In Greenwood International School, there was a legend.

Not a ghost legend.

Not a horror legend.

An academic, sports, dance, music, everything legend.

Her name was Ananya Verma.

Even after twenty years, teachers still used her example to scare… sorry, motivate students.

“If Ananya Verma could do it, why can’t you?”

“She was topper, sports captain, dancer, pianist — everything!”

“She slept only 5 hours and still came first!”

Students used to whisper,

“Ma’am, woh human thi ya robot? (Ma’am, was she human or robot?)”

Because Ananya Verma was the only student in school history who won:

First in Academics

First in Sports

First in Cultural Activities

Best Student Award

All in the same year.

And after her, no one ever managed to do that again.

Her photos were hanging in the school hall — four big frames. Every student who passed by looked at them at least once and thought:

“Yeh ladki thakti nahi thi kya? (Did this girl never get tired?)”

But Ananya was not just hardworking. She was confident, fearless, and a little bit stubborn.

Actually… very stubborn.

Ananya came from a very rich business family. Big house, big cars, big business, big ego family.

Her father had already decided her future:

Finish college

Marry rich businessman’s son

Join family business

Perfect rich life

But life had another plan.

Ananya fell in love.

Not with a businessman.

Not with a rich boy.

But with a simple employee in her father’s company.

Rajiv Malhotra.

He was hardworking, honest, ambitious, and very charming. The kind of man who talks nicely and makes you believe he will protect you forever.

And Ananya believed him.

When her father found out, the house became a battlefield.

“You can have money, power, business, everything… but you cannot marry that man,” her father shouted.

Ananya crossed her arms and replied calmly:

“Dad, I have won every competition in my life.

This is the first thing I am choosing for myself.

Main Rajiv se hi shaadi karungi. (I will only marry Rajiv.)”

Her father gave her one final choice:

“If you marry him, you are no longer my daughter.”

The whole house went silent.

Ananya looked at Rajiv, then at her father, and then said slowly:

“Then today I choose to be his wife instead of your daughter.”

And just like that, she walked out of her rich house with one suitcase and a lot of love.

At that time, she thought love was enough.

Life was about to teach her otherwise.

For the first few years, life was beautiful.

Small house. Small car. Small kitchen. But big happiness.

Then her son was born.

She thought,

“Ab life perfect hai. (Now life is perfect.)”

A few years later, her daughter was born.

She thought,

“Ab toh bilkul perfect hai. (Now it is absolutely perfect.)”

But perfect life never stays perfect for long.

Rajiv’s company started growing. More money, more meetings, more parties, more office time.

Then one day, a new secretary joined the office.

Meera.

Beautiful. Smart. Ambitious. And very dangerous.

Slowly Rajiv started coming home late.

Then he stopped eating dinner with family.

Then he stopped talking.

Then he started comparing.

“Meera handles office better.”

“Meera understands business.”

“Meera supports me.”

One day Ananya finally asked:

“Do you want a wife or a secretary?”

Rajiv didn’t answer.

And that silence gave her the answer.

One evening she went to his office to surprise him.

But surprise toh usko mil gaya. (But she got the surprise.)

She saw Rajiv and Meera together.

Not talking.

Not working.

Too close to be just colleagues.

Her heart didn’t break loudly.

It broke silently.

She asked only one question:

“How long?”

Rajiv didn’t even look guilty.

He said something that hurt more than betrayal:

“You are always perfect, Ananya.

With you I feel small.

With her I feel important.”

That day Ananya Verma, the girl who had never lost in her life, lost her marriage.

She filed for divorce the next day.

She didn’t cry in front of him.

Legends don’t cry in front of people who don’t deserve their tears.

But the biggest pain was not divorce.

The biggest pain was her son.

Rajiv used money, influence, and lies to keep the son with him. He told the boy:

“Your mother left us for another man. She didn’t want us.”

The boy started hating his own mother.

Ananya lost her husband.

Then she lost her son.

Then she lost her family.

She left the city with only her daughter.

No one knew that she still secretly owned properties, shares, and money — all in her children’s names. She never told anyone.

She just said one thing to her daughter again and again:

“Never depend on anyone.

Not father, not brother, not husband.

Only depend on yourself.”

Years later, when she was very sick and lying on bed, her daughter held her hand and cried.

Ananya smiled weakly and said:

“I won every competition in school…

but I lost in life.”

“Tum meri tarah mat jeena. (Don’t live like me.)

Live for yourself.

Win for yourself.

And never let anyone steal your life.”

Those were her last words.

The legend of Greenwood School closed her eyes forever.

But legends don’t really disappear.

Sometimes…

they are reborn through their children.

After Ananya Verma died, her daughter Aarohi was only ten years old.

She didn’t understand business, property, shares, or money.

She only understood one thing — her mother was gone.

After the funeral, her father Rajiv came and took her to his house. Not their house. His house.

Aarohi stood at the big gate with a small bag in her hand. The house was big, beautiful, and cold. Very cold.

A woman came out wearing a designer saree and a sweet smile.

“Hello Aarohi, I am Meera. From now on I am your mother.”

Aarohi looked at her and said softly,

“Meri mummy already hai. (I already have a mother.)”

Meera’s smile froze for one second, then she laughed.

“Of course, beta. I mean second mother.”

Behind her stood a girl of Aarohi’s age — Riya.

Beautiful hair, expensive dress, attitude full.

Riya looked Aarohi up and down and said,

“So you are the famous daughter.”

Aarohi didn’t answer.

That was her first day in that house.

And from that day, her life slowly changed.

At first everything looked normal. But slowly slowly Aarohi understood the rules of the house.

Rule 1: Riya always comes first.

Rule 2: Aarohi always helps Riya.

Rule 3: Aarohi never argues.

Rule 4: Aarohi never wins.

Yes. Never wins.

The first time Aarohi came first in class after moving there, she ran home happily with her report card.

“Papa! I came first!”

She thought he would be proud.

But her father looked at the report card and then looked at Meera.

Meera smiled and said softly,

“Aarohi beta, next time let Riya come first. She gets very sad when she loses.”

Aarohi thought she was joking.

She wasn’t.

Her father said seriously,

“You are younger, you can come first later. Let your sister shine.”

That day Aarohi learned something very important.

In that house, her success was someone else’s problem.

After that day, whenever there was a competition, Meera would come to her room and say sweetly:

“Aarohi, you will participate but you will lose at the end, okay?”

“Riya ko jeetne do. (Let Riya win.)”

“You are a good girl, you will understand.”

And Aarohi always nodded.

Because she had no one on her side.

Her father believed Meera.

Her brother lived with his father and slowly forgot her.

Her mother was gone.

So she learned to stay quiet.

In school, Aarohi became famous for something strange.

She would:

Lead the race the whole time… then slow down at the end.

Play piano beautifully… then make one mistake at the end.

Answer all quiz questions… then give the wrong final answer.

Dance perfectly… then slip in the last step.

Teachers were confused.

Students were confused.

But Riya always got first prize.

Riya would stand on stage smiling, taking trophies, while Aarohi clapped in the audience.

One day her class teacher stopped her after school.

“Aarohi, tum jaan bujhkar haar rahi ho na? (You are losing on purpose, right?)”

Aarohi stayed silent.

Teacher said softly,

“You are the most talented student I have ever seen. Why are you doing this to yourself?”

Aarohi smiled a little and said,

“Ma’am, har competition jeetna zaroori nahi hota. (It’s not necessary to win every competition.)”

But inside she thought,

“Kabhi kabhi jeetna allowed hi nahi hota. (Sometimes you are not allowed to win.)”

Years passed like this.

Aarohi became expert in losing at the last moment.

She lost so much that people started calling her “Almost Winner.”

One day she came home and saw Riya shouting at a servant.

“You idiot! Do you know who I am? I win everything in my school!”

Aarohi stood there quietly and thought,

“Nahi Riya… tum nahi jeetti. (No Riya… you don’t win.)

Main jeetti hoon. (I win.)

Bas trophy tum le jaati ho. (Only the trophy goes to you.)”

That night Aarohi opened her cupboard and looked at a small box.

Inside the box were:

Participation certificates

Second place medals

Appreciation letters from teachers

And one photo of her mother.

She held the photo and said softly,

“Mom, you won everything.

I lose everything.”

“But I promise… agar next life mili na… (If I get another life…)

main kisi ko jeetne ke liye nahi harungi. (I won’t lose so someone else can win.)

Main sab jeetungi. (I will win everything.)”

She didn’t know at that time…

Life was already listening to her promise.

Chapter 3 – Rebirth With Memories

“Welcome to your first day of school.”

Aarohi blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

The classroom was noisy. Children were laughing, someone was crying, someone was already fighting over a pencil like it was property worth crores.

“Mera hai! (It’s mine!)”

“Nahi mera hai! (No, it’s mine!)”

Aarohi slowly looked down at her hands.

Small. Chubby. Clean.

Not the tired, rough hands of the girl who used to work late nights.

Her heart started beating faster.

She looked around.

Colorful walls. Cartoon charts. Small desks. Water bottles with superheroes.

“Yeh… school hai? (This… is school?)”

She quickly looked at the blackboard.

Class: 5th

Date: 12 July

Her breath stopped.

“Yeh… past hai. (This… is the past.)”

She suddenly stood up.

The whole class went silent.

Teacher looked at her confused,

“Aarohi? What happened?”

Aarohi sat down slowly.

“Nothing, ma’am…”

But inside?

Total system reboot.

Her mind was running faster than WiFi.

“Main… wapas aa gayi? (I… came back?)”

“Matlab… second chance? (That means… second chance?)”

“Matlab main sab change kar sakti hoon? (That means I can change everything?)”

Then suddenly one dangerous thought came.

“Matlab… main jeet sakti hoon. (That means I can win.)”

A slow smile appeared on her face.

Not a cute smile.

A revenge + confidence + genius level smile.

The girl sitting next to her moved her chair slightly away.

“Why are you smiling like villain?”

Aarohi turned to her and said sweetly,

“Bas aise hi. (Just like that.)”

But inside she was thinking:

“Ab maza aayega. (Now this will be fun.)”

That day she didn’t study.

She observed.

Who sits where.

Which teacher likes which student.

Who is topper.

Who is bully.

Who is useless.

Old Aarohi used to survive.

New Aarohi was planning to rule.

After school, she reached home.

Same big house.

Same cold feeling.

Same stepmother.

Same stepsister.

Meera said sweetly,

“Aarohi beta, school kaisa tha? (How was school?)”

Aarohi smiled politely,

“Bahut achha. (Very good.)”

Inside:

“Game start ho gaya. (Game has started.)”

That night Aarohi didn’t sleep early.

She sat with a notebook and started writing.

Things she remembers from future:

Stock market rise

Company names

Business deals

Land prices

Which companies fail

Which companies become big

Important events

She stopped and laughed softly.

“Agar yeh sab sahi hai… (If all this is correct…)

toh main already rich hoon. (Then I am already rich.)”

Then she added another list:

Things to change:

Protect mom longer

Don’t let brother hate her

Expose stepmother

Destroy stepsister ego

Never lose intentionally

Win everything

Build her own empire

She tapped the pen and said:

“Aur ek aur cheez… (And one more thing…)”

She wrote slowly:

Meet Arjun Malhotra.

She stared at the name for a second.

In her first life:

She never met him

Only heard about him

The boy who won everything

The boy her stepsister admired

The boy who never noticed her existence

She smirked.

“Is baar milte hain. (This time, let’s meet.)”

“Aur dekhte hain kaun jeetega. (And let’s see who wins.)”

Next few days, Aarohi started changing slowly.

First change?

She stopped losing.

In class quiz:

Teacher asked,

“What is the capital of France?”

Earlier Aarohi would raise hand, answer everything, then make mistake at last question.

Today?

She answered everything.

Perfect.

Teacher smiled,

“Very good, Aarohi!”

Whole class looked shocked.

Riya looked confused.

“Yeh kya ho gaya isko? (What happened to her?)”

Aarohi smiled sweetly.

“Bas thoda upgrade ho gaya. (Just got a little upgrade.)”

Then came running race.

Earlier:

Aarohi runs fast

Slows down at last

Riya wins

Today?

Aarohi ran.

Fast.

Faster.

Fastest.

And didn’t stop.

She crossed the finish line first.

Everyone clapped.

Riya stood second, shocked.

“Tumne slow kyu nahi kiya?! (Why didn’t you slow down?!)”

Aarohi looked at her and said calmly:

“Kyunki mujhe jeetna tha. (Because I wanted to win.)”

That night Meera came to her room.

Sweet voice:

“Aarohi beta, next time Riya ko jeetne dena. (Let Riya win next time.)”

Aarohi smiled politely.

“Dekhte hain. (Let’s see.)”

Meera’s smile faded slightly.

Something had changed.

Something was wrong.

This was not the same quiet, obedient Aarohi.

Aarohi stood near the window and looked at the night sky.

She whispered slowly:

“First life… I lost everything.”

“Second life…”

“Main kisi ko nahi jeetne dungi. (I won’t let anyone win over me.)”

Then she smiled again.

That same dangerous smile.

“Game on.”