There is a teenage boy named Rafi, since childhood he has thought that adulthood would feel like freedom. Because he has always seen how elders have no restrictions and they get to do whatever they want.
Rafi used to imagine life after university, and he was very excited about it. Even his parents told him that after passing university he was allowed to do everything as he wanted. The thought of it always made him happy.
He wished that when becomes an adult he wanted to live alone in Dhaka, and imagined how he would always go out with friends, long drives at night and purchase the things he always wanted with his own money.
But no one in his entire life told him that adulthood comes with a cost. He didn't know that adulthood also meant worrying about unpaid bills and checking bank balances before buying a packet of chips.
Ten years passed, Rafi was now an adult. As usual Rafi went to the crowded supermarket for groceries, he was holding a basket with a few things inside. The staff kept asking him if he needed a shopping trolley. The staff noticed that Rafi only had eggs and a packet of rice in his basket, then the staff moved away making a face.
Rafi, went to the cashier to pay the bill but in his mind he kept calculating the price again and again.
The cashier looked annoyed and he asked, “Sir, will you take these or not?”
Rafi felt embarrassed and replied, “Sorry, yes. I'll buy them.”
Rafi was sighing quietly as his wallet was almost empty. He had to walk home because he didn't have enough money for rickshaw. Even though his salary had arrived only ten days ago, but most of it was already gone. When he paid house rent, it was the biggest portion which he had to give as usual. Not only that he had to pay gas bill, Wi-Fi bills, electricity bills, groceries and for transportation.
While walking through the quiet streets, he kept remembering the old times. That how differently he had lived few years ago. He used to spend money without any hesitation. Whenever he wanted to go outside and eat with friends or buying new clothes for Eid, he would take money from his father. When his father told him to spend less money they would have arguments because Rafi never understood why adults worried so much about money.
In present time Rafi finally understood everything.
Rafi reached his house, when he tried to use the lift the electricity was gone. Rafi climbed eight floors with groceries in his hand.
He finally unlocked his door and dropped the grocery bags on floor. He was already out of breath. Before he could rest, a phone call came. It was his mother.
Rafi picked the call, “Hello, mom.”
His mother replied warmly, “Did you come home from office?”
Rafi sighed and replied, “Yes, just came home after buying groceries.”
His mother said,“You sound drowsy, have you eaten anything yet?”
Rafi cleared his throat and replied, “Not yet.”
His mother replied,“Why not? Stop delaying the food because of work.”
Rafi smiled slightly. As he felt relieved that his mother always knew everything.
Rafi listened to his mother quietly and after the call ended, Rafi was missing home badly. The egg with rice felt bland but he forced himself to eat. He was tired of eating the bland food everyday, he was missing the delicious foods cooked by his mom.
Rafi thought next day will be a good day for him but in real it started terribly. His alarm didn't go off as his phone was not working properly, he could not fix his phone for the past few months. When he woke up an hour late. He rushed to change his clothes and skipped breakfast completely. It didn't end there, the traffic jam was wasting his time more. And when he got off the bus someone stepped on his shoes and didn't even look back or apologise. In a while he reached his office with fully soaked shirt in sweat.
His boss did not let the matter go as he was very annoyed because of his clients. The boss kept blaming Rafi for everything.
Rafi couldn’t protest as he was not in that position. He quietly walked back to his desk.
At night, he came back to his house and again the electricity was gone. He had to climb the stairs again, and suddenly he noticed the old security guard sitting downstairs with a cup of tea.
The old man asked him with a warm smile on his face, “You look devastated! was it a tough day?”
Rafi laughed tiredly. “Yeah, it was a terrible day.”
The old man said, “Boy come here, sit with me for five minutes. You will feel better.”
Rafi sat down heavily.
After a moment of silence the old man began to share about his past struggles, “I came to this city when I was very young and I didn’t have parents. I worked in a street side hotel and washed dishes there. I lived with five people in the same room. Some nights we had nothing to eat.”
Rafi listened quietly.
The old man continued his storytelling, “At first it felt like a nightmare but slowly everything got better. As life teaches everyone to adjust little by little.”
Rafi with a sad expression said, “I never imagined adult life would feel like this.”
The old man replied, “It's because no one tells us about the harsh reality, for that reason everyone thinks the same when they’re young.”
Rafi asked, “So when does it become easier?”
The old man replied, “It will never become easy. By time you will start to adjust and slowly become stronger.”
Those simple words stayed in Rafi’s mind long after he returned upstairs..
After that day, Rafi learned an important lesson. That adulthood was never about that one magical moment where life will become perfect. But it meant learning to adjust, surviving stressful days and learning to smile even if it's a tough day.
After a long time Rafi smiled without forcing it, even though his life was difficult. But he was finally learning how to handle it.
The images are created with Gemini and edited with Canva
