She was twenty-seven.
And yet, life had already taken just as much from her.
Ananya Sharma didn’t remember her parents very clearly.
Only fragments.
A soft lullaby.
A warm hug.
A blurred memory of laughter that never lasted long enough.
They were gone before she turned four—
taken away in an accident that people stopped talking about… but she never stopped feeling.
After that, life didn’t end.
It just… changed.
She grew up in her mother’s sister’s house—
a home that wasn’t hers, but never once made her feel like an outsider.
They gave her everything they could.
Love. Support. Stability.
And when she grew older—
they gave her the courage to leave.
Mumbai wasn’t kind.
It never was.
Her rented apartment was small—
bare walls, a single window, and just enough space to exist.
The kind of place where silence felt louder at night.
Bills were always on time.
Money wasn’t.
And still—
she never asked for help.
Her phone buzzed on the table, breaking her thoughts.
Maasi Calling…
Ananya picked it up instantly.
“Hello?”
“Ananya beta, how are you?” her aunt’s gentle voice came through.
“I’m good, Maasi. Just getting ready.”
“For office?”
There was a small pause.
“For an interview,” she replied, a hint of hope slipping into her voice.
“Oh… that’s good! Where?”
“It’s a startup. I saw the opening in the newspaper yesterday. It’s… small, but I think I have a chance.”
Her aunt hummed softly, as if already proud.
“That’s my girl.”
There was a moment of silence before she spoke again—carefully, almost hesitantly.
“And beta… if you ever need anything—money or anything at all—you know you can always tell me, right?”
Ananya closed her eyes for a second.
She knew what that meant.
It wasn’t pressure.
It was love.
And that made it harder to accept.
“No, Maasi,” she said gently, a small smile forming on her lips.
“You’ve already done more than enough for me.”
“Ananya—”
“I mean it,” she added softly. “I’ll manage. I always do.”
On the other side, her aunt sighed… but didn’t argue.
“Alright. But promise me you won’t hesitate if things get difficult.”
“I promise.”
They spoke for a few more minutes—about small things, about nothing important.
Just determination.
And a quiet strength that had learned to survive.
She picked up the folded newspaper from the table.
Her eyes found the small advertisement again.
A growing startup looking for a management associate…
It wasn’t perfect.
But it was a start.
And right now—
that was enough.
Mumbai’s streets were already alive when she stepped out.
Noise. Rush. Movement.
People chasing something.
Just like her.
By the time she reached the office building, her hands felt slightly cold.
Not from fear.
But from the weight of possibility.
She looked up at the building once.
Took a slow breath.
And stepped inside.
She didn’t know it yet—
but this place…
this ordinary, struggling office—
was about to change her life.
✨ End of Chapter 2. See you in the next chapter !!
I need to support my family with whatever money I earn. Be it Rs 10 or none.
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