The Price of a Dream

The village of Nandipur had always been quiet — the kind of place where time slowed to match the pace of the wind, and dreams were meant to be buried beneath fields and family expectations. For Anika, that silence had always been deafening.

She stood barefoot on the edge of the pond behind her house, the cool morning dew soaking into her skin. A faded medical entrance result printout was clutched tightly in her hand. Her name glared back at her from the top of the list.

Anika Sen — Rank 12 — Capital Medical University.

She should have been ecstatic. This was what she’d worked for since she was old enough to pronounce “neurosurgeon.” But instead of joy, there was a knot in her chest. Not because she doubted herself. But because she knew — deep in her bones — that no one in this village would ever celebrate this with her.

“Amma says the priest is coming tomorrow,” Aadesh said, approaching quietly from behind.

Her twin brother. Her shadow. Her only ally.

“She wants to set the wedding date.”

Anika didn’t look at him. Her jaw clenched. “I’m eighteen, not livestock.”

“She won’t see it that way,” he murmured, hands in his pockets. “And neither will appa.”

They both knew how this would play out. Her acceptance letter would be dismissed as nonsense. Her future sold off for a few gold bangles and a land deal. Their father had made the decision weeks ago, before the results were even announced.

But what none of them expected — not even Aadesh — was that Anika had already packed her bag.

“I’m leaving,” she said suddenly.

He stared. “What?”

“Tonight. For the capital. My session starts in four months. I’ll figure it out. Get a job. Rent a place. I don’t care how hard it is.”

Aadesh was silent. And then, slowly, his lips curved into a smile — crooked and rebellious.

“I guess I better come with you then.”

By midnight, the village slept under a blanket of monsoon clouds. Anika and Aadesh moved like shadows between the houses, their backpacks slung low, their steps quiet but certain.

No goodbye to their parents. No notes left behind. Just the wind, the moon, and their decision.

They reached the train station just after one. The last train to the capital was already on the platform, hissing with steam and murmuring with tired passengers.

Anika hesitated only once — when the train gave its final whistle.

“If you want to go back—” Aadesh started.

“No.” Her voice was firm. “I’d rather die in the streets of the city than rot in a marriage I didn’t choose.”

And with that, they stepped on board.

The capital was everything Anika had dreamed of and feared. Towering buildings swallowed the horizon. Horns blared in chaotic symphony. People rushed past like the city was on fire.

She was tired. Hungry. Overwhelmed. But she was free.

They checked into a budget lodge near the university. It was barely a room — a fan that creaked louder than it spun, a mattress that sank in the middle, and a shared bathroom down the hall. But it was theirs.

For now.

They had only one night together before Aadesh left. He had a student visa to Canada, something he’d kept secret until she confessed her plan.

Now, with just a day left, they sat side by side on the rooftop of the lodge, their legs dangling off the edge, staring at the city that didn’t know them yet.

“You’re sure you’ll be okay?” Aadesh asked.

“I have to be,” Anika whispered.

And though she smiled, her hands trembled slightly as she thought of the next four months — alone, hidden, waiting.

But it was her life now. And she had chosen it.

No one could take that away from her again.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***