The house felt different—lighter, louder, brighter. Reena practically floated around the living room, calling friends, packing lists, hunting for a decent backpack. Sneha kept giving motherly advice about Bangalore's weather. Vikram sat quietly in his favorite chair, smiling in a way Vicky hadn't seen in months.
It should've been perfect.
Vicky stood at the edge of the celebration, happy but oddly disconnected. Underneath the noise and joy, the humming sensation in his bones never stopped. It wasn't painful—just… constant. A reminder of what he'd done. A reminder that his body wasn't the same anymore.
At one point, he caught his reflection in the black TV screen. His face flickered for a fraction of a second—like a video buffering on bad Wi-Fi.
He blinked it away.
The next few days were all about Reena's trip—forms, packing, last-minute shopping. One evening, she walked into his room and shut the door behind her.
"Vicky," she said, looking serious. "I've been thinking. This scholarship is… weirdly perfect. Too perfect. I mean, out of nowhere? No interviews? No application?" She paused. "Do you… know anything about it?"
His heart jumped into his throat.
He kept his tone casual. "Didi, I barely passed my mid-term. I don't even know how to make a website yet. Why would I know anything about scholarships?"
Reena held his gaze for a moment longer, then sighed and smiled. "Yeah. Maybe I'm just overthinking. Whatever the reason… I'm grateful. And I'm glad you're around."
She hugged him tight before leaving the room.
The guilt hit him like a punch. She was thanking him for being supportive—without knowing he'd nearly torn himself apart to make this happen.
A week later, Reena left for Bangalore. The house felt emptier without her voice bouncing off the walls.
With the excitement over, Vicky had to face his own reality again.His computer class final was in a month.His mid-term score wasn't enough.And the strange internal hum made concentration harder than ever.
One afternoon at the cyber café, he stared blankly at a lesson on data structures. None of it was sticking.
Then his phone buzzed.
Priya:Hey. How are things? You vanished after your mid-term. Survived?
He exhaled slowly.
Vicky:Yeah. Barely. Got 48. But my sister got a scholarship and left for Bangalore. Things are… quiet now.
Her reply came quickly.
Priya:48 isn't bad. It's a start. And that's amazing about your sister! Proud of you guys. So what's your plan now?
He stared at the screen.What was his plan?
He couldn't go back to pretending he was normal.He couldn't rely on the dangerous shortcuts he'd taken.He couldn't tell anyone the truth.
So he chose the only safe direction left.
Vicky:Next? Passing this final. Then… figure things out one step at a time.
Priya:Good. One step at a time is how real progress works. Ping me if you get stuck, okay?
He put the phone aside and looked back at the code. It still looked like alien text. His brain still buzzed. But for the first time in weeks, he didn't feel cornered.
Reena had moved forward.His parents were breathing easier.And he—finally—had a direction that didn't involve glitches, diamonds, or digital weapons.
Just work.
Real work.
He rolled his shoulders, cracked his knuckles, and began reading the chapter again—slowly, line by line.
This time, he didn't feel scared.Just determined.