Years passed.

The little girl who once cried over failed examinations slowly grew older.

She was no longer the child who needed someone to explain every lesson five times.

She still wasn't brilliant.

She still struggled with academics.

She still wore spectacles.

She still preferred simple traditional clothes over fashionable ones.

But something inside *Shree Lakshmi* had changed.

She had stopped expecting things from her father.

Or at least...

She was trying to.

_*_

HIGH SCHOOL

"Shree!"

She turned around.

"Saru?"

Saraswati came running toward her, holding two notebooks against her chest.

"Wait for me!"

Shree smiled.

"You're the one who walks too fast."

"Because someone walks like a tortoise."

Shree rolled her eyes.

"Very funny."

Saraswati laughed and hooked her arm through hers.

The two sisters walked toward their classroom together.

They were now teenagers.

Saraswati had grown into a confident and graceful young girl.

Teachers still praised her.

Her marks remained excellent.

Shree, meanwhile, continued to work twice as hard for half the results.

But she had stopped comparing herself to her sister.

Because Saraswati had made sure she understood something.

*Different didn't mean less.*

_*_

One afternoon, their class teacher distributed the examination results.

"Saraswati."

"Yes, ma'am?"

"First rank."

The classroom erupted in applause.

Then the teacher looked down at the next paper.

"Shree Lakshmi."

Shree stood up nervously.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Good improvement."

Shree blinked.

"Ma'am?"

"You've improved considerably compared to your previous examination."

A small smile appeared on Shree's face.

"Thank you, ma'am."

She returned to her seat.

Saraswati immediately whispered-

"I told you!"

Shree smiled.

"I improved only a little."

"A little?"

Saraswati looked offended.

"Do you know how hard you worked?"

Shree shrugged.

"I just studied."

"Exactly."

Saraswati grinned.

"I'm proud of you."

Those four words meant more to Shree than she could explain.

_*_

THE REPORT CARD

That evening, Shree walked home holding her report card.

Her heart was beating unusually fast.

She entered the house.

"Amma?"

Prasanna was arranging clothes near the sewing machine.

"Shree? Tum ghar aa gayi?"

"Ji."

"School kaisa tha?"

"Acha tha."

Prasanna looked at her face.

"Kuch hua hai?"

Shree immediately handed her the report card.

Prasanna opened it.

Her eyes widened.

"Shree!"

"Bahut improvement hua hai!"

Prasanna pulled her into a hug.

Shree looked toward the door.

"Papa aaye?"

"Dukaan mein hain."

She hesitated.

"Main unhe dikhane jaaun?"

Prasanna's smile faded slightly.

"Jaao."

"Ji."

_*_

At the kiraana shop-

"Papa."

Srinivas didn't look up.

"Hmm?"

"Kya hai?"

Shree carefully placed the report card on the counter.

"Main pass ho gayi."

He looked at the paper.

"Kitne marks?"

"Sixty-eight percent."

Srinivas looked at the report card again.

"Bas?"

"Saraswati ke kitne aaye?"

"Ninety-three."

"Hmm. Usse padhai karo."

Shree lowered her eyes.

"Ji."

He pushed the report card back.

"Ab jaao."

"Shree."

She stopped.

"Ji, Papa?"

"Dukaan se Amma ke liye ye samaan le jao."

"Ji."

The moment she stepped outside...

Her eyes became wet.

"Rona nahi hai."

_*_

A DIFFERENT KIND OF PAIN

That night on the terrace-

"Sri?"

"Kya hua?"

"Nothing."

"Jhoot."

"Tumhe hamesha pata chal jaata hai."

Shree handed her the report card.

"Wow! Sixty-eight!"

"Papa ko dikhaya?"

"Haan."

"Unhone poocha tumhare marks kitne hain."

"Phir bole ki tumse padhai karo."

Shree looked at the sky.

"Mujhe lagta hai... Papa ko mujhse kabhi khushi nahi hogi."

"Maine koshish ki. Achhi beti banne ki bhi."

A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Phir bhi main unke liye kabhi enough nahi hoon."

_*_

THE DECISION

The next morning-

"Sab idhar aao."

"Next year se Sai ko coaching join karwani hai."

"Private coaching hai."

"Srinivas... itna?"

"Uski padhai important hai."

"And Shree..."

Everyone looked at her.

"Ji?"

"Tumhe decide karna hai school ke baad kya karna hai."

"Studies tumhare liye easy nahi hain. So practically socho."

"Zyada padhai mein paisa waste karne ka koi fayda nahi."

"Government college mil jaaye toh theek hai. And if not?"

He shrugged.

"Phir ghar sambhalna seekh lo."

Shree slowly nodded.

"Ji."

_*_

THAT NIGHT

Shree whispered to herself in the mirror-

"Main buri beti nahi hoon."

"Main bas alag hoon."

"And that's okay."

For the first time... she didn't wipe the tear away.

_*_

## *A PROMISE BETWEEN SISTERS*

The next morning-

"Agar mere marks ache nahi aaye..."

"Toh main tumhari help karungi."

"Kaise?"

"Mujhe nahi pata abhi. Par main koi na koi rasta nikal lungi."

She held out her little finger.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"You don't need Papa's approval to become someone."

"Ek din tum itna bada kaam karogi ki log tumhara naam jaanenge, ye nahi jaanenge ki tum kiski beti ho."

Shree hugged her.

For the first time in years... she began wondering.

*Who did she want to become?*

_*_

THE FIRST STEP

A few weeks later-

*BASIC COMPUTER & DESIGNING COURSE*

"Madam? Course ke baare mein poochna tha."

The fee was modest.

Shree counted the money.

It wasn't enough.

She walked out.

But she didn't give up.

She started saving.

She stopped buying snacks.

She helped Amma with tailoring.

One evening-

"Shree? Kiske liye paise jod rahi ho?"

"Kuch nahi."

"Beta. Tum mujhe bata sakti ho."

Shree hesitated.

"Amma... mujhe ek course karna hai."

"Kaisa course?"

"Computer designing."

Prasanna smiled.

"Accha hai."

"Par... Papa mana karenge."

Prasanna gently touched her cheek.

"Har sapna kisi ki permission se nahi hota."

"Jo bhi karna... Mehnat se karna."

"Aur ye mat sochna ki tum apne bhai-behen se kam ho."

That night, Shree placed her small savings box beneath her pillow.

*Her first dream.*

A tiny voice whispered-

_Shayad mujhe apni poori zindagi Papa ke mujhe choose karne ka wait nahi karna padega._

_Shayad ek din... Main khud ko choose kar sakti hoon._

And that was the beginning of everything.

_*_

The girl who had spent her childhood begging silently for her father's love...

Was slowly becoming a woman who would learn to build a life without it.

But neither Shree... nor her family...

knew that the choices she was making now would eventually lead her far beyond the small streets of Tirupati.

And one day...

The same father who had once considered her *an unnecessary expense*...

Would stand before a woman the entire world admired.

A woman he would desperately want to call-

*His daughter.*

But by then...

It might already be too late.

_*_

*AUTHOR'S NOTE* 💌

Aw! This chapter broke me while writing it.

Shree finally stopped waiting for validation that was never going to come.

And Saru... Saru is the kind of sister we all deserve, right? 🥺

*Team Shree* - The silent diya 🪔

*Team Saru* - The bright taara ⭐

Comment and tell me who you're rooting for!

Did the report card scene hurt you too? Be honest.

Don't forget to *Vote + Comment + Add to Reading List*

It helps a new writer like me a lot 💛

With love,

*SHINY_WRITINGS*