Chapter 14:

Arav:

We arrived home, and I found my mother alone, busy in her office room. As soon as she saw me, her face lit up with a bright smile. I rushed toward her, hugging her tightly in pure happiness.

"Come with me," I said, leading her to the living room, where Radha stood with her baby in her arms. As soon as my mom saw Radha, the woman who had taken those incriminating photos with my dad, her face flushed red with anger. The room suddenly felt tense, like a storm was about to break.

Before my mom could speak, Radha introduced herself. "I'm Radha. I was hired by someone to make it look like your husband and I spent the night together. They instructed me to take pictures where we appeared naked, but in reality, nothing happened. I simply removed his clothes while he was passed out and took photos of myself. I then sent those pictures to you. Everything I did, I did for the money, to support my baby."

My mom, consumed with rage, lunged toward Radha and slapped her hard across the face. Radha, shocked and holding her baby, nearly dropped the child, but I swiftly caught the baby in my arms.

"Mom! Stop!" I cried. "Why are you hurting her? She's holding a baby! What if the baby had fallen?"

My words seemed to break through her fury, and she paused, breathing heavily as she tried to calm herself.

"How could this woman dare touch my husband?" Mom shouted in a high-pitched voice, trembling with rage. "I should tear her to pieces!"

Radha, surprisingly calm despite the slap, simply smiled. "I understand your anger, ma'am. I would feel the same in your position. But nothing beyond those pictures happened. I did it out of desperation, to provide for my child."

I stepped forward, my curiosity piqued. "Who hired you?" I asked, eager to know the mastermind behind this.

Radha hesitated, looking down at the floor. "I can't reveal their names," she whispered. "It would be unethical. They helped me in a critical situation, and I can't betray them."

My mom, still fuming but with a knowing smirk on her face, interrupted. "There's no need for her to tell us. I already know who did it. It was Krishna Murthy."

The room went quiet, and all eyes turned to my mother. Even Radha looked stunned.

"How do you know?" Radha asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

Mom let out a bitter laugh. "Is there anyone else in the city who would dare to mess with the Reddy family? Krishna Murthy is the only one with the audacity and the ruthlessness to do this. He calls himself a friend, but he's always been jealous, always looking for ways to undermine us. I'm disgusted by him."

I stood there, processing what I had just heard. Why would Krishna Murthy, of all people, want to interfere with our family? What was his motive?

As I mulled over these questions, Indu quietly excused herself and left the house. I signaled Raju to take Radha and her baby back home. This was only the beginning, and I knew we had to get to the bottom of this before things spiraled further out of control.

As I watched my mom walk out of the house with her bags, a sinking feeling hit me like a wave. Why had she packed up so suddenly?

"Arav, I'm going to Nana's place," she said softly, avoiding my eyes. "Don't worry about me. And please, don't stay out late at night."

"Amma... when are you coming back?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know," she replied, her tone cold and distant. "I'm not sure if I will come back at all."

And with that, she left without looking back.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I sat on the sofa, my mind swirling with confusion. Not long after, my dad came home. I rushed to him, wrapping my arms around him tightly, and for the first time in my life, I saw tears in his eyes. It was as if, in that moment, we were both orphans, left behind in the wake of my mom's sudden departure.

"Dad, why didn't you try to convince her to come back? Don't you love us anymore?"

He sighed deeply, his eyes full of regret. "Arav, I've made choices in my life... some of them I regret deeply. I built this business, thinking it was my second family. But somewhere along the way, I let it consume me. I don't know if I became obsessed with it or if the business became obsessed with me, but it has taken everything from me. And now... I don't know how to get it back."

His words were heavy, and for the first time, I truly saw how the business had driven a wedge between my parents. I couldn't help but think of Krishna Murthy, the man who had sown discord between them. I asked my dad for his number, saying that he had once invited me for coffee.

"Are you going to confront him, son?" my dad asked, worry creasing his forehead.

"I'm not a kid, Dad. I just want to talk. Besides, I'm bored here, and he came to mind."

Reluctantly, my dad handed me the number. I stepped outside into the garden and called Krishna Murthy, requesting a meeting. He agreed almost too quickly.

Later that evening, at 5 PM, Raju drove me to Gayathri Mansion. As I entered the garden, I saw Krishna Murthy sitting at a table, engrossed in a business magazine. The moment he noticed me, he quickly switched to a fake smile, trying to mask whatever thoughts were running through his mind.

"Ah, Arav, come sit," he said, gesturing to the chair across from him. Within minutes, a servant had brought coffee to the table.

"How are your parents?" he asked, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes, as if he were savoring the discord he had helped create.

"Though you tried to mess things up, I'm confident that love will bring them back together," I replied, staring directly into his eyes, refusing to back down.

He chuckled, a cold, calculated sound. "Let me tell you something, boy. Both love and work require effort. If you want to keep someone's love, you put in the effort. If you want to succeed in business, you put in the effort. Without that, you lose everything."

As much as I hated to admit it, what he said had some truth. But I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. "Thanks for your clarification," I said, my tone steady. "But I still believe in my parents. Love is not as fragile as you think. Anything can happen, at any moment."

"Yes," he agreed, with a smirk. "Who knows? Your mother might send divorce papers to your father tomorrow."

I stood up, refusing to let him get under my skin any further. "I have confidence in my parents," I said, standing tall. "I believe in them. I won't let them face this alone. But, Uncle, if I may say something? I pity you. You've ended up alone in this mansion, clinging to your pride. This mansion might seem like your wife, but she's not here with you, is she? From what I can see, none of your family lives with you. It's sad. But if you ever need someone to talk to, I'd be happy to listen."

I saw the flicker of shock cross his face as my words hit home. Without another glance, I turned and walked away, leaving Krishna Murthy to contemplate the loneliness of his so-called triumph.

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The next morning, I made my way to Indu's workstation, I reached to the cafeteria, intent on speaking with Indu. As I entered, I noticed her sitting with a man, deep in conversation. Something about the intensity of their exchange made me pause. Indu's face was serious, her voice raised, and she seemed upset. Curious, I stood back, watching from a distance.

Suddenly, Indu stormed to the billing counter and asked for a pair of scissors. The staff handed her a pair, and before I could react, she ran back to the man, letting her long hair loose from the bun she always kept it in. Without hesitation, she took the scissors and cut her hair—once long enough to reach her knees—down to her shoulders. My jaw dropped in disbelief. Indu never let anyone touch her hair, and now, she had cut it herself. What had driven her to this?

I glanced at the man's face, and I saw the pain in his eyes. He reached out, his hand moving towards Indu's shoulder, but she stepped back, distancing herself from him. I didn't need to hear any more. I walked over and stood protectively in front of her, raising my chin and locking eyes with him.

"I need to talk to her," he said, his voice laced with frustration.

"You're not allowed to talk to her," I replied, my tone firm.

"Who are you to say that?" he challenged, his voice rising.

"I'm her boyfriend. We've been together for a week," I lied, grabbing Indu's hand and pulling her out of the place. She didn't resist as we quickly left the cafeteria and hopped into the car. I instructed Raju to drive away.

We soon arrived at a salon, and I led Indu inside, trying to push the earlier scene out of my mind. The hairdresser presented us with several hairstyles, but none of them felt right.

"I want her to have short hair," I told him. "But she should look completely different—beautiful and elegant. The shorter it is, the more beautiful she'll look."

I glanced at Indu, whose face showed a mix of worry and uncertainty. I knew I was pushing her boundaries, trying to experiment with her hair, but something told me this was more than just about a haircut. It was about giving her a fresh start, a new beginning.

"Trust me," I said softly, meeting her eyes. "You'll look amazing."

"When did I become your girl? I'm only my mama's girl. Even though she's no longer in this world, as long as I'm alive, I'm hers, and hers alone," Indu said in an annoyed tone, her eyes piercing through me.

"Alright, alright, I get it," I said, raising my hands in surrender. I took a seat on the couch nearby, trying not to push any further. A staff member approached me and handed me a flyer with a QR code for reading the latest magazines. I was taken aback by how advanced things had become in Bangalore—everything seemed so modern and seamless. I scanned the code, and to my surprise, the magazine was from Indu's company.

I looked up at her through the mirror, catching the proud smile on her face as she noticed my reaction. Leaning back, I whispered, "I'm proud of you, baby."

She flashed a beautiful smile, her annoyance forgotten for a moment. Two hours later, her haircut was complete. It was a bob cut with the ends colored burgundy, and it suited her perfectly. The transformation was stunning—she looked even more confident, bold, and elegant.

After paying at the reception, we headed out for dinner. She ordered drinks and food, all vegetarian, as I sat across from her, watching her unwind. She drank a lot, more than I'd seen her drink before, but I didn't stop her. She seemed to be letting go of something, releasing a burden I didn't fully understand.

When dinner was over, I took her home. She was tipsy but steady enough to make it to bed. After tucking her in, I stepped out to the balcony for some air, trying to process the whirlwind of the day.

As I stood there, breathing in the cool night air, I noticed a familiar figure in the distance. It was the same man from the cafeteria earlier, the one who had upset Indu. He was standing outside, looking up at the building, his eyes searching for something—or someone.

I narrowed my gaze. What did he want? Why was he still lingering around? I went to him, we sat in a bench near the park.