The train rumbled along the tracks, a rhythmic lullaby that did nothing to soothe Ayaan’s restless thoughts. He sat by the window, watching the world blur past, but his mind was lost in a different time—a different life that could have been.
Fifteen years ago, he had stood on this very platform, a letter in his trembling hands, his heart pounding with hope. It was a scholarship to a prestigious university abroad—an escape from the small-town life he had always dreamed of leaving behind. He had spent nights under the dim streetlights, poring over books, pushing himself past exhaustion, believing that this opportunity would change everything.
But when the moment came to leave, reality tightened its grip. His father’s health had worsened, and with his mother gone years ago, Ayaan was the only one left to shoulder the burden. His father had never asked him to stay, never once told him to abandon his dreams. But when Ayaan looked into his tired, aging eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to walk away.
So, he stayed. He tore up the acceptance letter with shaking hands, the pieces fluttering to the ground like shattered dreams. He took a job at a local bank, traded late-night studies for long hours behind a desk, and convinced himself that he had done the right thing.
Years passed, and Ayaan settled into the life he never wanted. A stable job, a modest home, and a family who depended on him. But the dreams never left. They lingered like shadows in the corners of his mind, whispering of roads not taken. He tried to silence them with routine, with obligations, but some nights, when the world was quiet, he let himself wonder—what if?
Then, one day, he saw her again.
Meera. The girl who once shared his dreams, who had held his hand as they planned their escape from mediocrity. She had left, pursued her ambitions, and carved a name for herself. He had followed her career from a distance, seen her name in newspapers, and watched interviews where she spoke about chasing one’s passion.
When their eyes met in a crowded bookstore years later, she smiled—a soft, knowing smile.
“You made it,” he had whispered, his voice heavy with something he couldn’t name.
“You could have too,” she replied. Her words weren’t meant to hurt, but they did.
Now, as the train slowed at his stop, Ayaan closed his eyes for a moment. He had done the right thing, hadn’t he? He had stayed for his father, for duty, for family. He had been needed.
Yet, as he stepped onto the platform, a hollow ache settled in his chest. The train doors closed behind him, taking with them a version of himself that never was.
He turned, watching the train disappear into the distance, carrying dreams he once held so close. Dreams that, no matter how much he tried to bury, would always haunt him.
Maybe in another life,he had
made a different choice..
