The night outside was dark and heavy, but inside Chinmay's mind, a tiny flame had been lit.
Small. Fragile.But burning.
He stood alone in his room, breathing hard. His legs were still trembling from exhaustion, but inside, something stronger was building.A silent, stubborn determination.
He had taken the first step.A tiny one.But it was HIS.
No one saw it. No one cheered for him.No medals, no trophies.
But for the first time in forever, Chinmay didn't need that.
He looked around.The room was still messy — clothes piled in a corner, notebooks half-opened, a chair lying sideways where he had thrown his bag earlier.Signs of a chaotic, unfocused life.
The old Chinmay would've thought,"What's the point? It's too much. Might as well give up."
But not tonight.
Tonight, something in him whispered,"One thing. Just do one thing."
He didn't try to clean the whole room.He didn't set some impossible target.
He just bent down and picked up his bag.Placed it on the chair properly.
One thing.
The flame inside flickered — not fading, but growing.
The voice tried again.Sneering, mocking.
"You think picking up a bag changes anything? Look at you, you pathetic idiot."
Chinmay paused.He felt the anger again, like a punch to the gut.
But this time, he didn't fight the voice with rage.
He just... ignored it.
And did the next thing.
He folded his notebook.Put it back on the shelf.
Another tiny victory.
Step by step.Inch by inch.
He wasn't moving like a hero in a movie, with dramatic music playing in the background.There was no spotlight. No applause.
It was boring.It was slow.It was REAL.
And Chinmay loved it.
Because it was his battle.And now, he was winning it.
An hour later, the room wasn't perfect.It wasn't a shining example of discipline.
But it was better.Noticeably better.
And Chinmay was better.
He sat down again.This time, not in defeat.This time, with pride.
He wasn't free yet.He knew the urges would come back.The laziness. The distractions.The inner demons would whisper again, scream again, try again.
But so would he.
He would answer them every single time — with action.
As he sat there, breathing steady, the voice inside flared one last time for the night.
"You'll slip. You'll fall again. It's inevitable."
And this time, Chinmay smiled.
A real, quiet smile.
"Maybe.""But not today."
Somewhere deep within him, the flame crackled a little brighter.
Not a bonfire yet.Not an unstoppable inferno.
But a beginning.
The kind of beginning that, if protected, nurtured, and fueled...could one day burn down the whole goddamn world standing between him and his greatness.
To Be Continued...