𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒐𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒊𝒅𝒆

PART-3

The stranger's eyes stared on the turbulent waves in the river. Her hollow eyes were now shining, as if trying to solve the puzzle with the path shown by the girl. The light breeze from the nearby trees sooth her frayed nerves in that humid night. Her ears involuntarily perked up when the girl's words.

"You know, we all dream of something, sometimes." The girl gazed up lovingly at the moon shining brightly in the sky. She clasped her hands behind her back and smiled. "But, life has other plans. We end up doing something else, and that's okay."

The stranger fidgeted with her fingers nervously, and questioned suspiciously, "But, what if I'm not good at anything else?"

The girl turned back and approached the stranger. She put a hand around her upper right arm, and assured calmly, "How will you know unless you try?" She retarded her hand, began pacing back-and-forth measuring her steps, hands clasped behind her back. "And, you don't need to know if you're good at something or not. You just have to be willing to try, to discover, to explore. Who knows, maybe you'll find something even more satisfying than being a doctor."

The stranger's eyes searched the girl's face. She asked, doubts creeping in her voice, "How can you be so calm? How can you tell me to move on that easily when you yourself have failed four times in this exam? Don't you fear failure, people's taunts, and the way relatives look so down on you?"

The girl's feet halted hearing the stranger's questions. She turned around and face the stranger with an expressionless face. "I am not telling you to give up on your dream and move on. I just want you to move on from this cycle of sadness and self-doubt. The rest is up to you. Do what you want to do. It's your life, and you have every right to decide about your career, your future. Take your time, think about it, and then decide."

The girl turned silent, waiting for the stranger to speak. But not get any response from her, she continued, once again pacing by the bank, "You know, I always tell myself two things: This time too will pass, and whatever happens, happens for good."

The stranger's eyebrows furrowed, her voice laced with skepticism. "But, what about people's taunts, their mocking glances? How do you deal with that?"

The girl's gentle smile and sparkling eyes hinted at a quiet confidence. She reached out and lifted the stranger's chin, her gaze locking with hers. "Their opinions do not define me," she said in a steady voice. "They only see the destination, not the path. I know my worth, and that is what matters the most."

The stranger's eyes clouded with her own grief. She could not bring herself to forgive her past mistakes.

The girl watched her, then gazed up at the sky as if weighing her own thoughts. "I wanted to become a doctor... for more than just helping others," she said, her voice measured. "I wanted to heal myself, too."

She bit her lower lip, and sniffled looking up in the glittering sky. "I wanted to escape—my family, the constant fights, and the toxic environment. I wanted a peaceful life, free from all the drama and pain."

She paused, her eyes followed the moon as it peeked through the clouds playing hide-and-seek in the night sky. "I used to study late into the nights, skipping meals, just to distract myself from the chaos at home." The stars twinkled like diamonds against the dark canvas, a stark contrast to the turmoil that had once consumed her.

"My parents were so caught up in their own battles that they forgot... they forgot that I exist, too." Her laughter was tinged with sadness, and her voice heavy with the lump formed in her throat. "There were times when I felt like ending it all, but I was too scared. I was worried about what others would think, and how my family would cope with the aftermath." She swallowed hard, her eyes glistened but no tears fell.