NOT SO DIFFRENT
The story begins in a small house, in a small room, where a boy named Ansh is trying to gather money to pay his class fees. It’s the end of the month, and he’s anxious — because it’s been two months since he paid any fees. He’s scared about going to class, afraid of what the teacher might say. Although he has some money, it’s still not enough.
On the other side, there’s another boy, Priyansh, who comes from a rich family. He’s out partying without a care in the world. He doesn’t worry about today or tomorrow — his family never lets him feel the lack of anything. But deep inside, he’s almost depressed. When Priyansh returns home after a party, he often hears the same taunts:
“Look at you, can’t do anything with your life. You don’t even try. Look at Ansh — he’s your age, same class, lives alone and still manages everything himself. But you — you’re useless.”
Angry and hurt, Priyansh goes to the roof to cool off. There, he sees Ansh sitting alone and crying. At first, he tries to ignore it, but he can’t. He walks over and asks,
“Are you okay? Is something wrong? You can tell me if you want.”
Ansh, already upset, doesn’t know Priyansh well, so he says nothing and walks away. After he leaves, Priyansh notices some money lying there. He picks it up, thinking he’ll return it to Ansh. Just then, Ansh returns, takes the money silently from his hand, and walks away without a word.
The Next Day
Both Ansh and Priyansh are on their way to class — one walking, the other cycling. Priyansh offers to walk together, but Ansh ignores him. At class, Priyansh waits for him, and eventually, Ansh arrives. Priyansh walks with him, trying to start a conversation, but Ansh shows no interest.
When they reach class, the teacher calls Ansh and scolds him for not paying his fees. Ansh gives all the money he has and says,
“Sir, this is all I have right now. I promise to pay the full amount next month.”
The teacher warns him:
“Next time, pay on time. Or don’t bother coming back.”
Hurt and embarrassed, Ansh walks back after class. Priyansh catches up to him and asks,
“Why was the teacher scolding you? Is everything okay?” But Ansh ignores him again and walks away.
Later, Priyansh sees Ansh going somewhere and secretly follows him — only to discover that Ansh is working in a shop. Priyansh doesn’t like what he sees, but he says nothing.
That Night
There’s another fight at Priyansh’s home. He escapes to the roof again — and, like always, finds Ansh already there. This time, Priyansh asks gently,
“Everything okay?”
Ansh responds with a simple nod. Priyansh continues,
“Why don’t you apply somewhere else? You already work part-time, right? You can try freelancing too.”
This gives Ansh a little hope. He asks,
“How do I apply?”
Priyansh replies,
“I’ll show you tomorrow in class. Oh, and by the way... I saw you working at that shop.”
Ansh is startled — he never wanted anyone to know. At first, he’s angry, but then he opens up and tells Priyansh everything. Priyansh says:
“Look, why don’t you just borrow the money from me for now?”
Ansh refuses. Priyansh expected that.
“I knew you’d say no. But listen — take the money now, and pay me back later when you can. Don’t worry, it’s my money, earned through my hard work. I’ll pay your class fees — just give me back whatever you already paid.”
Ansh agrees and nods.
“And don’t forget,” Priyansh adds, “Apply for the job tomorrow — no excuses.”
The Next Day
This time, Ansh goes to Priyansh and says,
“Let’s walk together today.”
Priyansh is thrilled. They go to class together. Priyansh teaches Ansh how to apply for jobs online, and within 2-3 hours, Ansh lands a part-time job. From then on, the two spend most of their time together.
However, Priyansh’s old friends don’t like this new friendship. One day, Ansh has no work from his new job and goes back to help at the old shop. Priyansh’s old friends see him there and begin mocking him.
“Seriously? That’s the guy you’re friends with? A shop worker?”
They even go to Priyansh’s house and tell his mom. She overhears the conversation. His friends manage to fill Priyansh’s mind with doubts — and he starts believing them.
The Following Day
When Ansh comes to call Priyansh for class, Priyansh makes an excuse and doesn’t go with him. Ansh goes alone. When he gets to class, he sees Priyansh is already there. He feels hurt and wonders,
“What did I do wrong? Why is he doing this?”
Worse, Priyansh’s old friends mock Ansh in front of everyone, and Priyansh says nothing. Disheartened, Ansh walks away without attending class.
Later that day, as Priyansh heads home, his old friends spot Ansh again at the shop and start mocking him. This time, Priyansh tells them to stop and tries to apologize to Ansh. But Ansh walks away.
When Priyansh reaches home, his mom scolds him,
“How could you treat your friend like this? Go and say sorry to him. Don’t throw away a real friendship just because someone else said something. You know what Ansh means to you.”
Priyansh locks himself in his room for the whole day, thinking,
“What have I done? I fought with the one person who actually cared.”
That Night
They meet on the rooftop again. But instead of fixing things, the fight gets worse. Ansh returns the remaining money and says he doesn’t want to see Priyansh’s face again.
“You call me your friend, but you don’t treat me like one. Don’t ever talk to me again.”
The Final Day
Priyansh doesn’t want to go to class, but his mom forces him. As he looks for his bicycle, he hears a voice from outside:
“Hurry up, or we’ll be late for class!”
He rushes out — it’s Ansh. Without a word, he hugs him tightly.
Priyansh’s mother watches them from the window and smiles. She says:
“Friendship is a bond we choose ourselves. Don’t ever lose it just because of a third person’s words.”
“Never believe in a third person — they will ruin everything you have.”
