Chapter 23

"Lakshmi, how are you? Is this your baby?" Raghu asked, surprised to see her after so many years. His heart was glad to see her, but it shocked him to find Lakshmi with a child. Looking at her, he could tell she wasn't in a good state.

"Anna?" Lakshmi looked at him in surprise. She hadn't expected to see him after all these years. The words he had warned her about echoed in her mind. He was right. I was the one blinded by love, she thought, and tears began to flow from her eyes.

Raghu panicked. "Lakshmi, what happened? Why are you crying?"

Lakshmi shook her head, trying to hold back her tears. "You were right, Anna. He used me. I was blinded by his sweet words. you warned me, but I ignored it. Now, I'm suffering."

Raghu was shocked to hear her words, and his blood boiled thinking about Vikram. How could he betray such an innocent soul, he thought. "Lakshmi, don't cry. First, tell me, where do you live?"

Lakshmi didn't respond and just kept crying. Rashi spoke up, "Anna, we live nearby. Just come with us."

Raghu nodded and took the bag from Lakshmi's hand. He walked along with them to Lakshmi's house.

After five minutes of walking, they reached Lakshmi's house. As soon as they entered, Lakshmi spread the mat on the floor and asked Raghu to sit. She entered the kitchen and offered him a glass of water. Rashi sat in one corner of the room. Lakshmi sat beside her. Kittu, happy with his toy, was engrossed in playing.

Raghu watched the little boy closely, his sharp gaze noticing the similarities between Kittu and Vikram. Lakshmi explained everything that had happened, and Raghu was shocked to learn about her so-called marriage. But as she said, it might have been a fake marriage, just a way for Vikram to deceive her into believing she was his wife and then use her. His eyes turned red with anger, and he clenched his jaw, listening to her words. It pained him to see her like this.

It suddenly struck him: Is there a reason Rekha asked me to leave, out of the blue? He pushed the thought aside and said, "Lakshmi, I already told you to be careful with people like that. People like us can't stand against them. It's good that you left from there."

Lakshmi wiped her eyes and asked, "But Anna, what are you doing here?"

Raghu smiled faintly. "After leaving that place, I started farming on my land, Lakshmi. By God's grace, it's going well. I had some work at the bank, so I came to town. It's about 30 km from here to my village."

Lakshmi was happy to hear that he was doing well. "I'm glad to hear that, Anna," she said, her tone lighter.

Raghu smiled warmly. "Lakshmi, don't worry. You have me now. If you need anything, don't forget you have a brother now." He wrote his number on a slip of paper and handed it to her.

When Lakshmi hesitated, he asked, "Lakshmi, call me from your mobile"

She replied quietly, "Anna, I don't have a phone... I don't have anyone to call."

Raghu placed a hand on her shoulder gently. "Now you have me, Lakshmi," he said with a reassuring smile, standing up to leave.

Lakshmi and Rashi stood to see him off. Raghu moved toward Kittu, lifting him in his arms. "What is your name, little one?"

"Kittu," the boy said with a sweet smile.

Raghu kissed his cheek and put him down gently. He then reached into his pocket, pulled out a thousand rupees, and offered it to Lakshmi. "Lakshmi, keep this and buy him something nice," he said, pointing to Kittu.

"No, Anna, please," Lakshmi said, her voice trembling. "Don't make me feel bad. Please."

Raghu's expression softened, but his tone remained firm. "Lakshmi, stop it. I'm your brother. Won't you take it from your brother?"

Lakshmi hesitated for a moment before nodding and accepting the money. "Okay, Anna," she whispered.

Raghu smiled at her, then bent down to ruffle Kittu's hair before heading toward the door. "Lakshmi, I'll visit you often. And don't hesitate to call me if you need anything. You're not alone anymore," he said, turning to look at Rashi. "Thank you for taking care of her all these years."

Rashi nodded with a smile. "She's like a sister to me, anna."

Raghu gave them one last smile before leaving, his heart heavy but comforted by the knowledge that Lakshmi wasn't alone anymore.

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Two days later, Adharv left for his hometown with his wife and son. They reached the town, and it was only a ten-minute drive to his house. However, he got stuck on a market road. It was a weekly market, and people were busy shopping for their essentials. Cars moved slowly through the crowd.

Adharv, irritated by the traffic, glanced out the window—and then his heart stopped. Standing near a toy shop was a person he never expected to see. He quickly grabbed his phone, snapped a picture of the person, and sent it to Vikram along with a message: "Seems like what your mother told is true."

Adharv's face turned red with anger. Because of this person, his friend almost lost his life. He had witnessed all the suffering Vikram had gone through, and now, seeing her again made his blood boil. Without wasting another moment, he stopped the car in the middle of the crowd and rushed to catch her.

Pushing through the bustling people, he made his way toward the shop, but when he reached the spot, she was gone. He stomped his foot in frustration and shouted, "Sh*t!" His outburst caused people around him to glance at him curiously. Realizing there was no point in searching further, he reluctantly turned and headed back to his car.

On the other side, Raghu had come to visit Lakshmi, bringing with him some fresh produce—bananas, coconuts, and other items grown on his farm. He had called her that morning, letting her know he would be stopping by, so Lakshmi had taken the day off from her office work.

Raghu spent some time playing with Kittu, observing how fascinated the boy was by cars. Determined to make him happy, Raghu decided to buy a toy car for him. He lifted Kittu into his arms and, with Lakshmi and Rashi accompanying him, they went to the shop. There, Raghu bought the toy car Kittu had asked for a few days ago.

When Kittu held the car in his tiny hands, his face lit up with pure joy, his eyes wide with wonder. He clutched the toy tightly, as if it was the most precious thing in the world. Lakshmi couldn't help but smile, her heart swelling with warmth at seeing her son so happy. Raghu, pleased to have made Kittu's day, also bought some snacks for him, delighted to see the boy's joy. After bidding a fond goodbye to Lakshmi, Kittu, and Rashi, Raghu left with a warm smile, knowing he had made Kittu's day.

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Vikram, busy at work, was distracted by the sound of an alert on his phone. He glanced at it briefly, then returned to his tasks. But when he saw that the message was from Adharv, he picked up his phone and opened it.

As soon as the message loaded, his heart shattered. There, in the photo, was Lakshmi—holding a child in her arms. The boy's face was turned away, his small hands wrapped around her neck, but that didn't matter. What broke Vikram's heart even more was the person standing beside her: Raghu.

A wave of anger coursed through him, his blood boiling. How could she do this to him? He had trusted her, no matter what the world had said. But now, everything seemed like a lie. His worst fears had been realized—he had been nothing more than a fool, blinded by love.

Tears welled up in his eyes as the weight of the betrayal sank in. He had given her everything, believed in her, but in the end, she had proved him wrong. He had been so sure of her love, and yet she had shattered it with this one image.

His thoughts broke with Adharv's call.

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