Sacrifice for Good - By Amruta S. Kulkarni

Written By: Amruta S. Kulkarni

Category: Short Story

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the heart of the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, Amruta S. Kulkarni presents "Sacrifice for Good," a beautifully crafted short story that delves into themes of ambition, love, and the choices we make for the ones we cherish. As part of this prestigious international event, Amruta's narrative captures the essence of personal sacrifice in the pursuit of happiness, highlighting the complexities of career aspirations and emotional bonds.

About the Work

"Sacrifice for Good" is a poignant exploration of the delicate balance between professional goals and personal relationships. Through the journey of Shreelata and Rajiv, Amruta S. Kulkarni weaves a narrative rich in emotional depth and dramatic tension. The story's vivid imagery and compelling character development invite readers to reflect on the true meaning of success and fulfillment, leaving a lasting impression of the sacrifices made in the name of love.

Amruta_Kulkarni_Sacrifice for good.

Original Submission by Amruta S. Kulkarni

Amruta_Kulkarni_Sacrifice For good.

“I’m goanna work in New Delhi in a private Architecture firm and stand out from the crowd,” declared Shreelata as she stood tall in front of her college collleagues who were sitting around in a circle to discuss about their future career prospects.

Shreelata , Rajiv, Ritika, Gauri and Rohan were all having a good time after the past hectic days of their final year University exams.

Each one was awaiting to get selected in renowned companies after they had been interviewed at the campus selection; except for Rajiv who didn’t fancy Metro cities life, and had rather unusual plan for his career. He wanted to work as a lecturer and devote his remaining time in doing social work.

Shreelata and all her friends were puzzled to learn about Rajiv’s plan, as he was the most outstanding student of their college.

On the other hand Shreelata who was tall and prettiest among her friends had one great ambition – to be well known Architect and achieve great heights in her career by being wrapped up in several prestigious projects.

She truly had beauty with Brains Attitude, and this attitude of Her’s made Rajiv fall for her. And then onwards it all became one sided love which Shreelata was unaware of.

Now the question is will this relationship work. Well, I guess only a miracle can make it happen.

Now one cannot deny Shreelata’s gut feeling of becoming renowned Architect as her Aim got manifested in a concrete plan the moment She was offered an Intern job in a renowned company by the Campus selection committee.

Her happiness knew no bounds when she was handed an appointment letter. Rest of the friends too got selected in Campus interview. But Rajiv was firm on his decision to work as a lecturer in his own college.

Finally, all the friends parted with each other saying good bye as they all marked their journey for which they were destined.

Shreelata settled herself in her New Delhi hostel and soon excelled in her career with leaps and bounds.

While here in the city of Dehradun, Rajiv’s professor was only to glad to offer him a job of a lecturer in the same college.

Now why didn’t Rajiv revealed his love to Shreelata …well probably he loved her too much to let it go.

He kept himself busy doing his job in college and did some social work in the evening and left the night to dream, about nothing, but Shreelata.

The days and the months passed by and it was almost a year Rajiv kept himself engrossed in the same routine.

Back in New Delhi; Shreelata had been doing an exceptional job; her hands full of projects that made her forget the world around and remain focused on her job. Amazed by her performance and dedication she was promoted as a project manager and held some prestigious projects under her belt.

Then came the awaited moment, The Annual General Meeting of the company. All the employees were excited to share their ideas with everyone. In the meeting Shreelata was introduced to none other but the chairman and the owner of the Private Firm Mr. Rakesh Malhotra.

Rakesh Malhotra the grey-haired man in his late fifties was tall, having broad shoulders, with fair complexion, and dark eyes. He was a man with full of Power and Ambition, having a strong Business Acumen. His strictness flowed from his dark eyes in such a way that a person would think himself guilty before the start of a conversation.

In the meeting Mr. Rakesh Malhotra appreciated Shreelata’s work and her valuable insight in an Ambitious project of their company. One can now Imagine how brilliant Shreelata must have been, for her work was appreciated by none other than Mr. Rakesh Malhotra. He then asked her, “ Sreelatha we are expanding our company’s horizon and for that we are recruiting people for the post of Project planner. If you have anybody in mind and refer the name, the company is willing to arrange an Interview call. To this Shreelata firmly replied, “Well to be honest Sir, I’ve no other candidate in mind except for Rajiv who is also Malhotra, and who’s qualification is apt for the project planner job.”

While She was talking about Rajiv, shreelata wondered why Rajiv who was the outstanding student in her college, and instrumental in getting her this job chose to work as a lecturer in their college.

“For the sake of Social Work.” Replied Mr. Rakesh Malhotra.

“Social Work!?, what do you mean and how do you know him,”asked Shreelata. At that moment Mr. Rakesh Malhotra held his breathe, but soon revealed that Mr. Rajiv Malhotra is none other than his own son who is at present doing lectureship in their college.

Having been learned the truth Shreelata remained speechless for sometime with her mouth and eyes wide open in astonishment. She didn’t have a slightest idea that Rajiv was Mr. Rakesh Malhotra’s only son and was left to wonder how he kept that secret. She was literally clean bowled by the Father and the Son. Alas! this act of Rajiv made Shreelata fall for him. She was now in love with Rajiv.

Soon they started seeing each other and each day their love grew for each other. The bond between them became so strong that nobody can think of breaking it apart.

But as you see the love life of Rajiv and Shreelata was not that easy as it seemed to be. As now, there is a twist in the tale. The Ambitious Mr. Rakesh Malhotra didn’t want this relationship to work. He had some other plans for the beautiful Shreelata. He wanted Shreelata to mary his partner’s son as that would benefit him in growing his business.

Very soon Rajiv and Shreelata’s dreams were shattered, as Mr. Rakesh Malhotra was firm on his decision… “Marry my partner’s son or quit the job,” this was the ultimatum left for heartbroken Shreelata.

With heavy heart, Shreelata decided to sacrifice the prestigious job and marry Rajiv and stay together with him in Dehradun and help him in doing Social work. They both decided to go against the will of Rajiv’s Father Mr. Rakesh Malhotra, and marry each other.

They got married and started leaving in Dehradun. Mr. Rakesh was only too happy within, with a broad smile on his face to learn about his Son’s decision to marry Shreelata, for he did all this drama to get rid off his self-centered partner who was black mailing him to get Shreelata married to his Son.

After all, Shreelata was now his daughter in law of which he was proud of. And for Shreelata, Rajiv’s love for her made her forget the hustle bustle life of city and stay put in Dehradun. In fact, she now had good scope to transform the little place of Dehradun to a big city and make it a happening place by planning for the construction of Malls, Hotels, Hospitals and other entertainment infrastructure. Which she truly loved working together with Rajiv.

The End

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a celebrated platform for writers worldwide to showcase their literary talents. This esteemed competition encourages creativity and storytelling across genres, offering participants the opportunity to share their unique voices and perspectives with a global audience. Each submission reflects the diverse tapestry of human experience, making it a crucial event in the literary calendar.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Amruta S. Kulkarni for her captivating short story, "Sacrifice for Good," submitted to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Her narrative eloquently captures the intricate dance between ambition and love, reminding us of the profound choices we face in life. Thank you, Amruta, for sharing your remarkable work with us and contributing to the rich tapestry of this year's competition.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.