Family First
The phone had been buzzing since morning. Congratulatory messages had been pouring nonstop. Neha was in a happy mood. She was doing her work meticulously and with speed. She had proved she was a survivor, highly adaptable to her circumstances. Today, Neha looked relaxed, as if tons of burden had been taken off her fragile shoulders.
Five years back Neha, a sweet young girl from a small town had dared to come to this big city to pursue her master’s degree. Her parents had supported her, despite all odds. It had been a month away from home. Neha was still adjusting to the fast-moving life of city, when one phone call from her mother changed her life. Her father’s business partner had taken away her father’s business by adopting fraudulent means. Her father could not bear the stress and had a massive heart attack. Initially, friends and relatives came to help the family. Slowly, they realized the gravity of the situation and left one by one.
This is when Neha, the brave and selfless girl that she was, decided to leave her studies and do her duty towards her family. Her younger brother was still studying. Her industrious nature helped her, and she took up tuitions and other small teaching assignments. Whole family’s burden was on her shoulders. Neha’s personality shone in face of adversity. She did not shirk from taking up even odd jobs like cooking for old people to earn some extra income. Humbleness is often judged as a weakness. But it was due to this humble nature Neha’s clients started recommending her to other people. She started getting assignments regularly. Neha worked hard to pull out her family from the crisis that had befallen. She would transfer major part of her earnings to her mother.
With the money she sent home, her brother was able to complete his studies and her mother could take care of her father. She left no stone unturned. In spite of her busy schedule, Neha, completed her masters by joining long distance education program. Due to this she was able to get a job in a reputed company. Here, too, Neha left an undeniable mark with her hard work and astounding efficiency. All these years Neha had worked like that thrifty, loyal, dependable ant who has to collect food for her family when winter is nearby.
Today after five years again she got a call from her mother. This time she was showering her blessings and praises on Neha. She told Neha that her brother had cleared his civil service examination and would be leaving soon for his training. Hearing this all her worries vanished into thin air. She felt on cloud nine. Surely, Neha had moved mountains with her hard work. Finally, she would have support of her young sibling and together they would take care of everything. Maybe, she too, would follow her brother’s footsteps and get a chance to fulfill her own dream.
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