It was exactly 7 o'clock in the morning.The only sounds in the entire house were the clinking of Anaya's mother's bangles and the utensils coming from the kitchen.
Anaya was still looking at her sleepy eyes in the mirror, toothbrush in hand, when the phone screen lit up and an unknown number blinked.
She was a little surprised. Who could be calling at this hour?
She answered the call.
"Hello?"
Two seconds of silence... and then a formal voice echoed, "Is this Ananya?""You applied for the content internship at the digital firm?"
For a moment, her breath caught in her throat.Anaya, who was always full of chatter, couldn't even manage a proper "Yes" at that moment.
"Yes… yes, it's me. Good morning, ma'am," she said nervously.
For the next 10 minutes, a series of questions followed.Writing style, pressure of deadlines, and managing time with college life.While answering each question, her eyes were fixed on the old clock on the wall; each tick of its second hand increased her fear.
The call ended. Silence returned.
Anaya sat down on the floor near the bathroom door.Her hands were trembling. She didn't know if the job was confirmed or not, but she understood one thing for sure: fate had given a gentle knock on a closed door.
"Beta, it's 8 o'clock! You're getting late for college," Anaya's mother called out from the kitchen.
She came out, trying to act completely normal in front of her mother.But inside, there was a storm.Happiness? Maybe. But more than that, there was fear.The fear was that this opportunity would slip through her fingers.
Even after spending the whole day with her friends at college, she wasn't truly present.Every notification made her heart pound as if a bomb were about to explode.
It was 4 PM. In the silence of the library, her phone vibrated. It was an email.
Subject: Internship Selection -
Ananya, congratulations!
You have been shortlisted.
For the next round/onboarding...
There were only two or three lines, but their weight was no less than that of a mountain. The salary wasn't much.
Just enough to cover monthly travel and a few household expenses.
But for Ananya, it wasn't just about the money.
It was her self-respect.
That evening, when she returned home, the sun was setting.Her mother was sitting with a cup of tea.Ananya went to her mom and simply said, "Mom, I got the job. It's an internship."
Her mother looked at her.There was no surprise in her eyes, nor any grand celebration.She didn't say anything, just placed a cool hand on Ananya's head.Sometimes, a mother's silence is the greatest blessing.Her silence seemed to say, 'I knew you could do it.'
That night, she slept peacefully after what felt like years.But the same fear still lingered in her dreams.
She thought the battle was over.But in reality, this was just the beginning.The real test was about to begin.
The hustle and bustle of the corporate world, the pressure to finish work on time, and what people would say...She still had to fight against all of this.