When Rahul suggests that he should come back home, Bhagy asks, "Who is there for me to come back to? Who is waiting for me there?"
pp
Rahul: "How long will you keep running like this, Anu? Stop somewhere."
Bhagy: "There should be a reason to stop."
Remembering something a girl once told him, Rahul says with hope, "You can bring your own reason to stay. Get married."
Hearing the word "marriage" from Rahul, Bhagy laughs and says, "Marriage... Who would marry an orphan like me, with no family background? And forget me, even you got married, right? Are you happy with your marriage?"
Rahul sighs, "You're right... I'm not exactly happy in my marriage. But believe me, I had no expectations from it either. I married Vinny because my mom asked me to. But look at me—I'm here with you, while my wife is probably enjoying some party on my money."
Bhagy laughs, "If I take inspiration from you, that's exactly why I won't marry. Who knows, I might end up with a woman who loves my money more than me."
(Looking a bit sad) "Besides, there's no one here who really cares for me. So, it's better not to have any expectations at all."
"And anyway, I fear relationships... Just as my parents abandoned me at an orphanage after I was born, a woman might stay with me only for my money, and the moment I have nothing, she'll leave me. So, I won't marry. I'll stay as I am… because there's no one in this world who truly understands me."
Rahul: "You're wrong. There's someone out there for everyone. Even if Vinny isn't the right woman for me, she's still my life partner. She may not love me, but she respects my parents as any daughter-in-law should."
"My parents see her as an ideal daughter-in-law, and that's enough for me. That's why I'm saying, it may seem to you now that there's no one in this world who will understand you, but one day, someone will be there for you. And that day, your loneliness will end forever."
Hearing Rahul's words, Bhagy smiles.
---
On the other side...
At a Radha-Krishna temple, a girl was singing the morning prayer with a beautiful, melodious voice:
"In the morning, He herds the cows...
Stealing butter, He eats...
Krishna Krishna, He is Krishna Krishna..."
(The priest and other devotees become immersed in her sweet voice.)
After finishing the aarti, the girl turns, and the priest approaches her, placing a hand on her head.
Priest: "Shri, it's been years... So many seasons have come and gone, but your daily ritual of starting the day with Radha-Krishna's aarti never changes."
Shri smiles, "Pandit Ji, if I don't meet my Kanha even for a day, it feels like my day is incomplete."
Priest: "Well, my dear, how is everyone at home?"
Shri: "Everyone at home is..."
Suddenly, Shri's eyes widen in shock, and she hurriedly says, "Oh no, I forgot! Aunty asked me to bring the ironed clothes. If I'm late, she'll scold me a lot. I must go now; I'll see you tomorrow, Pandit Ji."
She takes the priest's blessings and rushes out of the temple.
Outside, as she reaches the road, a group of kids surrounds her, asking for the prasad she's holding.
Meanwhile, there's a minor traffic jam on the road, and Bhagy's car is stuck. Frustrated, he looks outside and spots Shri distributing sweets to the children.
In a light pink salwar kameez, with long, flowing hair, a beautiful face without makeup, a hint of kajal in her eyes, a golden bindi on her forehead, and a nose ring that adds charm to her look, she's laughing and giving prasad to the kids. Bhagy can't stop staring at her, even lowering his car window to get a better look.
After giving sweets to the children, Shri approaches a flower seller and says, "How are you, Aunty?"
Flower Seller: "What can I say, dear? My son and daughter-in-law make my life miserable. They don't even let me have two proper meals a day."
Hearing this, Shri gives her some prasad and says, "Then, just eat rice, Aunty."
Bhagy, who overheard this from his car, laughs at her response. When he looks outside again, she's nowhere to be found. Looking around, he asks his driver, "How long will it take?"
Driver: "Sir, just two more minutes. Once that car in front moves, we'll be able to go."
---
When Shri reaches home with the ironed clothes, her aunt meets her in the courtyard.
The aunt, a stout woman who seems to have eaten all the food in the world, starts scolding her right away.
Aunt: "Oh, so the queen finally decided to come back after wandering around. I told you to get the ironed clothes this morning; where were you?"
Shri: "I went to the temple, Aunty."
Aunt: "You went to meet someone, didn't you?"
Shri: "Aunty, you know I'm not that kind of girl. Why do you keep accusing me of these things? I only went to the temple because I like it there."
Aunt, fuming: "Oh, look at her! Out for two minutes, and she's already got the courage to talk back to me. Just wait—I'll show you."
She grabs a stick nearby and, without a second thought, starts hitting Shri on her back.
But Shri doesn't cry or scream; this is routine for her now. Her aunt has beaten her worse in the past, and her tears have dried up. Her body has become used to the pain, and she just stands there, silently enduring it.
Suddenly, a man in a wheelchair comes from behind and shouts at the aunt, "Stop, Kumud! Why are you beating her like an animal?"
Hearing his voice, the aunt freezes and turns to see her husband glaring at her. Shri looks at her uncle and nods as if to say she's alright.
Uncle: "Your name may be Kumud (meaning 'calm'), but you're anything but calm. Why are you constantly harassing this poor girl? Let her live her life."
Aunt throws the stick and yells at her husband, "Oh, you'll always find me at fault, won't you? Your precious darling will never do anything wrong in your eyes."
Uncle: "Why are you hitting my child? What has she done wrong?"
Aunt: "Your girl has been roaming the whole neighborhood since morning! She's a young girl. If anything happens, the neighbors will point fingers at us. You'll sit in your chair and cry, but the world will blame me, saying I didn't teach her good values."
Uncle: "Shri has more values than you'll ever know. She has my sister and brother-in-law's blood in her. And if anyone needs good values, it's your precious daughter Juhi, who came home drunk at 2 AM last night. Go check on her; she might still be unconscious in her room."
Realizing her daughter's condition, the aunt panics and hurries to Juhi's room, calling for Shri to bring some lemon water.
After the aunt leaves, Shri approaches her uncle, holding his hand gently. "Uncle, why do you fight with Aunty? I have no complaints against her."
Uncle: "Your parents will hold me accountable when I meet them in the afterlife. I made a promise to my sister on her deathbed that I would care for you like my own daughter."
Shri: "And you do treat me like your daughter, Uncle. You love me even more than Juhi."
Just then, the aunt's voice calls from inside, "Shri, where did you go? I told you to bring lemon water!"
Hearing this, Shri and her uncle laugh.
---
Elsewhere, Bhagy arrives at his office, ready to finalize designs for a new watch collection. Engrossed in his work, he skips lunch, often spending two or three days at the office without a break. In his small office room, fully equipped with all necessities, he starts to unwind after a long meeting. But as he closes his eyes to relax, an image of Shri's smiling face comes to his mind.
A sweet smile spreads across his face as he recalls her. Though Bhagy had seen many beautiful women, even high-profile ones he met professionally, he had never gazed at anyone like this.