SUNSHIINE

Bangalore mornings had their own chaos — honking cars, rushing metro lines, and people chasing time like it owed them something. But for Meher Sharma, the chaos wasn't outside.

It was within walls that were supposed to feel like home.

The warm aroma of aloo paratha filled the dining room. Meher sat at the table, quietly taking a bite — her favourite, made by her uncle, who always remembered her tiny food preferences even when no one else did.

"How is it, beta?" her uncle asked with a warm smile, pouring chai into her cup.

"It's perfect, chachu," Meher smiled, truly grateful. For a moment, it felt like a normal day.

Until...

"Wow. So now the freeloaders get royal breakfast too?" came the sharp voice of her aunt, crossing her arms as she stood at the edge of the table, glaring at her like she had committed a crime.

Meher froze mid-bite.

Behind her, Tanya, her cousin, scoffed, walking in with her usual air of superiority, dressed like she had a runway show in the morning.

"Seriously, mom. She wakes up, eats the best food, roams around in our clothes, and does what exactly? Job hunting? Must be exhausting scrolling LinkedIn all day," Tanya added with a fake laugh.

Meher's hand gripped the edge of her plate. Her appetite died instantly.

"That's enough," her uncle muttered, trying to control his voice.

"She's already going through a lot. Can you both stop making it worse?"

But the mother-daughter duo didn't know how to stop.

"Of course, it's always about poor Meher, right? She's a guest who overstayed her welcome. What about our daughter? She's doing an MBA, she doesn't have time to sulk around the house!"

Each word stung like needles.

Meher stood up slowly.

"I... I'm not hungry anymore,"

she said, her voice barely audible.

Leaving the half-eaten breakfast behind, she walked out of the dining area, head held high but heart crumbling with every step.

Back in her room, Meher stared blankly at her laptop screen. Another rejection email blinked at her like a cruel joke.

She closed the laptop.

For days she had been applying, attending walk-ins, sending follow-ups. Nothing. No replies. No interviews. No breaks.

She wasn't asking for luxury. Just dignity.

Just a chance to prove she could be more than a "burden."

Her chest felt heavy. She sat on her bed and buried her face into her knees.

"Maybe I need a break... Maybe I've reached my limit," she thought.

But deep inside, something screamed louder — her self-respect had been slapped across the breakfast table, and that sting wasn't going away anytime soon.

Tears had dried up by now. But her heart? It still stung with every word replaying in her head.

"Freeloader... burden... useless..."

Meher stared at the blank wall of her room. Her laptop sat at the edge of her table, as if mocking her failed efforts. The world outside was moving, progressing. And here she was — still stuck, still waiting, still unwanted.

No more.

She wiped her face and pulled the laptop back onto her lap, opened her job portals, and typed:

"Any jobs near me"
"Immediate hiring"
"Freshers openings – assistant, receptionist, sales..."

It didn't matter anymore if the role was in line with her B.Tech in AI/ML.

She couldn't afford to be picky. Not today.

She clicked "Apply" like a machine — resume, send, done. One after another. Office assistant. HR executive. Sales trainee. Receptionist. Telecaller. Even customer support and data entry.

She didn't even bother reading the eligibility criteria. If someone opened the door even a little, she would knock it down if needed.

She needed this.

Not for money. Not even for experience.

But to prove she wasn't the burden they painted her to be.

Her phone buzzed — one of the job portals said, "Your profile is under review." For once, the little notification didn't feel fake.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Puffy eyes, tired soul, but there was something new in her gaze — fire.

"Enough is enough," she whispered to herself.

....

The sun had set long ago, but Meher hadn't even noticed.

Her eyes burned from staring at the screen all day, her fingers numb from filling out countless forms — jobs she never dreamed of doing, some she didn't even understand. But she kept applying. Kept going. Because quitting was not an option anymore.

It was nearly 9 PM when her phone buzzed.

Uncle Ramesh calling...

"Meher beta, did you eat something? I just reached Mumbai. I'll be back by Sunday, okay? Don't skip your meals. Please go down and eat dinner. Don't mind the rest... you know how they are."

His voice — kind, warm, and genuine — was the only softness left in her day.

"Okay, chachu"

she whispered, forcing a smile through the phone even though he couldn't see it.

Downstairs, the table was set. Her aunt and cousin were already halfway through dinner. Meher quietly took the seat at the corner.

Just one bite. Just one peaceful bite.

"Oh, look who finally showed up. Done pretending to job-hunt now?"

her cousin Tanya sneered, scooping another spoonful of pulao.

Meher didn't respond.

Her aunt didn't need an invitation to jump in.
"Honestly, Ramesh spoils you too much. If it were up to me, I'd have sent you to a hostel long ago. A grown girl eating, sleeping, living on someone else's money."

Meher's spoon paused mid-air.

"You know what hurts the most?"

her aunt continued, voice rising. "Your parents left the world in peace, and left you behind for us — a mistake that we're still paying for. A trash we can't even throw out because people will talk."

Silence.

Tanya laughed under her breath. "Such a drama queen. Can't even land a job and acts like she's the queen of the house."

Meher stood up. Not slowly. Not calmly.
Just stood.

And walked away.

No suitcase. No plan. No phone. No words.

Only her self-respect, clutched tightly to her chest like the last piece of her shattered dignity.

As the door slammed behind her, her aunt snorted, "Dramabaz. That girl lives for attention."

Tanya hummed in agreement, sipping water like it was just another Wednesday.

But Meher?

Meher had just walked away from the only roof she had ever known.

And she wasn't planning on looking back..

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