Hard Work and Memories

The days kept passing.

Aarav was starting to change. His hair wasn’t messy anymore. His clothes were cleaner, ironed neatly. He washed his face every morning, and even the dark circles under his eyes were lighter than before.

At the desk, he didn’t just sit there and waste time. He actually solved problems, erased mistakes, and tried again. Sometimes, when he got something right, a small smile appeared on his face—something his mom hadn’t seen in a long while.

It was slow, but he was enjoying it. Running in the mornings, studying in the afternoons, eating properly at the table. For the first time in months, Aarav looked like he was moving forward.

Neil noticed it all. And at night, when Aarav was asleep, Neil lay awake on his own bed, staring at the plain wall.

His eyes grew hazy, and slowly—his thoughts drifted back in time.

[Flashback – Ten Years Ago]

He was just a little boy, seven years old. Sitting cross-legged on the floor of his house, a small toy car in his hand. His mother was talking on the phone with one of her relatives, smiling as she spoke.

“Yes, yes… Aarav is brilliant. He won first prize again, can you believe it? He’s always been so talented. Such a bright child.”

Neil looked up at her, listening quietly.

When she hung up, she turned to him with that same warm smile.
“Neil, you should become like him too someday. Your brother is amazing. If you work hard, you can be like him.”

Little Neil only nodded, eyes wide. He was too shy to say much, but inside, his heart was racing.

At every family function, he saw Aarav from afar—the older cousin who had medals hanging around his neck, who spoke confidently, who everyone admired. Neil wanted to talk to him, but the words never came out. He just watched silently, clutching his toy, wishing he could stand beside him proudly.

Back then, Neil didn’t have talent. He wasn’t special. He wasn’t the smartest in class, not the fastest in sports. But inside him, a small fire burned.

If I work hard enough… maybe one day my brother will see me. Maybe one day he’ll acknowledge me.

[Present Day]

The memory faded, and Neil found himself staring at the ceiling again. His hands were clenched under the blanket.

He whispered softly, the room dark and quiet around him.

“Hard work beats talent… but hard work with talent beats everything.”

He thought of Aarav, probably asleep in the next room, unaware of these thoughts.

“I’m selfish, you know,” Neil murmured. “I just wanted to see that invincible side of my brother again.”

His chest felt heavy, but there was a small smile on his face.

Slowly, his eyes closed, and he drifted into sleep.