Competition ke baad Riya ki life dheere-dheere change hone lagi. Pehle woh ek shy aur confused girl thi, lekin ab uske andar confidence aa gaya tha.
Usne realize kiya tha ki agar woh apne fears ko control kar le, toh woh bahut kuch achieve kar sakti hai.
Next day school mein sab log usse congratulations de rahe the.
"Riya, tumhari speech amazing thi!" Neha ne excitement ke saath kaha.
"Thank you," Riya ne smile karte hue jawab diya.
Uske teachers bhi usse proud feel kar rahe the.
"Riya, tum mein bahut potential hai," English teacher ne kaha.
"Bas hamesha apne ideas par believe karna."
Riya ko yeh sab sun kar bahut accha lag raha tha.
Lekin uske mind mein kabhi-kabhi ek question aata tha.
Kya woh mysterious train sach mein real thi?
Us raat jab sab so rahe the, Riya apne room ki window ke paas khadi thi.
Bahar same thandi hawa chal rahi thi jaise us raat chal rahi thi.
Usne clock ki taraf dekha.
11:58 PM
Uska heart thoda fast beat karne laga.
Kya aaj phir koi train aayegi?
Do minute baad clock ne 12:00 AM dikhaya.
Riya quietly wait karne lagi.
Lekin is baar koi train whistle nahi aayi.
Sab kuch bilkul normal tha.
Riya halka sa muskura di.
"Shayad woh train sirf ek baar hi aati hai," usne socha.
Aur shayad woh tab aati hai jab kisi ko life ka direction samajhne ki zarurat hoti hai.
Agle kuch months mein Riya ne school activities mein zyada participate karna start kar diya.
Woh debates, speeches aur competitions mein part lene lagi.
Har baar jab woh stage par jaati, usse thoda nervous feel hota.
Lekin usse ek baat yaad aati:
Fear ke bawajood try karna hi courage hota hai.
Dheere-dheere Riya school mein ek confident speaker ke naam se famous ho gayi.
Ek din school assembly mein principal ne announce kiya:
"Is saal state level speech competition ke liye hamare school se Riya represent karegi."
Hall mein claps gunj uthi.
Riya ko thoda surprise hua, lekin woh excited bhi thi.
Us moment mein usse phir se woh mysterious train yaad aayi.
Agar woh journey nahi hoti, toh shayad woh aaj yahan tak nahi pahunchti.
Competition ke din Riya apne parents ke saath city ja rahi thi.
Car railway station ke paas se guzri.
Riya ne automatically window se bahar dekha.
Wahi platform.
Wahi tracks.
Sab kuch normal lag raha tha.
Lekin us moment mein Riya ko aisa feel hua jaise usne platform ke corner par kisi ko khade dekha.
Ek old man.
White hair.
Black coat.
Aur haath mein ek pocket watch.
Riya ne surprise se dobara dekha.
Lekin car aage badh chuki thi aur ab wahan koi nahi tha.
Riya thodi der ke liye silent ho gayi.
Kya woh sach mein wahi old man tha?
Ya phir sirf imagination?
Usne softly smile ki.
"Jo bhi tha… usne meri life change kar di," usne socha.
Competition hall pahunch kar Riya stage ke paas khadi thi.
Uska heart phir se fast beat kar raha tha.
Lekin is baar woh nervousness se zyada excitement feel kar rahi thi.
Usne apni speech start ki.
Topic tha:
"The Power of Choices."
Riya ne audience ko bataya ki life mein har din chhote-chhote decisions hote hain.
Kabhi-kabhi woh decisions simple lagte hain — jaise try karna ya give up karna.
Lekin wahi decisions future ko shape dete hain.
Speech ke end mein Riya ne kaha:
"Life ek journey ki tarah hai. Kabhi-kabhi hume lagta hai ki koi aur hamara future decide karega… lekin sach ye hai ki hamari choices hi hamara future banati hain."
Audience ne loud claps kiye.
Riya ke face par ek confident smile aa gayi.
Us moment mein usse feel hua ki uski real journey ab start hui hai.
Woh mysterious train shayad uski life ka sirf ek chapter thi.
Real journey toh ab thi — jahan woh apne decisions khud le rahi thi.
Us raat jab Riya ghar wapas aayi, woh thodi der ke liye apni window ke paas khadi rahi.
Clock ne 11:11 PM dikhaya.
Riya ne aasman ki taraf dekha aur softly smile ki.
Usse ab kisi mysterious train ka wait nahi tha.
Kyuki ab usse pata tha —
Uski life ki train ka driver woh khud hai.
Aur uski journey abhi bas shuru hui thi.