Canvas of Timeless Fate

Being an orphan teaches you two things: how to survive and how to expect nothing from the world. My life has always been a mix of both. Growing up in an orphanage wasn't easy. People often imagine it's a place full of camaraderie and shared struggles, but the truth is far from it. It's a place where you learn to fend for yourself, where the weak are preyed upon, and where the world's indifference seeps into your bones.

Our orphanage was sponsored by a big organization, and a few of us were lucky enough to get scholarships to study in their schools and colleges. I was one of those few. But even with this opportunity, life didn't suddenly become a fairytale. Being an orphan meant I was always a target for bullies-an easy one.

But I wasn't weak.

As a child, I decided I wouldn't let anyone walk over me. The taunts, the shoves, the cruel laughter-they shaped me, but not in the way the bullies intended. I learned self-defense and martial arts , thanks to our head ,mr. Agarwal . Every punch I threw at a training bag was a silent vow to protect myself. And it worked. Over time, people learned to fear me, or at least, to leave me alone. But fear doesn't breed respect. It isolates you.

I didn't care. Or at least, I told myself I didn't.

The head of our orphanage, Mr. Agarwal, was the only person who ever treated me like family. He saw something in me, something worth nurturing. He gave me his surname, a piece of identity I had never had before. And so, I became Prerna Agarwal.

Now, at twenty-one, I was in college, trying to stay invisible. Oversized hoodies were my armor, and I kept my face partially covered, avoiding attention. It wasn't that I was shy-I just didn't see the point in standing out. People either ignored me or treated me like an outcast. The few who dared to bully me learned quickly that I wasn't an easy target, thanks to my self-defense skills. But their fear didn't make them stop ostracizing me. I was the girl no one wanted to sit with, the girl people whispered about but never approached.

Except for Sammy.

Sammy was the one bright spot in my otherwise gray existence. She came from a prestigious family, the kind of family that could've ignored someone like me. But she didn't. She treated me like an equal, like a friend. I had saved her from being bullied once, and she never forgot it. She stuck by me, even when it meant going against the crowd.

"Prerna, are you packed yet?" Sammy's cheerful voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

I looked up from my bed, where I had been folding clothes. "Almost. Just a few more things to go."

Sammy plopped down on my bed, her perfectly styled hair bouncing as she moved. She was everything I wasn't-outgoing, confident, effortlessly beautiful. But she never made me feel less because of it.

"You're actually excited about this trip, aren't you?" she teased, grinning.

"Of course I am," I admitted, unable to hide my smile. "It's a history museum, Sammy. They've just uncovered a new portrait of a princess from centuries ago. Do you know how rare that is?"