A Tale of Two Winners
Once upon a time, in a densely populated city named Metroville lived an ordinary courier boy named Sam. He was a bright young man with big dreams but was trapped in the potholes of poverty.
On one fine day, while delivering a package, Sam stumbled upon a ticket on the sidewalk. It was a jet-black shiny card, as it glittered in the sun with a distinct mark of a mystical creature embossed on it. It was no ordinary ticket; it was a raffle ticket for the 'Fantasia Lottery,' one of the most prestigious lotteries in Metroville. Seeing it as a beacon of hope, Sam decided to keep it.
Weeks rolled by, anticipation built, people bought tickets expecting their lives would change overnight. While this was happening, an affluent man named Richard, the tech mogul and the wealthiest person in Metroville, was also feeling an empty gap in his life. Technically, he had no apparent reason to participate in Fantasia Lottery; he had all the comforts that one could ask for. Yet, driven by his insatiable desire to win everything, he bought a ticket too.
The night of the lottery arrived; everyone, rich and poor, was glued to their televisions waiting for the lucky numbers. The host, with his eloquent voice, announced, 'The first winning number of Fantasia Lottery is number 13.' Sam's heart skipped as his gaze flickered to his ticket. He found number 13 in his ticket. As the announcer continued, Sam's heart raced - with every number he had on his ticket.
In his opulent mansion, Richard too was anxiously gleaming at his ticket, his face lit up as he realized that he also had won.
The next day, the city was in uproar, not one but two winners, Sam the courier boy and Richard the mogul. Both, stark opposites yet bound by their shared victory.
Life did change for Sam overnight; he moved out of the congested slum and bought a comfortable home for his family. He invested in education, empowered his community, and aimed to make a difference.
Contrarily, Richard's win added nothing more than a feather to his already extravagant lifestyle. The victory filled no void; it brought neither contentment nor happiness.
Years later, the city sung tales of two winners - one who moved from rags-to-riches, the other from riches-to-more-riches. But the city also had two tales of happiness to narrate - Sam, who discovered his purpose of empowering others with his win and Richard, who realised there were some races in life which even his mighty victory failed to satisfy.
In retrospect, they indeed were two winners, but only one of them truly won.