Lilies beyond the Palace Garden

The story begins with a young woman, ARY a fresh college graduate from a country riddled with corruption and systemic inefficiencies. ARY had always believed that her education would be the key to escaping the struggles of her family, who sacrificed everything to see her succeed. But reality crushed those hopes.

For four months, ARY had sent out countless resumes, walked into endless interviews, and faced rejection after rejection. Every company wanted experience-experience she didn't have, fresh out of school. Bills piled up, her family's debts loomed larger, and her parents, who had once looked at her with pride, now wore shadows of worry on their faces.

The weight of failure pressed down on her, suffocating her spirit. She felt like an anchor dragging her family further into the depths of poverty, despite their endless sacrifices.

One particularly suffocating evening, Mira sat in her dimly lit room, staring at the peeling paint on the walls. Tears streamed down her face as she clutched her knees to her chest, replaying her failures like a broken record.
Her thoughts spiraled into darker places.
What's the point of all this? she thought. I'm just a burden. I can't give them anything in return for all they've done for me. I just want a chance, a single little chance to prove that I can work without those expected experiences.

ARY glanced at the rejection emails glowing mockingly on her laptop screen, and the only source of light in the room-a flickering desk lamp. She knelt beside her bed, clasping her hands tightly. For the first time in her life, she didn't pray for hope, guidance, or a miracle. Instead, she prayed for an end.

"Please," she whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of her despair. "If you're listening, whoever you are... let me help my parents before i rest."

Her tears fell freely onto the bedsheets as her body trembled. Exhausted by the emotional toll, she crawled into bed and closed her eyes, not knowing if she would ever wake again.