Hi, I am Ariel. I belong to a middle-class family. I live with my parents and my elder sister. My sister is paralyzed, so my parents keep pressuring me to study hard, get a good job, and earn a lot of money. But I wasn’t interested in studying. I wanted to be a singer. Sometimes, I write stories like “Revenge to Death”, “Dangerous Virus”, and so on. I also love to dance, paint, and create websites. But my parents didn’t allow me to do that.

I was average in studies, but my parents wanted me to be excellent. They didn’t want me to get involved in singing, dancing, painting, or writing stories. I used to feel that my parents were controlling my life. My dad was very strict. He never wanted me to take part in extracurricular activities. My mom supported me a little, but she was helpless because of my dad.

I used to sing a lot when I was alone at home. Sometimes, I would sing and dance alone in my room after my parents had gone to sleep. I also sang in front of my friends, and they praised me a lot. I really felt that I had a nice voice. I used to participate in school dance programs as well beyond my dad's permission. I also showed my paintings and drawings to my friends and gave them my stories to read. My friends always loved them, and I felt so happy with them at school.

But when I came home, I felt like I was in prison, where my parents always pressured me to study. I didn’t talk much with them like others did. Most of the time, I just stayed in my room.

I completed my SEE and +2. I still wanted to become a singer, but my parents didn’t support that dream. When my 12th board results came out, they were good. I secured an A+. My parents were finally satisfied. As a gift, they even bought me my own phone. I was really happy, but deep down, I still truly wanted to be a singer.

One day, I told my parents about my dream. They were completely shocked. They believed I didn't have any singing talent, so they immediately refused. I kept requesting them again and again, but they wouldn't accept it. When I brought it up once more, my dad got angry and slapped me hard. Both my mom and I were shocked. There was a pin-drop silence for a moment.

Then my dad said one thing before walking away:

"Singing is a waste of time."

I broke into pieces. I went to my room and cried all night.

The next morning, I told my parents again that I really wanted to be a singer. This time, my dad said,

"If you really want to be a singer, then get out of my house."

I was stunned. I couldn’t say anything. My mom tried to calm him down. I was so angry. I started packing my bags. My mom tried to stop me, but I didn’t listen.

And I left home.

And that’s where my singing journey began.

When I left my house with my belongings, I started to feel lucky. I didn’t know where to go, but I had my best friend, so I called her and told her I was coming. She looked confused when she saw me with all my things.

“Where are you going? And what are these?” she asked.

I told her everything that had happened. She was shocked to hear my story. She said she would talk to my parents and convince them, but I didn’t want her to do that. Instead, I asked her for help and told her, “I don’t want to stay in this country. I want to go abroad. I will go there and fulfill my dream.”

She tried to convince me many times, but I didn’t listen to her at all. At last, we started the process for the visa. I didn’t have much money, but I had a bank account, so I withdrew about 2.5 lakhs. I also made a passport and applied for a U.S. visa.

I thought to myself, “If I don’t get the visa the first time, I’ll try a second time. If I fail again, I’ll just stay in this country.” But fortunately, I got the visa on my very first attempt. I was so happy. I stayed at my best friend’s house until my visa was approved, and then I left for the U.S., saying goodbye to her.

When I reached the U.S, a completely new country for me. I didn’t know anyone there. I had no idea where to go or what to do. I just kept walking and walking, with plenty of food in my backpack.

Whenever I became tired, I would stay at a bus stop and spend the night there. I used to feel scared, but it was the only safe place I could stay. After a week, a girl my age approached me while I was resting at a bus stop in Washington, D.C. I felt a little scared when I saw her. She smiled and said hello to me, and I also greeted her back. She was kind. She asked about me, and I told her everything, hoping for help. Then she told me that I could stay at her house until I found a job. I was so happy and went with her.

She took me to her house, which looked very wealthy. She introduced me to her parents, and I greeted them politely. They were so friendly and didn’t hesitate to let me stay. I felt so lucky and thanked both them and her. Her name was Siyena, and she quickly became very close to me. I stayed there for five days and felt comfortable with them. They also liked my voice whenever I sang. After a week, Siyena came to me and said that an institution was holding a singing audition, and she encouraged me to participate. She knew that I would be selected in the singing audition, so she sent me there. I was a little nervous, but Siyena comforted and supported me a lot. I gave the audition and got selected. I became so happy and hugged Siyena. I even got a little emotional. After the audition, I started singing regularly in that institution. People also loved me and my voice very much. I also received permanent residency in the US.

After a few months, some people started offering me opportunities to sing in music videos, and I worked on those too.

Slowly, I started to appear in music videos of my own songs. My singing career began to progress rapidly. I even received the award for "Best Singer of the Year." Everyone loved my voice and my songs. I started earning money and became rich and popular. With the money I earned from singing, I built a house and lived there. I also sent some money to Siyena’s family every month to repay their kindness. Siyena often visited me, and we became like best friends. After two years, I received offers to work in short films, and I acted in them as well. Besides singing, I also dance, learn painting, make websites, write stories, and sell them. I'm earning money from multiple sources. I was even offered roles in movies, but I declined due to my busy schedule.

I was enjoying my life, but I always missed my parents, and I didn't think they would ever want me to come back home. Every month, I sent some money to my parents from an anonymous sender.

After a year, I got a call from an unknown number. I was scared because it was my personal number, only close people knew it. I started panicking, thinking my number had been leaked. Still, I picked up the call.

An older man spoke and called me by my name. The voice sounded familiar. I asked, 'Who are you?'

From the call, he replied, 'I am your father.'

I was shocked. I couldn’t believe my ears. At the same time, I was overwhelmed with happiness. He asked me to come back home. OMGGGG!!! I was so excited! I packed my things, did some shopping, and took a flight home.

I reached home. That was the first time I felt nervous about going back. I noticed so many changes in the house. I rang the bell, and Mom opened the door. She looked older. I smiled and greeted her. She hugged me, and we both became emotional. At the same time, Dad also came out and saw me. He wasn’t angry at all. He too looked much older. I hugged my dad as well, and it felt like heaven to hold them again.

My parents started asking me where I had been all these years, so I told them everything. They apologized for kicking me out of the house, but I didn’t want them to feel sorry, so I forgave them. I looked around the house, recalling old memories. Everything seemed different.

My sister had grown up so much. At first, she refused to recognize me, but after some convincing, she became comfortable with me again. I told my parents that I had come to take them with me to the US. They agreed. I had also brought gifts for them, and then I revealed that I was the one who had been sending them money as the “secret sender.” They told me they already knew.

Later, I visited my old friends and my best friend who helped me and enjoyed spending time with them. Some kids in my country recognized me as a singer, so they approached me for autographs. Finally, I took my parents and sister with me to the US, and now we live here happily ever after.

Thank you!