Arjun's uncle showed him a platform where, with a little training, he could begin finding work."Work is never scarce, Arjun," his uncle told him. "You just need to know how to present yourself at the right place."He continued speaking as they worked. "A freelancer's real identity is his portfolio. People don't look at degrees; they want to see the work."
That very first day, his uncle taught him how to write articles in Google Docs, design a portfolio in Canva, showcase projects, craft a bio, and make a short video about himself.
Since Arjun had always been skilled with computers, he grasped the finer details quickly."You'll also need to improve your communication skills if you want to deal with clients properly," his uncle advised. "The world listens only to those who know how to speak correctly."
"Son, you must learn client management too," he added. "Your proposals should have clarity, brevity, and completeness. You need to understand the client's problem clearly and explain your solution well."
His uncle went on, "You have to learn how to answer clients' questions, manage deadlines effectively, set them firmly, receive payments securely, and avoid disputes. Pay close attention to all of this."
Arjun felt as though his life was once again being painted in fresh, vibrant colors.
When he returned home that evening, there was no tiredness in his body—only a new excitement pulsing through him. A fresh surge of energy ran through every vein, as if the hem of hope had not slipped from his grasp after all.
His mother asked, "How was your day today?"
Arjun replied, "It was very good, Mom. I learned so much. Some skills are difficult, but they're also enjoyable. You already know how I've always loved creative work."
His mother gently stroked his head and said, "Just don't be afraid. Whatever you have started, complete it with true dedication."
In her heart, she prayed to Lord Shiva: "O Mahadev, please set everything right in my Bittoo's life now. He has endured so much. I entrust his well-being entirely to You. Please take care of my Bittoo. Everything depends on You now. Let us not see any more dark days, or my Bittoo may not be able to hold himself together again."
Arjun remembered how he had struggled through life before. Even during his Agniveer preparation, he had stood firm. In his job, he had faced enemy-like situations with courage and had never allowed defeat to enter his heart.
The harshest truth of life is that not everything bends to our wishes, and not every wait leads to a destination.
Emotions often pull us away from reality, yet reality, in its harshness, still protects us. It plainly tells us that the real battle is not fought outside, but within. Victory begins there, and defeat is also decided there.
Arjun had always known the odds were stacked against him. Statistics painted a harsh picture: only about ten percent of content creators ever truly made it. The rest faded into obscurity, their dreams quietly buried under endless scrolling and silent algorithms. Yet, despite the numbers, something inside him refused to accept defeat without a fight.
So he decided to roll the dice one more time."If I fail," he told himself with a quiet resolve, "I'll simply go back to Kolkata and drive a taxi from here to Nawdeep. At least I'll earn an honest living with my own hands. But right now… I will not give up."This time, it was different.
This time, Arjun wasn't just chasing views or validation. He had made a solemn vow to himself — like the warrior Arjuna of legend preparing for battle on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. No more hesitation. No more half-hearted attempts.
He had chosen to fight with everything he had: this side of success… or that side of failure. This time, Arjun was ready to go all the way — either this shore, or the other. The war for his dreams had begun.
Despite herself, Kavya messaged Arjun again after four or five days.
"Arjun,
I know it isn't easy to come out quickly from the circumstances you are passing through. If someone wants to stand by you in such times, you shouldn't feel troubled by it. I want to meet you—at the same place where we used to meet. I want to relive those moments with you once more. If you don't wish to live them with me, I won't force you. Just let me experience that feeling again.The greatest gift in love, along with time, is to make your beloved feel that someone has chosen them with all their heart. That is the most beautiful thing. As long as that feeling is alive, love remains alive. The day it dies, nothing is left.
Our relationship still has that feeling alive, so hope continues to hold on."
~ Kavya
After reading her message, Arjun replied: "Kavya,
We are the sole companions of our own pains and joys. Sometimes the heart desires to share them with someone, but think about it—what a strange and foolish wish it is to expect another person to lift, understand, and bear our deepest depths. Humans prefer to remain foolish at heart.
I am going to be busy with training for the next few days. I need some time to think. Please understand me and give me a little space."
~ Arjun
Just ten minutes after his message, Kavya replied again. This time, her disappointment and the pain of being ignored were clearly visible. She could do nothing but complain.
She wrote:"I read Shail Tyagi's words somewhere on social media, Arjun. It said, 'The first time you plead, the words dry up; the second time, tears come; and after the third time, even the feelings dry up.'
But in my eyes, no tears have come. Neither has the pain lessened, nor have I wanted to plead for your love. Tell me, how do I erase this feeling that we once lived together?
I am not begging for your love. Love cannot be received through begging anyway.
If I am unable to forget you, what is my fault in that?
What crime am I being punished for?"
Whenever Arjun lay down to sleep at night and found himself alone, excessive thinking would surround him once again. Even after becoming busy, he could not escape his thoughts no matter how hard he tried. He would often say to himself, "This overthinking of mine will one day take my life."
"Broken people are more withered and scattered than broken flowers. They suffocate bit by bit but do not die."
"The truth of the RTI could destroy him—but his silence was already destroying everyone else." Sometimes the worry of the RTI haunted him; at other times, thoughts of Kavya returned. Even after leaving this life, Shreya would often knock on the doors of his dreams.
At times, it seemed to him that the reins of his life had become entangled in these very complications, and he had been reduced to nothing more than a puppet.
"He wasn't losing life… he was losing himself." Whatever he plans, life turns out to be the exact opposite. He could neither make himself happy nor do justice to the relationships connected with him.
"He wasn't trapped in situations… he was trapped in his own silence."
The same Kavya who had stood by him at every step and every moment—he was punishing her without any reason.
"Kavya deserved love, not punishment… yet he gave her wounds she never asked for."
© Copyright Pushpa Chaturvedi
All publication rights reserved.