Clutching the card like it was made of magic, Ameya rushed home, her heart bursting with excitement. She needed to tell someone—Mother. Maybe, just maybe, this was her chance to finally be seen.
But as she stepped inside, she heard serious voices from the living room.
"I've made the final decision," Mother was saying. "After graduation, Ameya will apply for that IT firm here. No point sending her out of town. It's not safe, and we've already spent enough on your education, Asina."
Asina hesitated. "But Mom… maybe it's not about safety or money. What if she wants something else? What if she wants to be… a singer, or a dancer—?"
"Don't talk rubbish," Mother snapped. "You girls don't understand the real world. Dreams don't feed you. She'll live here. With me. That's final."
Ameya stood frozen, her hopes crumbling in her hands. Quietly, she slid the audition card into her textbook, walked to her room, and locked the door.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she lay curled on her bed. The music that usually brought her peace now felt far away.
She didn't cry because they doubted her.
She cried because… maybe she was starting to doubt herself too.
But somewhere inside her, a quiet flame still burned.
And it whispered:
You were born to dance. You were born for more.