"Lost in the Lights: The Tale of a Forgotten Dream"

This story is about a boy named Akshay from a small village called Basantpur near Nagpur.
In his family, there were his parents, an elder sister, and his grandmother. Akshay's father was a confectioner, and they belonged to a middle-class family. Akshay had studied in a government school and recently scored 84% in his twelfth-grade exams. The family was large, and Akshay's father was the sole breadwinner. The festival season had ended after Falgun, causing a slump in sweets sales at the shop. His grandmother's health was deteriorating. Akshay needed to get admitted to college, his sister's wedding had to be arranged, and supplies for the shop were required.

Akshay's father worked 12 hours a day at the shop. After a brief rest at home, he would go to tend to their crops. The entire burden of the household rested on his shoulders. Akshay was his mother's darling. She had high hopes for him, believing that he would become a great man one day. Akshay's father also had hopes for him but was often troubled by Akshay's mischief. Akshay was aware of his family's struggles and had a strong desire to become wealthy. He loved sketching and aspired to be a great artist, although he had no idea how he would achieve this dream. He learned sketching from YouTube and old TV shows like MAD and Art Attack. Despite the financial constraints, Akshay's father got him admitted to a prestigious college in Delhi for a BSc degree. Having grown up in a village, Akshay was mesmerized by the allure of Delhi.

Initially, Akshay had no friends, but he gradually befriended Amrit from Jhansi, who introduced him to his group. During the first semester, Akshay skipped many classes and spent nights in pubs, roaming around India Gate and Chandni Chowk, flirting with girls, and smoking. Amrit introduced Akshay to smoking. Akshay started asking for more money from home and spent it lavishly on friends. He even got a girlfriend and bought her expensive gifts with the money sent from home, often throwing parties for his friends. Akshay started wearing expensive clothes and asked for more money when he ran out. He told his family that he was diligently studying.

After the first year, Akshay barely passed his exams. He hadn't visited home in a year. When he returned home during the break, he found his family in dire straits. They had become thin, and his father's shop was almost shut down. When Akshay's father learned about his poor grades, he was furious and scolded him harshly. He stopped sending money to Akshay.

Determined to change himself, Akshay returned to college and ignored his wealthy friends for the first few days. However, Amrit noticed Akshay's changing behavior. Amrit wanted Akshay to indulge in the same pleasures he did, so he enlisted the help of his two friends, Vikas and Arun, who were both troublemakers, more interested in having fun than in their studies.

Amrit was a cunning boy who also sketched and had considerable knowledge in the field, having shared a few characters with some creators. He slowly drew Akshay into his world of sketching. Arun, who did regular painting, started dreaming of releasing an anime series together. Since Amrit had taken a sketching course, he often distracted Akshay from his studies with new sketching techniques. Eventually, Amrit, with Arun's help, completely diverted Akshay's attention from his studies. They introduced Akshay to alcohol, and he developed a habit of drinking, often indulging in late-night painting sessions followed by parties.

One day, while at the beach, Akshay remembered his financial situation and realized he was on the wrong path. He confided in Amrit, who suggested an online sketching course and taught him cheating tricks for exams. Amrit ensured that Akshay stayed away from his studies. Akshay's mind was so manipulated that he started fighting with his mother for money. One day, he quarreled with his father over money for the course and stopped talking to his family altogether. Despite numerous calls from home, he didn't answer a single one in a year.