There was no one there to tell me that I couldn’t.

In the bustling city of Mumbai lived a girl named Riya. She came from a modest background, with her father working as a security guard and her mother a housekeeper. From a young age, Riya had a fascination for books. She loved the adventures they held within their pages and the places they took her to, all from the safety of her humble home.

Riya’s family, though supportive, could not afford many luxuries. Books were considered one such luxury. Her parents would often remind her, “Books are expensive, Riya, we should be spending on necessities, not luxuries.” Yet, the fire of her passion for reading was undeterred.

One day, on her way back from school, she noticed an old man struggling with his load of books. With a heart full of kindness, Riya rushed to help him. The old man turned out to be the owner of a small, second-hand bookstore. To thank her, he offered Riya a book of her choice. That day, she returned home with a gleaming smile and a copy of ‘The Secret Garden’.

Following this, Riya began to visit the bookstore regularly, helping the old man with his daily chores. In return, she was allowed to read the books. She spent hours engrossed in the world of words, losing herself in the tales of courage, love, and adventure.

One day, the old man noticed Riya reading a book on programming. He was surprised and asked her why she was interested in such a complex subject. Riya replied, “I want to become a software engineer, but everyone tells me it’s a dream too big for a girl like me.” The old man just smiled and said, “Dear child, there’s no one here to tell you that you can’t.”

Emboldened by the old man’s words, Riya threw herself into learning programming languages from the books available in the bookstore. She began to create small applications, using the old, discarded computer in the bookstore.

Word soon spread about the talented young coder. A local NGO, aiming to promote education among underprivileged children, heard about Riya. They offered her a scholarship to pursue her studies in computer science. Riya’s dream was finally becoming a reality.

Riya’s story illustrates how powerful self-belief can be. Despite her humble background and the societal norms that attempted to limit her ambitions, she dared to dream big. She didn’t let her circumstances define her future. Instead, she used every opportunity to inch closer to her dream, reminding herself, “There was no one there to tell me that I couldn’t.”

The moral of this story echoes the spirit of- Believe in yourself, Utilise the resources available to you, and don’t let others’ perceptions limit your potential. You are the creator of your own destiny!!