In my last 13 years, everything has changed—my life, my perspective, everything. Until yesterday, I didn't even know the purpose of my existence. Living or dying never mattered to me. But now, I feel compelled to revisit the moment where everything began. It was 13 years ago, when I was just 2 years old.
"Hey Uncle, are we there yet?" I asked, leaning forward in the car.
"Not yet," my uncle replied. "But we're close."
I remember this journey like it happened yesterday. Just five days earlier, my family told me I'd be living with my uncle from now on. I didn't protest because I knew it wouldn't change anything even if I did. My family had always treated me differently, thinking I was a prodigy because, unlike other kids in my neighborhood who struggled with basic ABCs, I could already read, write, and speak English fluently.
But I never saw it as a big deal. I loved reading novels, no matter the genre or whether they were age-appropriate. However, I couldn't help but feel that the love and life I read about in those stories didn't exist in real life. My family didn't really love me for who I was—they loved me for being "smart." If I were average or "dumb" like the other kids, I'm sure they'd treat me like an afterthought.
"Hey! What are you doing?" my uncle called out, pulling me out of my thoughts. "We're here. Don't you want to get out of the car?"
"Oh, sorry, I was daydreaming," I mumbled, stepping out.
My aunt, Mina, greeted me warmly. "Hey, little one! Don't you remember me?" she teased. "Or have you already forgotten your Aunt Mina?"
"No, I remember you," I replied with a shy smile.
Their house wasn't very large, but it was cozy. My uncle, a former military man, had become a doctor after leaving the army. Living here wasn't a problem for me—what worried me was sharing a room with my uncle's two sons, Hunni and Sumit, who were my polar opposites. Hunni had already gone through three girlfriends, Sumit was hopelessly loyal to one, and I didn't even know what having a girlfriend meant.
We celebrated my arrival with a small family party. When it was time to sleep, the inevitable argument began.
"I'll sleep with him," Hunni declared.
"No, I will!" Sumit countered.
"It's fine," I interjected. "I'll sleep with Sumit today and Hunni tomorrow. How's that for a plan?"
The night passed, and the next morning, I woke up at 4 AM for a quick workout before school. After breakfast—aloo parathas, a family favorite—I found myself standing in front of my new school.
Admitting a kid like me to a higher grade wasn't easy, but the school finally relented. During lunch, I was quietly eating when a group of boys approached me.
"Hey newbie, what's that you're eating?" one of them sneered.
"It's my lunch," I replied, keeping calm.
Their ringleader nodded toward a girl in the corner. "See her? She says you've got a pretty face."
"So what?" I said, uninterested.
But the boy didn't like my response. "I like her, and she likes you. That's a problem." Without warning, he threw a punch.
I dodged instinctively and retaliated. My fist connected, and the boy staggered back. The entire class froze.
"What are you doing?!" he yelled, clutching his cheek.
"I just defended myself," I replied coldly.
Before I knew it, his friends—and even his older brother—charged at me. I didn't have time to think. I fought back, adrenaline surging through my veins. Despite being outnumbered, I managed to hold my ground.
Just as the chaos reached its peak, the PT teacher burst in. "What's going on here?!"
He saw me bruised but standing, surrounded by a pile of groaning boys. "You're coming with me," he barked.
The school expelled me on the spot, citing "violence" as the reason. My uncle was furious when he heard about it, yelling at me all the way home. But my cousins, Hunni and Sumit, had a different reaction.
"You took down all those kids and their older brother?" Hunni asked, impressed.
"You've got guts, kid," Sumit added. "But you've got to be careful. Next time, let us handle the bigger guys, alright?"
The next evening, a message arrived on my uncle's phone: I had been accepted into a new school—a prestigious academy for elites. I was nervous but excited to start fresh.
The next morning, as I entered the new school, a girl approached me. "Hi, Parvat. The principal wants to see you," she said.
I followed her to the office, where the principal, an intimidating man with an aura that made me want to kneel, was waiting.
"So, you're the boy who beat up an entire class without even activating an ability," he said.
"What's an ability?" I asked, confused.
He smiled. "This isn't just any school. Show me your strength. Hit me with everything you've got."
"I don't see a reason to hit you, sir," I said.
He slapped me. My heart raced, adrenaline kicking in. "Just touch me once, and I'll let you go," he said.
Reluctantly, I threw a punch. He blocked it effortlessly and kicked me, sending me flying into the door. The impact left me dazed.
The principal laughed. "You've got potential. I think I've found my successor. Mia!" he called out. A woman entered the room. "Train him," he ordered. "From today, he's your responsibility."
And just like that, my life took a turn I could never have imagined.