Decided by Destiny

CHAPTER 1

Author’s POV

The piercing sound of her alarm cut through the silence of the early morning, jolting Aahana from her restless sleep. She groaned and reached for her phone, squinting at the bright screen: 7:00 AM. With a heavy sigh, she hit the snooze button and buried her face back into the pillow, trying to savour the last moments of comfort before the day’s chaos began.

Sometime later, the door to her room creaked open, and her mother’s voice broke through her slumber.
“Abhi tak uthi nahi tu? 11:30 baje hai abhi. Kabse chilla rahi hu, ki uth ja, par nahi. Tujhe toh kuch sunna kaha hota hai”
(It's 11:30 am, Still u haven't woken up??)

“Ab jaldi jaldi ready ho aur niche nashta karne aaja. Main tere favourite Parathe bana rahi hu.”
(Get up, and get ready fast. I have made your favourite breakfast)
With this her mother switched off the fan and pulled the blanket off her.

Aahana groaned and finally woke up.
Her head was pounding very hard as she didnt even sleep an ounce last night. Thoughts from last night came back into her mind.

*flashback to last night*

Last night had been a long, sleepless battle with her thoughts. Lying in the darkness, Aahana’s mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions and memories. The excitement of starting her new journey at Harvard mingled with the relentless pressure and expectations she had faced all her life.

Her heart had fluttered at the thought of stepping onto the Harvard campus, of finally being in an environment where her passion for astronomy would be understood and nurtured. She had envisioned herself in the state-of-the-art labs, working with renowned professors, and being surrounded by peers who shared her love for the stars. The dream of making groundbreaking discoveries, of contributing to humanity’s understanding of the universe, had filled her with a sense of purpose.

But then, the doubts had crept in. The words of everyone echoed in her mind, those who had dismissed astronomy as only a hobby. “Astronomy is not even a career” they had said, shaking their heads in disapproval. The societal pressure to choose a "safe" and "respectable" career like engineering or medicine had been immense. People had constantly questioned her choices, making her feel like an outcast for daring to follow a path less travelled.

And then there was the pressure from her parents.They wanted her to follow a path that was not so difficult and secure.Her mother had worried about the uncertainty and instability of a career in astronomy. While her father was against the idea of letting her live alone in a foreign country.

But, She had shown them that her passion was not a fleeting interest but a burning desire to explore the cosmos and make a difference. It had been a hard-won battle, filled with tears and frustration, but she had emerged victorious. Her acceptance letter from Harvard had been the ultimate validation of her choices.

Yet, beneath the surface of her victory, there was a deep, pervasive sadness. The constant struggle had taken its toll. She often felt like she was living two lives: the confident, driven student who won awards and accolades, and the lonely, anxious girl who cried herself to sleep. The nights were the worst. In the darkness, her fears and insecurities felt all-consuming. The weight of expectations, the fear of failure, and the isolation from those who couldn’t understand her dreams pressed down on her chest like a heavy stone.

She remembered the countless times she had stared at the ceiling, tears started streaming down her face, wondering if she had made the right choice. The world felt like a cold, unfeeling place, and her dreams, once so bright, seemed fragile and distant. The thought of leaving home was both a hope and a source of deep anxiety. What if she failed? What if she wasn’t good enough? The fear of disappointing her parents, of proving the society right, that she failed was constantly eating her from inside.