Cancer and Scholarship

Chapter 4 —

Meera hated hospitals.

The smell of medicines, the white walls, the long queues, the sound of people crying quietly — all of it made her feel scared and tired. But after her mother got sick, hospitals became a part of her life.

Every week after school, Meera would go straight to the government hospital with her mother. She would hold the file, stand in line, talk to nurses, buy medicines, and then help her mother walk back home slowly.

She was still a child, but life had already made her responsible for another life.

One evening, when they returned from the hospital, her mother was very tired. She lay down on the bed and called Meera near her.

“Meera, study well. Only education will change your life.”

Meera nodded and said, “I will come first again this time too.”

Her mother smiled weakly and touched her head.

That scholarship was the most important thing in Meera’s life. Without it, she could not continue school. She already worked small jobs to buy medicines, notebooks, and food. School fees were impossible without the scholarship.

So Meera’s life became a routine:

School

Work

Hospital

Study

Sleep for a few hours

Repeat

While other students were worried about homework and exams, Meera was worried about medicine money, rent, food, and her mother’s health.

But no one in school knew this.

In school, she was just the quiet topper girl.

And in the same school, Aarav Malhotra was still busy making her life difficult.

One day, exam results were announced again.

As always, Meera stood first. Aarav stood second.

The teacher praised Meera in front of the whole class. “Very good Meera, keep it up. You are the pride of this school.”

The whole class clapped.

Aarav was clapping too — slowly, sarcastically, with a smirk on his face.

After class, he stopped Meera in the corridor.

“Do you ever get tired of coming first?” he asked.

Meera tried to walk past him, but he moved in front of her again.

“I am talking to you.”

She finally spoke softly, “I need the scholarship.”

Aarav frowned. “So? Come second once. Nothing will happen.”

Meera looked at him for the first time properly and said something he didn’t expect.

“If I come second, I may have to leave school.”

For a moment, Aarav didn’t know what to say.

But his ego spoke before his mind.

“Then leave. Who cares?”

Meera didn’t reply. She just walked away.

But for the first time, Aarav felt something strange.

He had bullied her for years, but he never knew that her first rank was not for pride — it was for survival.

Still, he didn’t stop.

Because ego is a strange thing.

Sometimes people continue doing wrong things even after knowing the truth, just because they don’t want to accept they were wrong.

From that day, Aarav started telling her again and again:

“Next exam, don’t come first.”

“Try coming second once.”

“Let me come first.”

But Meera could not do that.

Not because she wanted to defeat him.

But because she had no backup, no family, no money, no support.

Her rank was her only support.

But Aarav didn’t see her problems.

He only saw his position.

Second place.

And every time he saw her name above his on the result sheet, his ego burned a little more.

So he decided something again.

If she would not stop coming first…

He would make sure she paid a price for it.

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