#novel #urban #love
After returning from the hospital, Ariyan's mind was burning with a strange fire. Mr. Arman's disdainful laugh was eating away at him every single moment. He had come to realize that it is not possible to remove this disparity through education alone; he must reach such a height where people like Mr. Arman would be afraid to look up at him.
It was about a month later. A major tech-fest was underway at the university.
Big industrialists and foreign investors from all over the country had come to look for fresh and new ideas. Ariyan, taking one of his friends along, had developed a new software project over a long span of six months—one that could bring a revolutionary change to the agricultural sector.
That day, during the presentation, there was a pin-drop silence. When Ariyan stood on the stage and spoke, there was no fear on his face; rather, there was a strange self-confidence. Suddenly, he noticed in a corner of the hall—Mr. Arman was sitting there! He was one of the chief guests of this fest. Ariyan's voice did not tremble even once; instead, he explained his project with an even firmer voice.
At the end of the presentation, everyone in the hall stood up and applauded. The CEO of a major foreign company came up to the stage and embraced Ariyan. He announced, "We will invest fifty million Taka (five crore Taka) in this project, and Ariyan will be the principal partner of this startup."
The entire hall was then buzzing with applause. Ariyan looked directly toward Mr. Arman. A shadow of annoyance was visible on Mr. Arman's face, but in his eyes was a subtle astonishment. He could not even imagine that this 'street boy' would come under the limelight so rapidly.
At the end of the event, while passing through the corridor, Ariyan crossed paths with Mr. Arman. This time, Ariyan did not bow his head down. Giving a courteous smile, he said, "Mr. Arman, I don't know whether a stomach is filled with merit or not, but today merit has seated me on the exact same level as you. In today's event, you too are a guest, and I am also an invited entrepreneur."
Mr. Arman grit his teeth and said, "Making money and elite status are not the same thing. Let's see how far you can go."
"Time will answer," Ariyan replied in a calm voice.
Meanwhile, standing behind the crowd, Tuli was watching everything. There were tears of pride in her eyes then. She knew her Ariyan Bhaiya had never learned to accept defeat. She walked rapidly toward Ariyan. But Ariyan was busy with his foreign clients at that moment. Ariyan knew Tuli was nearby, but he composed himself. He had to become even greater; he had to traverse a much longer path.
That night, returning to his mess, Ariyan took out that old blue note. Caressing it under the moonlight, he said to himself, "Tuli, the wall between us has started to break. Very soon, I will stand before you without any barriers."
From today, Ariyan is no longer just a student; he is now a young icon. Thus began the journey of a new Ariyan.