Chapter 1: The Life I Never Chose
511 Words
Chapter 1: The Life I Never Chose
My name is Preeti, and I am 26 years old.
I live in Patna, Bihar, in a small middle-class family home. From the outside, my life may look normal, but only I know how many battles I have fought silently.
I lost my mother when I was young.
After she left, something inside our home changed forever. There was a silence that no one could fill. I missed having someone who would ask me if I was tired, someone who would understand my pain without me saying a word.
My elder sister is married now and lives with her own family. My brother works hard, and my father has always tried his best to keep our family together.
I completed my graduation with many dreams in my heart.
Like many young people in India, I dreamed of getting a government job. I believed that if I worked hard enough, my life would change. I studied for hours, prepared for exams, and kept telling myself that my time would come.
But every time the results came...
My dreams broke a little more.
Not Selected.
Those two words became familiar to me.
I would hide my disappointment, smile in front of everyone, and start preparing again.
People around me often told me to take a private job. They said I should move forward and stop waiting for something that might never happen.
But I still had hope.
I wanted to achieve the dream I had worked so hard for.
Until then, my world was my home.
Every morning, I woke up early.
I cleaned the house.
I cooked food for my family.
I washed dishes.
I took care of every small responsibility.
By the time I finished everything, the day was already half gone.
Sometimes I wondered...
Was this all my life was going to be?
Cooking, cleaning, waiting, and watching my dreams slowly disappear?
I also tried to become a YouTuber.
For a short time, I felt like maybe this could be my new beginning. I recorded videos, edited them, and uploaded them with hope in my heart.
Every notification gave me a little excitement.
Maybe someone had noticed me.
Maybe something was finally changing.
But nothing changed.
The views stayed low.
My dream stayed far away.
And once again, I accepted another disappointment.
At night, when everyone slept, I would sit alone and think about my life.
I didn't want a luxurious life.
I didn't want to be famous.
I only wanted one chance.
One chance to prove that my efforts mattered.
Sometimes I looked at my own reflection and wondered...
"Why does happiness always feel so far away from me?"
I kept going because giving up was never an option.
But deep inside, I was tired.
Tired of waiting.
Tired of failing.
Tired of pretending that everything was okay.
I didn't know what tomorrow would bring.
I didn't know that life could change in ways I had never imagined.
For now, I was just Preeti...
A girl fighting her silent battles every day.
- Writer
