COSMICc
Newbie
#Chapter 1: The 12th Rejection Letter
The PDF icon blinked in the corner of his old, cracked phone screen like a final nail in the coffin.
Aarav stared at it for a full ten minutes before tapping.
UPSC Prelims Result 2025
Roll No.: 1838824729 — Not Qualified
No matter how many times he read those words, they didn’t soften.
For a moment, he couldn’t even breathe. Not because he was shocked—but because he wasn’t. This was the twelfth time. Twelve exams. Twelve rejections. Twelve versions of him sent into the world, only to be told they weren’t good enough.
He shut his eyes.
The room felt like it was getting smaller. Four walls of a rented flat, a single table with books now layered in dust, and a rusted fan overhead that whined louder than his thoughts. He didn’t cry. Crying required energy. He had none.
Somewhere outside, kids were laughing. A street vendor’s call echoed through the lane. Life went on, uncaring.
Aarav’s phone buzzed. It was his mother.
He didn’t answer.
She had been hopeful this time. Not excited—hopeful. That quiet kind of hope only parents learn after years of disappointment. He hadn’t told her about the previous failure. Or the one before that. He had lied. Said he cleared prelims, made it to mains, even said, “Interview went okay.” Why? He didn’t know. Maybe to protect her. Maybe to protect himself.
He dragged himself to the mirror.
Dark circles. Unshaven face. Pale lips.
“You look like the ghost of your own ambition,” he muttered, then laughed bitterly.
The calendar on his desk still showed February 2023. He hadn’t turned the page in months.
Something inside him cracked quietly—not a scream, not rage. Just a soft, tired collapse.
He unlocked his phone again and scrolled mindlessly. YouTube. Instagram. Deleted job alerts.
“Top 50 Government Job Vacancies.” He couldn’t bear to open them.
And then—he clicked something he never thought he would.
“Talk to strangers. No strings. No names. No pressure.”
An ad on a random site. Probably spam. Or worse. But one line caught him: *Anonymous. No judgment.*
He clicked.
The site loaded with a soft chime. Black background. Random usernames floating. A warning flashed—adult chat site.
His finger hovered over the red “X” to close the tab.
But he didn’t.
Why are you even here? he asked himself.
He didn’t have an answer.
He typed
a username: LonelySoul_26.
Age: 26.
Gender: Male.
Location: Hidden.
Interests: “Just someone to talk to.”
He hit Connect
The screen blinked.
You’ve been paired with: Wildflower_88
A chat box opened.
“Hey.”
“Hi.”
“So… what brings you here?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe loneliness.”
“That’s surprisingly honest. Most guys here just jump to ‘Send pic?’”
“I don’t want pics. I just wanted to forget I exist for a while.”
There was a pause.
“Damn. You okay?”
“No. Not really.”
Another pause.
“You’re new here, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. I’ve never done this.”
“I can tell. You’re not like the usual creeps. You’re awkward. Kind of… cute?”
Aarav felt his face heat up.
“I’ve never been in a relationship. I’ve been preparing for government exams for three years. Life kind of skipped the romance part.”
Silence followed.
Then a message appeared.
“Guess I’ll have to teach you a few things. First lesson—stop apologizing for being honest.”
Aarav stared at the screen.
Someone was being kind to him. Here.
He smiled for the first time in days.
“Deal. But I might ask stupid questions.”
“I like stupid questions. Better than fake answers.”
The chat continued—soft, awkward, unscripted.
Aarav didn’t know it yet, but this random conversation, born from failure and loneliness, was about to change everything.
( If you don't like them dont abuse me ! )
( Not good in grammer so Ai se help li hai... Story is original )
The PDF icon blinked in the corner of his old, cracked phone screen like a final nail in the coffin.
Aarav stared at it for a full ten minutes before tapping.
UPSC Prelims Result 2025
Roll No.: 1838824729 — Not Qualified
No matter how many times he read those words, they didn’t soften.
For a moment, he couldn’t even breathe. Not because he was shocked—but because he wasn’t. This was the twelfth time. Twelve exams. Twelve rejections. Twelve versions of him sent into the world, only to be told they weren’t good enough.
He shut his eyes.
The room felt like it was getting smaller. Four walls of a rented flat, a single table with books now layered in dust, and a rusted fan overhead that whined louder than his thoughts. He didn’t cry. Crying required energy. He had none.
Somewhere outside, kids were laughing. A street vendor’s call echoed through the lane. Life went on, uncaring.
Aarav’s phone buzzed. It was his mother.
He didn’t answer.
She had been hopeful this time. Not excited—hopeful. That quiet kind of hope only parents learn after years of disappointment. He hadn’t told her about the previous failure. Or the one before that. He had lied. Said he cleared prelims, made it to mains, even said, “Interview went okay.” Why? He didn’t know. Maybe to protect her. Maybe to protect himself.
He dragged himself to the mirror.
Dark circles. Unshaven face. Pale lips.
“You look like the ghost of your own ambition,” he muttered, then laughed bitterly.
The calendar on his desk still showed February 2023. He hadn’t turned the page in months.
Something inside him cracked quietly—not a scream, not rage. Just a soft, tired collapse.
He unlocked his phone again and scrolled mindlessly. YouTube. Instagram. Deleted job alerts.
“Top 50 Government Job Vacancies.” He couldn’t bear to open them.
And then—he clicked something he never thought he would.
“Talk to strangers. No strings. No names. No pressure.”
An ad on a random site. Probably spam. Or worse. But one line caught him: *Anonymous. No judgment.*
He clicked.
The site loaded with a soft chime. Black background. Random usernames floating. A warning flashed—adult chat site.
His finger hovered over the red “X” to close the tab.
But he didn’t.
Why are you even here? he asked himself.
He didn’t have an answer.
He typed
a username: LonelySoul_26.
Age: 26.
Gender: Male.
Location: Hidden.
Interests: “Just someone to talk to.”
He hit Connect
The screen blinked.
You’ve been paired with: Wildflower_88
A chat box opened.
“Hey.”
“Hi.”
“So… what brings you here?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe loneliness.”
“That’s surprisingly honest. Most guys here just jump to ‘Send pic?’”
“I don’t want pics. I just wanted to forget I exist for a while.”
There was a pause.
“Damn. You okay?”
“No. Not really.”
Another pause.
“You’re new here, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. I’ve never done this.”
“I can tell. You’re not like the usual creeps. You’re awkward. Kind of… cute?”
Aarav felt his face heat up.
“I’ve never been in a relationship. I’ve been preparing for government exams for three years. Life kind of skipped the romance part.”
Silence followed.
Then a message appeared.
“Guess I’ll have to teach you a few things. First lesson—stop apologizing for being honest.”
Aarav stared at the screen.
Someone was being kind to him. Here.
He smiled for the first time in days.
“Deal. But I might ask stupid questions.”
“I like stupid questions. Better than fake answers.”
The chat continued—soft, awkward, unscripted.
Aarav didn’t know it yet, but this random conversation, born from failure and loneliness, was about to change everything.
( If you don't like them dont abuse me ! )
( Not good in grammer so Ai se help li hai... Story is original )