I woke up slowly, wrapped in someone's arms.
For a moment, everything felt peaceful… safe… like home.
A soft smile formed on my lips.
In my dreams, I had always imagined this moment — waking up beside someone I loved, finally seeing his face first thing in the morning.
Some days, I even wondered if he would look like Harry Potter… messy hair, soft eyes, that calm kind of presence that feels like magic. Or maybe like Will Byers from Stranger Things — quiet, lost, but deeply safe in his own way.
Carefully, I turned my face towards him.
But before I could see anything clearly, a sharp beam of sunlight hit my eyes.
I raised my hand to block the light, blinking as my vision adjusted.
And then I saw it.
It wasn't him.
It was my aunt.
Her expression was already sharp, her eyes fixed on me like I had committed a crime.
"Do you think this is your house?" she snapped.
"Or are we your servants?"
I sat up quickly, forcing myself to stay calm.
"Good morning, aunty," I said softly.
That was my habit — smile first, feel later.
But she didn't stop.
"You were supposed to wake up at six. It's 6:05 already. Even five minutes of discipline is too much for you?"
I stayed quiet.
Then she said the words I had heard too many times.
"Your parents left you here… and you still behave like this?"
Something inside me tightened.
I looked down for a second, then forced a small smile again.
"They left me so I could help you," I said quietly.
She scoffed. "Useless girl."
Nothing new.
This was how my mornings started — every single day.
But I had learned something important over the years.
Silence protects you more than words ever will.
Except when it came to my parents.
That was the only thing I could never swallow.
I quickly got up, ignoring the heaviness in my chest.
There was no time to break.
Household chores waited for no one.
Sweeping. Mopping. Cooking breakfast. Preparing lunch. Washing utensils.
And all of this while my phone played lecture audio in the background — Vipin Sir teaching Principles of Inheritance and Variation.
I was a NEET aspirant.
And time didn't care how tired I was.
By 8:00 AM, my work was done.
Not a single person asked how I felt.
Not a single person noticed I was even there.
I closed the small storeroom door behind me.
That was my room.
That was my space.
And I opened my books.
At 1:00 PM, I had a major test.
So I studied.
Five hours straight.
No rest. No pause.
Only ambition holding me together.
When the test ended, I walked out exhausted… but hopeful.
A 650.
Not perfect… but good enough to keep me fighting.
"I could have done better," I whispered to myself.
A familiar voice came from behind.
"Well done, champ."
I turned.
It was Akshat Sir — my physics teacher. My mentor. My safe space in this chaotic world.
I gave a small smile. "I could've done better."
"You always say that," he said softly. "But you did good."
For a moment, I hesitated.
Then I asked, "One month left for the exam… are you nervous?"
He smiled. "Why would I be nervous when you are my student?"
I laughed quietly. "Then I guess I can't be nervous either."
We both smiled.
And for a few minutes, the world felt lighter.
On my way back home, I passed by his old picture in my memory — and everything flashed back.
The first time I met him.
It was a physics quiz competition in my government school.
He was the chief guest.
I was in class 10.
Physics had always been my strength — so I answered every question confidently… even one from NEET 2016 level.
That day, he noticed me.
After the competition, he came to me.
"What do you want to become?" he asked.
"Doctor," I said instantly.
"Then why do you sound unsure?"
I hesitated.
"I don't have parents… I live with my aunt… I don't have money… I don't think I can do it."
He smiled — not pity, but belief.
"If time is your problem, I can't fix that," he said. "But everything else… I can help."
I remember thinking for a second that maybe my father sent him from somewhere above.
And from that day… everything changed.
He became my mentor.
My guide.
My constant support.
And I became consistent.
Topper for two years.
Not because life became easy…
But because someone finally made me believe I wasn't alone.
I reached home that evening.
I knocked on the door.
It opened.
And before I could even step inside…
A sharp slap hit my cheek.