The Man Who Tried

 Once upon a time, in a quiet village, lived a cheerful young boy named Arjun. Full of dreams, he left for a big city to pursue engineering — the first in his family to do so. Life in the city was tough, but Arjun carried his village’s warmth and simplicity in his heart.

In college, he met Meera — smart, confident, and beautiful. Arjun liked her instantly. She reminded him of everything pure and kind in the world. Slowly, without making it obvious, he started helping her — with notes, assignments, even just by being there when she needed someone to listen.

To support himself, Arjun worked part-time at a rich merchant’s shop. He attended college during the day and worked at night. He never complained. He was always smiling — to others, to himself, to life.

Meera noticed him. His quiet strength, his selfless care. Love blossomed between them, and after graduation, they got married.

For a while, life was beautiful — full of shared dreams, laughter, and little moments. But slowly, reality crept in. Fights began — over small things. Neither of them wanted to bend. Both believed they were right.

Their families, instead of mending the rift, took sides. “My child is right,” each said, and the gap widened.

Then, their son, Aarav, was born. A new light entered their world. Both Arjun and Meera loved him deeply. But even he couldn't stop the growing silence and misunderstandings.

Aarav began to fear his father. Not because Arjun was cruel — he never raised his voice, never denied his son anything. But maybe it was the distance, the lesser time spent together. Or maybe Meera’s silent tears spoke more than words. Aarav started waiting for his father to leave, so he could feel free.

Arjun tried — oh, he tried. He stayed up late to get Aarav the bicycle he wanted. He listened patiently when Aarav spoke about school. But nothing seemed enough. He could feel his wife drifting too. He began to wonder — “What am I doing wrong?”

One sleepless night, he walked out of the house. The streets were empty, the world asleep. And in that moment, a thought struck him: If something happened to me right now, would anyone even know? Would anyone care?

He had never shared his pain. He had always believed that if he gave his best, things would work out. But maybe the family wanted something else. Something he never understood.

The next morning, he returned, smiled as always, helped pack Aarav’s school bag, and went to work.

Something inside him had changed though. He had turned emotionless on the outside. He stopped expecting love, understanding, or even taking thanks.

But deep within, he still loved. He still hop
ed. He still watched his son play and smiled. He just told himself, Maybe it’s good if Aarav doesn’t love me. When I’m gone, he won’t miss me much. He won’t be hurt.

And with that thought, Arjun continued his life — quietly, selflessly — like he always had.

He was never perfect.

But he always tried