One hour later…
All the judges were moving from canvas to canvas, glancing at each one from a distance.
Every painting was full of life — splashes of color breathing on the canvas — except Anamika’s.
Her painting seemed to hold some strange emptiness.
Yes, it was true — she had started her painting much later than everyone else — but still, the judges felt something was missing. And perhaps… that missing element was color.
Anamika’s canvas was still painted in pitch black, and right now, she was creating a girl in the center of that darkness.
The girl’s hands were raised in the air, her eyes closed — as though lost in the rhythm of some unheard music.
But she had no face.
It felt as though she didn’t possess a face at all — only an empty void where it should have been.
And yet, some people couldn’t take their eyes off this painting — and those people were Anamika’s friends: Saaniya, Ira, Ruhi, Aniket, Rudra, and Aditya.
They all had complete faith in Anamika — a faith no one could shake.
Half an hour later
One painter had already finished his work. With a proud smirk, he turned to glance around.
Among all the colorful paintings, his was the most detailed — and he felt proud of himself for that.
Even the judges seemed impressed by his work.
He had chosen the Madhubani style and executed it beautifully — mixing modern colors with elements of urban life, creating something quite striking.
The judges had begun their discussion.
Yes, they liked the paintings… but they also agreed that none of them truly met the competition’s theme.
The first and most important condition of the contest was to merge a traditional art form with a modern concept and create something extraordinary.
But here, most canvases were either entirely traditional or entirely modern.
No one had truly combined the two — and that left the judges disappointed.
But Aditya was far from noticing their disappointment.
Because his eyes were fixed only on Anamika’s canvas.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Meanwhile
Watching her, he muttered,b“Mr. Shah… who is this girl? Big Bro knows her?”
Mr. Shah, his secretary, replied, “No idea, Boss! This is the first time I’m seeing her. But… shouldn’t you be on stage right now? How long are you going to sit here in the audience with a mask on?”
Yes, Rivan had been here for nearly fifteen minutes, quietly seated like an ordinary spectator.
He was supposed to be in the founder’s seat by now, interacting with the judges and media — but here he was, enjoying the view of the competition.
Just then, his eyes landed on Ira, and he thought, “This girl… I thought she was here to enjoy the fair, but looks like she’s been dragged here just like me!”
He sighed and turned to Mr. Shah.
“I’ll go on stage… only if my demand is fulfilled.”
Mr. Shah blinked. “Demand? What demand?”
Rivan turned to him with a mischievous grin. “Ice gola! I want a cold, sweet ice gola! Bring me one!”
“What?! Now?!” Mr. Shah’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Where will I even find one here?! And even if I do, it will melt before I bring it back!”
“I don’t care!” Rivan replied, pouting like a stubborn child.
“Do whatever you have to do — but I’m not stepping on stage without it. Understood?”
With a resigned sigh, Mr. Shah muttered, “Fine, Sir. But promise me you won’t move from here until I return.”
Rivan raised his hand dramatically.
“I promise! I won’t move. You can trust my word completely!”
Mr. Shah smirked sarcastically as he left.
“Yes, yes… of course. Your word is as solid as stone!”
But Rivan, oblivious to the sarcasm, turned back to observe all the canvases intently.
Seeing him so focused, Mr. Shah couldn’t help but smile before walking away.
Another half-hour passed
And at last, colors had appeared in Anamika’s hands — the colors that now formed the growing wings of her faceless girl.
Ten minutes later, the final bell rang, signaling the end of the competition.
Ruhi’s heart sank. “Anamika’s painting isn’t even finished yet… how will she win?”
But Aditya’s face was glowing with pride.
He stood up, eyes shining with confidence.
The judges now started moving towards each canvas.
Usually, they didn’t step too close, but whenever they truly liked a painting, they would approach and check its finer details.
As everyone knew, the judges had already made up their minds about the boy with the Madhubani painting — which was why they barely gave other paintings a second look.
Anamika didn’t care. For her, the painting was perfect — even though the wings of her girl were still incomplete.
Her eyes held pride in her work.
It didn’t matter whether anyone else noticed her art — the fact that her friends were watching was enough for her.
But Saaniya’s fists were clenched tight.
She couldn’t bear to see the judges almost ignoring Anamika’s work.
Aditya and Ruhi, being the event organizers, couldn’t openly speak up without making it look unfair — but their eyes said it all: they desperately wanted to do something.
The judges glanced briefly at Anamika’s dark canvas from afar, their expressions unreadable.
Just as Saaniya was about to step forward and speak, Aniket grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.
“If you trust her art,” he said calmly, “then wait a little. The real judge is still watching Anamika’s canvas.”
“What do you mean?” Saaniya asked, narrowing her eyes.
Just then, a sharp voice cut through the air. “What a headache! Big Bro… I expected better from you!”
Everyone turned toward the sound — but Aniket was already looking there with a knowing smirk.
And there he was.
Rivan.Still seated in the audience, just as he had promised.
He couldn’t stand up, but he couldn’t stay silent either.
Finally, he pulled down his mask, called for a mic, and spoke — instantly drawing everyone’s attention.
Ira narrowed her eyes at him and thought, “Who’s this pocket-sized thief calling Big Bro?! And why is he sitting there like some hero from a movie?”
Then she glanced at Anamika’s painting and pouted.
“My delicate flower is losing her spotlight because of this… annoying brat!”
Aditya took the mic and said firmly, “Come here and say it properly. What expectation did I fail to meet?”
Rivan’s childlike charm didn’t fade as he replied, “I can’t come there because I made a promise — but from here, I can see something that your judges clearly cannot. You brought the wrong judges, Big Bro!”
The three judges were visibly offended.
How could a boy — younger and far less experienced — insult them like that?
Just as one judge was about to speak, Rivan’s playful eyes turned serious.
“Scold me later if you want,” he said, “but first, take one more look at all the paintings.
You cannot ignore a painting just because it has no color — or very little of it.
Because from where I’m sitting, the painting that feels most worthy of winning… is the one with the least color, the one covered in darkness.
And honestly, it’s the only one that has truly captured the real theme of this competition.”
Everyone was stunned.
Yes, Rivan was just a boy — but he was also the founder of the company hosting this event.
That meant no one could simply dismiss his words.
