Ananya ke liye har din ek nayi chunauti lekar aata tha, lekin ab uski soch badal chuki thi. Ab woh sirf sapne nahi dekh rahi thi, balki unhe sach karne ke liye pehla kadam utha chuki thi.
Agli subah, woh pehle se bhi zyada jaldi uth gayi. Ghar ke kaam khatam karne ke baad, usne apni purani kitaabein uthai aur padhai mein lag gayi. Uski maa use dekh kar hairaan thi.
"Beta, itni mehnat kyun kar rahi ho?" maa ne pyaar se poocha.
Ananya muskurai aur boli,
"Kyuki maa, mujhe apni zindagi badalni hai."
Uski aankhon mein ek alag hi chamak thi — ek aisi chamak jo pehle kabhi nahi thi.
School mein bhi aaj Ananya thodi alag thi. Jab teacher ne ek mushkil sawaal poocha, to poori class chup thi. Lekin is baar Ananya ne haath uthaya.
Sab uski taraf dekhne lage. Kuch bachche dheere se hansne lage, jaise hamesha hota tha.
"Tum bataogi?" teacher ne thoda hairani se poocha.
Ananya ne dheere se jawab dena shuru kiya. Pehle uski awaaz halki si kaamp rahi thi, lekin jaise-jaise woh bolti gayi, uska confidence badhta gaya. Aur phir… usne sahi jawab de diya.
Class mein ekdum sannata chha gaya.
Teacher ne pehli baar uski taraf gaur se dekha aur kaha,
"Very good, Ananya."
Yeh chhoti si tareef Ananya ke liye bahut badi thi. Aaj pehli baar use mehsoos hua ki shayad woh bhi kuch kar sakti hai.
Lekin kahani itni aasaan nahi thi.
Lunch break mein kuch ladkiyan uske paas aayi aur mazaak udaate hue boli,
"Ek sawaal ka jawab kya de diya, khud ko genius samajhne lagi?"
"Apni aukaat mat bhool."
Ananya ka dil thoda toot gaya, lekin is baar usne aansu nahi bahaaye.
Usne bas itna kaha,
"Main apni aukaat khud banaungi."
Un ladkiyon ne phir hansi udaai, lekin Ananya wahan se chali gayi — pehle se zyada mazboot hokar.
Shaam ko ghar lautte waqt, usne apne haath kas kar bandh liye aur mann mein socha —
"Yeh sirf shuruaat hai. Ab main rukne wali nahi hoon."
Aaj usne apni zindagi ka pehla kadam utha liya tha.
Chhota zaroor tha… lekin sahi direction mein tha.