None but the brave deserve the crown

It was September 14, 1994. Children trudged their way to the Rajiv Gandhi Vidyalaya, in East Delhi, daring heavy rains. 11 year-old Deepak walked, holding the satchel, which was water- proof, above the head. That was the only protection he had. He skirted the puddles. When speeding cars or buses ran over potholes and forced muddy water to take to the air in arcs, he ducked to avoid a direct hit. "This must be the last rain of the season. Belated rains. No one expected such a down pour in mid September!" Deepak mumbled, as he turned in, at the gate of the school. He entered the class. He was wet all over. So were his classmates. There was nothing they could do about it. Deepak turned to a friend and repeated a proverb he had heard, a few days back, "What cannot be cured must be endured." The children took their seats. The teacher came and started the lesson. A drop of water hit Deepak on the head. He raised his head. His eyes fell on the ceiling. The ceiling was dotted with little drops of water. Where had the bubbles of water come from? Then he saw light. He told the friend who sat by h is side, "Water is gathering on the roof. That is dangerous. The roof will collapse." The friend hissed, "Who will run out to the terrace and get drenched?" Deepak decided to act. He stood up and, when the teacher turned to him, "Can I go out for a minute?" he asked. The teacher frowned. She gave him a stern stare and thundered, "Why do you want to go?" "Look at the ceiling, Ma'am..." Deepak ran out, without waiting for formal permission. He ran like one possessed. He dared the heavy downpour. His boots sank into the sodden grass. His eyes ran all along the parapet wall of the roof and stopped on sighting the outlet which normally drained out the water from the roof. He found that it was choked. A flap of the tarpaulin tent was firmly stuck into the outlet. "That must be removed quickly. Otherwise water will gather on the roof. And the roof will come down. And then . . . ." fear gripped Deepak. The answer came to him, instantly. Anything sharp could pierce the tarpaulin. Where could he get it? Why not borrow an ice pick or a screw driver or a long rod from the shop outside? He dashed to the shop. The shop keeper was drumming on the table, keeping beats with the pitter patter of the rain. Deepak said, "Quick. Give me something sharp?" "What for?" The man asked. "There is no time to explain," Deepak turned his eyes around, saw what he wanted, grabbed it and sped to the school com- pound. His feet pounded away on the staircase. There was knee- deep water on the roof. Waves formed on the surface as he pushed his way through water and reached the outlet. Then, with a quick move, he pushed the sharp rod through the outlet, on to the tarpaulin. He repeated the move, till the tarpaulin had a gaping hole. It no longer blocked the water. The water found an outlet.
Deepak stood there, unaware that the teachers and the students had gathered on the lawn, watching his every move with admiration. He heaved a sigh of relief when the water level came down. "We are saved. All of us... the teachers, the students, the clerks and the staff. We would have been crushed to death if the roof had come down," he said loudly, as he ran down the stairs, into a sea of admiring crowd. His teacher pushed her way to him. She held him in a warm hug and said, in a voice, choking with emotion, "You rose to the occasion, Deepak. You acted in time and saved our lives. You are our hero. And you will remain a hero to us, always." Deepak was honoured, on August 15, 1996, by the Chief Minister of Delhi with the Jeevan Raksha Padak. And everybody said, "None but the brave deserve the crown."

Meaning: Only a person who has courage achieves name, fame and success in life.

Alternative: Nothing ventured nothing gained.