It was around two in the night and the entire city was lost in sleep a deep silence had taken over everything but in the middle of that silence there was a small room where sleep had forgotten to exist Aarav lay on his back staring at the ceiling the old fan above him rotated with a faint grinding noise as if it too was tired a worn out poster on the wall moved slightly with the air on it were the words success is the only revenge
Aarav turned to his side but sleep refused to come he slowly closed his eyes yet his thoughts would not stop how long will this go on he whispered to himself his eyes shifted towards the corner of the room where his mother was sleeping on a thin worn out mat the exhaustion on her face was clearly visible after working all day in other people's houses this was all the rest she could afford a little further his younger brother lay curled up without a blanket the cold had started to settle in but they did not have enough money to manage basic comfort
Aarav slowly got up and picked up his old phone the screen was cracked but it still worked just like his life he opened a video a successful man stood on a stage speaking to a crowd people were listening carefully the man said if you want to achieve something big in life you must be ready to risk everything
Aarav's eyes lit up slightly I will do it he whispered I will become someone so big that people will learn from me
He turned off the phone and took a deep breath he did not know where this dream would take him he only knew one thing he wanted to escape this life and sometimes to escape you have to step into the darkness
Before dawn could fully arrive he had fallen asleep but not for long his mother's voice woke him up get up you will be late Aarav opened his eyes and quickly got ready without saying much he stepped out of the house the streets were slowly filling with people everyone busy with their own lives
As soon as he reached college the same atmosphere surrounded him laughter mockery and hidden insults someone from behind said look the topper is here but probably has nothing in his pocket and a few others laughed Aarav did not react he quietly walked to the last bench and sat down as if he had distanced himself from the world
The class was going on but his mind was somewhere else then his eyes stopped at a girl sitting ahead her name was Meera she wore a simple white outfit her straight hair rested gently and there was a calmness on her face she smiled while talking to someone and that smile felt different as if she did not belong to the same harsh world Aarav lived in
When Meera turned back her eyes met Aarav's for a moment everything paused then she gave a small smile and Aarav just kept looking at her something shifted inside him in that moment maybe for the first time he felt that life was not entirely cruel
Later he stood outside the canteen he wanted to go in but he had no money he looked inside for a moment and was about to leave when a voice stopped him why didn't you come inside Aarav turned and saw Meera standing there he gave a slight smile just like that he replied softly Meera looked at him and asked you don't talk much do you Aarav lowered his eyes maybe Meera smiled and said people who talk less are usually interesting for the first time Aarav felt a little lighter
But neither of them noticed someone standing at a distance watching them Kabir his eyes were fixed on Aarav and there was something unusual in his expression something that was not just curiosity
By evening everything seemed normal but something inside Aarav had already begun to change it felt like life was slowly pulling him towards a path from where returning would not be easy
That night when he returned home everyone was asleep he quietly went up to the roof the city lights stretched far into the distance Aarav spread his arms slightly feeling the cold air one day I will rise above all this he whispered
As he took out his phone the screen flickered an unknown number appeared he hesitated for a moment and then answered hello there was silence for a few seconds then a heavy voice spoke if you truly want to become something big come to the old factory tomorrow night at ten
Aarav's heart skipped a beat who is this he asked quickly but the call had already ended
He stood there frozen holding his phone his mind filled with questions who was that and why was he being called he slowly looked up at the sky the darkness felt deeper than before and within that darkness it felt as if something was calling him