Anish was in a good mood.
No—he was in the best mood he had felt in years.
Just a week ago, the results of the NEET examination had been announced, and his name was right there among the successful candidates. Not at the very top, but high enough. High enough to earn him a scholarship. High enough to secure him admission to **GNDU**. High enough to finally prove that all his sacrifices had been worth it.
When he saw his rank on the screen for the first time, he had stared at it in disbelief.
Then he had checked it again.
And again.
And again.
Only after his hands started trembling did he realize—it was real.
He had done it.
A boy from a small family, with no powerful background, no expensive coaching, no special privileges… had made it.
His parents had cried that day.
His mother had hugged him so tightly that he almost couldn't breathe, whispering over and over, "I'm proud of you, beta… I'm so proud of you."
His father, who rarely showed emotions, had silently placed his hand on Anish's head and said just one sentence:
"You did well, son."
That single sentence meant more to Anish than a thousand praises.
---
Anish's journey had never been easy.
While most students spent their evenings relaxing or scrolling through their phones, Anish spent his nights balancing two worlds.
By day, he was a serious medical aspirant, buried in books, solving endless question papers, revising formulas, and memorizing diagrams.
By evening, he became a worker.
He worked part-time at a small café near his house.
Sometimes he washed dishes.
Sometimes he cleaned tables.
Sometimes he stood at the counter, taking orders with tired eyes and a forced smile.
The money he earned was not much, but it helped.
It helped pay for books.
It helped pay for internet recharge.
It helped reduce the burden on his parents, who were already struggling to manage household expenses.
Many nights, he returned home exhausted, his hands smelling of soap and coffee, his back aching, his eyes burning from lack of sleep.
Yet, he never complained.
Because he had a dream.
To become a doctor.
To save lives.
To give his parents a better life.
To prove that hard work could defeat fate.
---
Now, that dream was finally within reach.
With the scholarship from GNDU, he wouldn't have to worry about tuition fees. He wouldn't have to beg for loans. He wouldn't have to see worry lines deepen on his parents' faces.
He could finally breathe.
That evening, Anish was walking back home after finishing his shift at the café.
The sky was painted in soft shades of orange and purple. The air was cool. The streetlights had just started glowing.
He had his bag slung over his shoulder, inside it his books, some notes, and a small envelope containing his scholarship confirmation.
Every few minutes, he smiled unconsciously.
He imagined himself wearing a white coat.
He imagined standing in a hospital corridor.
He imagined his parents sitting proudly in the audience during his graduation.
He imagined a future where money was no longer a problem.
Where his mother didn't have to worry about every rupee.
Where his father could finally rest.
"Everything will be fine now," he whispered to himself.
For the first time in his life, he truly believed it.
---
The road ahead was busy, as usual.
Cars passed by.
Bikes honked.
People walked hurriedly, lost in their own lives.
Anish reached into his pocket and took out his phone.
He had received a message from his mother earlier.
*Come home soon. I made your favorite food today.*
He smiled.
"Just a little more," he murmured.
He stepped forward.
---
And then—
Everything happened in a second.
A loud screech.
A blinding light.
A sudden impact.
Before Anish could even understand what was happening, his body was thrown into the air.
His bag flew away.
His phone slipped from his hand.
Pain exploded through his chest, his legs, his head—everywhere.
It felt like his body was being torn apart.
He crashed onto the road.
Hard.
The world spun.
Sounds became distant.
People shouted.
Someone screamed.
But Anish couldn't hear clearly.
All he could feel was pain.
Immense.
Unbearable.
Suffocating.
His vision blurred.
The sky above him seemed far away.
So very far.
He tried to move.
He couldn't.
He tried to speak.
No sound came out.
Tears slipped from the corners of his eyes.
Not because he was afraid of dying.
But because he wasn't ready.
"I… just started…" he thought weakly.
"I haven't even lived yet…"
Faces appeared above him.
Strangers.
Blurry.
Worried.
Someone called an ambulance.
Someone held his hand.
But it all felt unreal.
Like a dream.
Or a nightmare.
---
His thoughts drifted.
To his mother's smile.
To his father's tired eyes.
To late nights with books.
To the café lights.
To his scholarship letter.
To his dream.
"I worked so hard…" he thought.
"So hard…"
"Please… not now…"
The pain grew.
Then slowly…
Everything faded.
Darkness swallowed his vision.
The last thing Anish remembered was pain.
And regret.
And the faint echo of a dream that had just begun.