She stared at the laptop screen, re-reading her writeup for the umpteenth time. It was a piece of prose on love, intricately romantic. Ruhana, an amateur writer, often criticized herself for errors in her storytelling. Despite her insecurities, she dreamed of becoming a renowned author, her name known for her romantic tales. Ruhana often fantasized about such moments, but reality always felt far away.

“Why are you so lost?” Tara asked.

“I am just thinking if I should send this to a competition,” Ruhana replied.

“You should not think; just send it across. If you keep thinking, you won’t get the exposure you need,” Tara explained.

“Yeah, but what if it’s not up to par?” Ruhana asked doubtfully.

“You’re a storyteller, and with time, it will get better,” Tara responded. 

“Are you sure? Will this be validated by the judges?” Ruhana asked, her heart and mind preoccupied.

“Oh, of course! I’ve just skimmed through it, and it’s beautifully written. Why do you have doubts?” 

“You’ll be taking away awards one day, my friend,” Tara said. 

“Do you really think so?” Ruhana asked, surprised.

“Yes, my dear, I can already hear the crowds cheering for you. You might be an award-winning author!”

“Ruhana Malhotra, leading Romance author…”

.

.

“Ruhana Malhotra, she’s leading Romance author… a big applause for her.”

Ruhana stood rooted. She was at the biggest author awards, being awarded for her newly launched romance story. It had been a distant dream living in her eyes, and it had now become a reality. Her best friend, Tara, stood by her side.

“I told you, Ruhana! You’ll get rewarded for your writing, and see, the manifestation came true,” Tara chuckled, her tone laced with love.

“I just can’t believe it, Tara. But yeah, it’s all that I have manifested for so long, and I am glad you trusted me when no one else did,” Ruhana said gratefully.

“I have trusted you since the day you started writing. But you had doubts while I didn’t. After working on improvements, you’re here. The trophy is awaiting you, Ruhana,” Tara encouraged.

Ruhana smiled and climbed the stairs up to the dais and took her trophy, the first award for her long-manifested dream. As she took the mic, she felt her throat heavy with emotions.

“I heard dreams come true, and I didn’t believe it until my best friend entered my life. She pushed me out of my limits and asked me to work on my storytelling. When I was clouded by my own insecurities, she cleared away all those doubts, and here I am, holding this trophy. So, thank you, guys,” Ruhana spoke.

As she finished her speech and descended the stairs, Tara hugged her tightly. Ruhana returned the hug, clearly touched, and in that surreal moment, she realized that her dream guided her through late nights of writing and rewriting, through moments of doubt and self-criticism. She could finally see her dream shaping into reality, becoming the accomplished writer she always wanted to be.