Calcutta, July 17 :    Calcutta, July 17:  There is a fire burning in Rita's eyes. The same fire which makes identical twin Ranjita blaze the track. Rita, who gave up her own dreams to allow her sister's sprinting dreams to come true, has no vent for what lies within. In Paschimpara, Chinsurah, Ranjita and Rita need no introduction. Both were star runners ever since they were kids. Then, almost 10 years ago, their father, who used to eke together subsistence money selling supari, passed away, leaving them no choice but to leave school and the track. But their coaches couldn't watch that happen, and came up with an offer to support either one of them in pursuing a career in athletics. Rita was ready for the sacrifice. Now, she carefully applies sindoor before facing the camera. At 17, she was married this May, and now lives in Canning. 'I thought I would get married when Ranjita gave her BA exams in a few years, but then this got arranged... Even if I don't like it, I have to make the best of it, don't I?' Hard choices seem to come easy to the girl who gave up a future and rolled 1,000 bidis a day to support her sister and mother. But now, the bidi basket has changed hands. It is Ranjita who wakes up at the crack of dawn, rushes off for practice for a few hours, before cycling back home to roll bidis. Twice a week she travels to Salt Lake stadium for training sessions. With Rita gone, and her mother unwell, it is the 100m and 200m sprinter who makes ends somehow meet. With only a few hours on hand a day - between practice and studies - she barely manages to roll 500, earning Rs 20. 'Rita is married and I have to run the house,' shrugs the cheery Ranjita. Her expenses are high, with training, athletic meets and equipment to take care of. She couldn't have managed without the help of current coach Swapan Haldar and ex-coach Sudip Sengupta, beside some local benefactors. But some help was pulled away when Ranjita - suffering a hip injury when she landed in a district tourney long-jump pit without enough sand - didn't run as fast this year. But the national Under-16 record holder for a 12.28-second 100m sprint, is on the way to recovery, following 'very expensive treatment' in the city. With the state and national meets coming up, coach Swapan and Ranjita are both optimistic that her timings will be better this time round. 'We are preparing with the hopes of making it to the Junior Asiad this year,' says Swapan. A berth in the meet will boost Ranjita's hopes of a job offer from one of the government agencies that also field an athletics team. Apart from Ranjita's hectic daily schedule, a major hurdle for her is the inaccessibility of nutritious food. Four biscuits is what she has before taking off for a three-hour morning practice. Rice, vegetables and bread is all she can afford for the rest of the day, apart from the glass of milk sponsored by a local panchayat member. But that is as far as help from the 'state' goes for her. Fortune never has easy options for these two sisters. Rita's boubhat fell on the same day as the state athletics meet. 'I couldn't do anything during the wedding, I was so upset...,' recalls Ranjita. 'I told her she had to go... She can always come to my house later, but this meet will only happen once,' says Rita. That is the grit that won Rita recognition at The Telegraph School Awards for Excellence last year, where the sisters were honoured with The Shalini (Mimi) Rakshit Awards for Excellence - Ranjita for sporting achievement and Rita for bravery.