 2 km, gym check-in