A girl named Ananya was pride of her school
Since from childhood.She always stood first in her class.Every year her report card showed only one thing -Rank 1.
Teachers praised her,Relatives compared her with own childrens.Her parents would proudly say"Our daughter will become an engineer".But no one ever asked Ananya what she wants to become.
Every day her life followed the same routine-school,coaching,class,homework,tests,sleep.
Her table was full of books,formulae and notes.
There was no time for fun,no time for friends and no time for herself.But inside her cupboard hidden between textbook,there was a small sketch book."That sketchbook was her secret world". Whenever she felt tired,or stressed, she opened it and started drawing.Colors made her happy.Painting gave her peace.When she painted,she forgot about her marks and ranks.
One day,her school announced an inter-school art competition.Her heart jumped with excitement.She wanted to participate,but she was afraid."What will my parents say?They only care about marks",she thought.
Still,she gathered courage and secretly registered her name.For days,she studied at home and painted at night.She slept only a few hours,but for the first time,she felt alive.
Competition day arrived.
She painted a beautiful picture of a bird breaking free from cage-showing freedom from pressure.
When the judges announced the result,the judge called out,
"First prize goes to....Ananya!".
Her hands trembled.Tears filled her eyes.It was the first time she won something for her passion,not marks.But the real surprise came when her parents attended the prize ceremony.They saw her painting displayed on the stage .They saw the happiness on her face -something they had never seen before.
Her mother softly said,"I have never seen you smile.like this during exams".
That day,they finally understood.
Marks gave her succes,but painting gave her happiness
After many discussions,her parents supported her decision to join a design and fine arts college.
Years later,Ananya became a famous illustrator.She no longer chased rank 1.
She chased her dreams.
And this time,she truly felt first in her life.
Moral:-
Marks may measure intelligence but passion gives meaning to life.