Whenever the teacher asked questions in the class, almost all the children would raise their hands and Aarav, as usual, would lower his eyes.
He knew the answers to most of the questions but he never had the courage to speak.
Because whenever he had tried to speak before, someone had laughed and said, "Hey, look, he'll talk too."
After that moment, his voice seemed to be trapped somewhere inside him.
During lunch time, all the friends would sit together, open their tiffins, laugh and talk among themselves.
Aarav always used to sit quietly in a corner of the class and open his dry tiffin.In the morning his mother had told him, son, there is less vegetable today, don't feel bad.
Aarav then smiled and nodded.But now, behind that smile, her eyes had silently become moist.
He knew perfectly well that his mother must have missed her share of the food.
The thought slowly stung his heart. And he felt helpless to say anything.
One day, the teacher announced in front of the entire class that the student who topped the exam at the end of the year would receive a scholarship.
That single word awakened a small sliver of hope in Aarav's heart after a long time.
A scholarship meant his mother wouldn't have to work as hard.
And perhaps there would be some peace at home.That day, for the first time, Aarav sat on the last bench and clutched his notebook tightly.
He was still as silent as ever. But something had changed inside him.
A fight had begun.It was raining heavily that night, and the drops dripping from the roof seemed to speak volumes about the condition of their home. Aarav couldn't sleep at all.
He lay quietly, clutching his books to his chest, but his mind was constantly drawn to the sound of his mother's cough.
With each cough, his heart sank.In the morning, my mother smiled as usual and said, "Get up, son, it's time for school." But that smile lacked the life it had before.
She used to. Aarav looked closely at his mother's face and saw dark circles under her eyes, dry lips, and a slight trembling of her hands.
Mustering up courage, Aarav gently told her, "Mom, don't go to work today.
"His mother placed a hand on his hair and asked, "How will the house run if I don't work, son?" That day at school, Aarav couldn't concentrate on his books.
He couldn't see the words on the blackboard clearly. His mother's tired face kept flashing before his eyes.He didn't even open his lunchbox. Hunger was palpable, but worry was overwhelming.
When Aarav returned home in the evening, the door was locked from inside. He frantically called out for his mother, but there was no response.His heart began to pound.
He pushed the door hard. Inside, his mother was sitting on the floor, her head resting against the wall. "Mom," Aarav cried out.
Mother opened her eyes and said in a very weak voice that
worry, son, I just felt a little dizzy." Tears welled up in Aarav's eyes. That night, Aarav massaged his mother's feet for the first time.
He sat there for a long time, holding her palms.His silence was no longer just a habit but a fear. He realized that if he didn't act now, it might be too late.
The next day, Aarav didn't go to school. He took his mother to a nearby hospital.The doctor said he was very weak, and rest and proper nutrition were essential.
Aarav bowed his head silently. He knew full well that rest and proper nutrition were the most difficult things in their home.
That night, after his mother fell asleep, Aarav went out into the courtyard and sat down.Looking up at the sky, he made a promise to himself for the first time.
He said to himself, "I won't just stay silent anymore. I will study, I will live for my mother." There were tears in his eyes, but they were no longer filled with fear.
Now he had courage.
After that night, Aarav's sleep had changed. He no longer lay in bed, counting the cracks in the ceiling, but instead, his eyes drifted to the pages of his books.
Before, he'd simply contemplate, but now he tried to read so he wouldn't run away from fear. The sound of his mother's breathing still terrified him, and every cough made his heart clench. But that very fear had filled him with a strange strength he couldn't even comprehend.
At four in the morning, when the entire neighborhood was fast asleep, Aarav would wake up on his own.
No alarm would ring, no noise would wake him. Waking up in fear had become a daily routine. He would gently light the lantern so as not to wake his mother.
His hands trembled slightly as he opened the book, fear still lingering within. But as he turned the pages, a different sparkle appeared in his eyes. Going to school was no longer just about studying for him.
He knew that every question, every answer, and every number was directly linked to his mother's life.He still used to sit on the last bench in the class.
But now his purpose had changed. Previously, he sat to hide so that no one would notice him. Now, he sat to observe so that he wouldn't miss anything.
Aarav started noting down without saying anything what the teacher was explaining, which question was being asked repeatedly and from which chapter more questions came.
His words still wouldn't come out, but his mind was fully awake.One day in the math class, the teacher wrote a question on the board and the whole class became silent.
The teacher asked if anyone could tell and many hands went up simultaneously.Aarav had thought of the answer and the entire solution was clear in his mind.
But before he could raise his hand, his heart started beating fast.He heard the same old voice again that everyone would laugh and he would become a joke.
He didn't raise his hand, but he made a promise to himself that day.He said to himself that next time he would not be afraid.
While returning home in the evening, he bought a small packet of milk for his mother.
He didn't have enough money, so he counted out the coins in his pocket and gave them to her. When his mother saw the milk, her eyes filled with tears.
Mother asked where did he get it from and Aarav bowed his head and said just like that.The mother said nothing, but she watched her son for a long time that night.
As if she could read the hard work hidden behind his silence. The days passed slowly.Now Aarav's copy was no longer empty and the answers to his questions started getting completed.
He would read, then read again, and then make his own questions and solve them.One day the result of the monthly test came and Aarav's name was in the middle of the list.
This had never happened before, so his heart started beating faster.He took the paper in his hand and looked at the numbers carefully. They weren't high, but they weren't so low as to be disappointing.
This was a victory for him.After coming home he told everything to his mother.
Mother smiled and said, "See, son, you can do it." For the first time, Aarav felt his mother less tired. Now his days began to follow a consistent rhythm: morning study, afternoon school, evening help with his mother, and night books again.He still did not have friends but books had become his true companions.
One day there was an announcement in the school that there was a scholarship exam next month.Hearing this, Aarav's heart started beating fast.
This was the opportunity he was transforming himself for.That night he told everything to his mother and his mother kept listening to him silently.
Then he said that even if you lose, I will still be proud of you.Aarav's eyes filled with tears.
Preparing for the exam was no longer easy.Sometimes the electricity would go off, sometimes his mother would fall ill and sometimes hunger would break his concentration.
But every time he wondered who would take care of his mother if he stayed. On the day of the exam, Aarav wore clean clothes and his mother placed a handkerchief on his forehead.
on his forehead. She said, "Don't be afraid."Aarav looked me straight in the eye for the first time and replied, "I'll try."
His voice was still soft but clear. As he sat in the classroom, he looked around. He wasn't alone, but his struggle was different.
He got the paper and, taking a deep breath, began writing. One question, then another, then a third, and time seemed to be catching up with him. When the exam was over, Aarav was exhausted. But his heart was light because he had given it his all.It would still take some time for the results to come but this time Aarav was not afraid of waiting.
Because he had learned that silence wasn't weakness. If fueled by encouragement, that silence could become the loudest voice.
That night the mother hugged her son for the first time.Aarav said nothing, but his silence had become hope.
🔚 (To be continued... in Chapter 3)In the next chapter, result day will be a big shock or a big victory and a new turn in Aarav's life.
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