Hope

"Look at yourself and then make a change.”

Michael Jackson - The Man in the Mirror

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Bullets tore through the air, forcing Maya and her friends to scramble for cover behind a torn-apart hut, barely a brick to its name. The tales of a peaceful West, as told by Maya's mother, seemed like distant fantasies to her young mind. In the war-torn ruins of her village, even a moment of respite was a privilege; yet there was a seeming calm before the storm. As Maya slept at night, sirens blared and explosions echoed in the distance, haunting her dreams. Witnessing her mother's daily prayers, just so she would survive her walk to school, shattered Maya's heart.

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Within the confines of her classroom, Maya learned about the ideals of peace, justice, and fundamental rights. Yet, to her, these concepts seemed akin to fairy tales, existing in a distant realm. As she grew up, Maya encountered people from foreign lands who had lived through this very reality. Why were they granted the opportunity to turn their dreams into reality, while Maya and her family could barely hope for another tomorrow? This wasn’t right, she thought. It was time to take things into her own hands.

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At a tender age of fifteen, Maya initiated the establishment of the White Dove, an organization uniting young individuals to combat their tyrannical government. Obstacles piled up before her relentlessly, with the government issuing threats to burn down their home. Maya's mother, consumed by fear of their lives, beseeched her to cease her endeavors. In the eyes of their community, Maya's mother was scorned and disparaged—a mere progenitress of chaos. But they were right – Maya was an agent of chaos, wreaking havoc upon the terrorist schemes. And merely within six years since the inception of her organisation, her country achieved independence, engendering an overwhelming wave of gratitude. The very demon she had been perceived as, was in truth, an angel in disguise.

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Hope is no mere fantasy, confined to our dreams and thoughts. It is a guiding star, illuminating the path to a future that beckons, but only if one believes. Clinging to hope, not only for oneself but also for those in one's orbit, means trust in a better tomorrow. Hope is not synonymous with relying on others to resolve our problems; rather, it entails a firm belief in our own capacity to forge a better future. Instead of merely yearning for change, we must actively embody it. So today, remember, don’t wait for the change to happen. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “You must be the change you wish to see in this world” .

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Shreyansh Das

8A