Author pov..

Divya saw Rahul standing there, crying.

She moved toward him, but before she could say anything, Rahul suddenly ran away from Ishani's house straight to his own.

He rushed into his room, locked the door from inside, and threw himself onto the bed.

Curling up, he began to cry uncontrollably.

Through his sobs, his words poured out, broken and raw."Everyone is bad to me... no one loves me. I'll run away from this house. Nobody loves me neither Mom, nor Dad, nor Didi, not even Dadi. No one loves me..."

He kept repeating it, crying until his chest hurt.

Meanwhile, Malini gently said to

"Divya, "Don't worry, beta. Go and calm your father down. If he gets too angry, his blood pressure will rise and it could cause serious problems. And take Aunty with you too poor thing, she's come all this way, already so worried."

Divya nodded silently.

She held Nirmala Dadi's hand and said softly, "Come, Dadi."

Nirmala Dadi began walking with her, and together they reached home.

In the room, Rani kept trying to console devnath. "It's okay... he's just a child. He made a mistake. He won't do it again."

But suddenly, from inside the room,

Devnath shouted angrily, "Both these children have started lying to me now!"

Hearing this, Divya's heart sank.

Those words hurt her deeply.

Without saying anything, she took

Nirmala Dadi went to her room and gently made her sit on the bed.

Nirmala Dadi patted the space beside her and said, "Come, sit here with me."

Divya walked over and sat beside her, silently, her heart heavy with emotions that no one seemed to notice.

Nirmala Dadi spoke gently, her voice calm and understanding.

"Divya, baccha, don't feel bad about what Dev said. You know him he absolutely cannot tolerate lies."

Divya lowered her eyes and replied softly, "Yes, Dadi."

That's when Nirmala Dadi continued, "That's why you shouldn't be sad. By tomorrow, his anger will cool down. You know how he is."

Divya nodded. "Yes, Dadi."

After a brief pause, Nirmala Dadi said something that made Divya's heart tighten."But Divya, you did make a mistake."

Divya looked up, uneasy.

"When you already knew that Rahul had scored zero marks, you should have explained to him that he must tell Papa the truth. You should have guided him. But you didn't."

Guilt slowly crept into Divya's chest.

Her silence spoke louder than words.

Nirmala Dadi went on, her tone still kind, never harsh."Divya, you are older. It's your responsibility to teach Rahul the right things. He's still small he doesn't understand these matters yet. You do understand what I'm trying to say, don't you?"

Divya took a deep breath and replied sincerely, "Yes, Dadi. I understand. I'll be more responsible from now on, especially when it comes to Rahul."

Hearing this, Nirmala Dadi smiled, her face lighting up with relief and pride."That's my girl. Now go tomorrow you have college. Get some sleep."

Divya stood up and said respectfully, "You should rest too."

Nirmala Dadi nodded. "Alright."

Meanwhile, in the Awasthi household.

Malini spoke with concern in her voice."Devnath ji shouldn't have been so angry with Rahul. He's still a child he doesn't really understand. He probably thought that if he lied, he wouldn't get scolded. The poor thing just got trapped in his own fear."

Vaibhav responded firmly, "What do you want, Maa? That he should lie? It's actually good that he got scolded now. If he hadn't, he would've gone on to tell more lies in the future. This is how children get spoiled."

Ishani's eyes filled with emotion as she said softly, "I couldn't even bear to watch him... the way he was standing there and crying."

Malini nodded in agreement. "Yes"

Trying to end the discussion, Vaibhav said, "Alright, enough now. Let's sleep. Otherwise, we'll keep talking about the same thing all night."

Malini sighed and replied, "Yes, let's go to sleep."

Soon, all three of them walked into their rooms, the house slowly falling into silence each carrying their own thoughts, some heavy with guilt, some with justification, and some with quiet unease as the night deepened.

Morning arrived, carrying a strange heaviness with it.

The house woke up as usual, everyone slipping into their daily routines but something felt off.

For the first time ever, Rahul woke up without anyone calling his name, without scolding, without a single harsh word.

He sat up on his bed in silence.

His eyes were swollen from crying the night before, his heart still aching.

Without making a sound, he put on his school uniform, zipped up his bag, and walked out of his room.

As he stepped into the veranda, ready to leave the house, Rani noticed him.

"Rahul, where are you going, beta?" she called out gently. "At least have breakfast. Your tiffin is ready."

But Rahul didn't stop.

He didn't even turn back.

His small footsteps moved faster, as if he was running away from the words themselves.

Confused and worried, Rani rushed after him.

She stepped outside, looking left, then right.

But he was already gone.

The road was empty.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Did he really leave like this... without eating anything?

She pressed her lips together, guilt creeping in.

He must still be angry... hurt.

At that moment, Divya walked in and asked, slightly irritated by the tension in the air,"What happened, Maa? Why are you shouting so early in the morning?"

Rani turned toward her, her voice trembling."Rahul left early today. He didn't eat breakfast. He didn't even take his tiffin."

Divya froze.

Her eyes widened in shock.

"What? So early?" she whispered. "He must still be upset about yesterday... the way Papa shouted at him."

Before either of them could say anything more, Devnath entered the room and sat down at the dining table, calm and composed unaware that his silence, his anger from the night before, had already left a deep mark on a child's heart.

Devnath walked in and asked sharply,

"What happened? Why are you shouting so early in the morning?"

Rani turned toward him, her voice filled with panic and worry.

"Rahul left for school early today," she said. "He didn't eat breakfast... and he didn't even take his tiffin with him."

Hearing this, Devnath froze.

The thought of his son going to school hungry pierced his heart.

His expression changed instantly concern replacing everything else.

Divya spoke gently, trying to calm the situation."It's okay, Maa. Give the tiffin to me. I'm going the same way I'll give it to him at school."

But Devnath shook his head firmly.

"No need. You go to college. I'll give it to him myself."

Divya nodded softly.

"Okay, Papa."

Rani tried to bring some normalcy back and said,"Alright, Divya, sit down. I'll bring breakfast for you and your father."

Devnath replied without turning back,"There's no need to bring anything for me. Just give me the tiffin. I'm leaving."

When Rani and Divya heard this, they understood he was still upset.

Divya stepped closer, her eyes moist, and said,"Papa, I'm sorry for yesterday. From now on, I won't hide anything from you. Please don't leave like this. At least eat something before you go."

Devnath finally looked at her, his voice soft but heavy with emotion.

"It's okay, Divya. You accepted your mistake that's enough for me."

He paused, pain clear in his eyes.

"Rahul left without eating. That's why I don't feel like eating anything. He's my son... if he goes hungry, how can I eat peacefully? Please don't blame yourself."

Divya felt a deep sense of relief washed over her.

She finally realized that her father wasn't angry with her.

Just then, Malini spoke, exhaustion and concern mixed in her voice.

"When you love Rahul so much," she said, "then who told you to scold him so harshly yesterday? You could have explained things calmly. Now the child goes to school hungry, the father refuses to eat... tell me, who am I supposed to take care of first?"

Devnath said quietly, "Don't worry about me. Go and give Divya her breakfast. I'll leave with the tiffin."

Rani let out a tired sigh and walked into the kitchen, while Devnath picked up the tiffin and stepped out of the house.

On his way to Rahul's school, his eyes fell on a small sweet shop.

Jalebis were frying in hot oil, their familiar aroma filling the air.

Devnath stopped without thinking.

Rahul loved jalebis.

He bought a small packet, holding it carefully as if it were another way of saying I'm sorry.

After a while, he reached the school in an auto.

He stepped out, paid the driver, and walked toward the school gate.

Near the entrance, he spotted Deepak.

"Deepak... Deepak!" Devnath called out.

Deepak turned around, noticed him, and ran toward him in surprise.

"Uncle? You're here?"

Devnath handed him the tiffin.

"Take this and give it to Rahul. He forgot his tiffin today."

Deepak looked at him hesitantly and said,"But uncle... Rahul didn't come to school by bus today."

Devnath froze.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice suddenly tense. "He left home this morning. He didn't come by the bus?"

Deepak shook his head."No, uncle."

Devnath tried to stay calm."Maybe you didn't notice properly. Come on, check the class he must be there."

Deepak replied softly,"If you're not convinced, uncle, you should see it yourself."

A strange fear crept into Devnath's chest.

His heartbeat quickened as he walked toward the classroom with Deepak.

They reached the class.

Rahul wasn't there.

Devnath's breath caught. Panic spread through his body like a cold fire.

"Where did he go?" he whispered to himself.

He rushed through the corridors, searching every corner of the school.

Deepak ran alongside him, helping him look everywhere but Rahul was nowhere to be found.

The school that once felt noisy and alive suddenly felt frighteningly empty.

And Devnath's heart sank with every passing second.

On the other side, Divya and Ishani headed to college in an auto, while Vaibhav followed behind them.

He had promised Rani the previous day that he would take care of both girls, and he intended to keep that promise.

Before long, they reached the college.

Divya and Ishani went to their classroom, while Vaibhav headed toward his own.

As soon as Divya entered, she noticed that everyone seemed unusually busy, whispering and chatting excitedly.

She turned to Prachi and asked,

"What's going on today? Aren't classes happening or what?"

Prachi looked at Divya in shock.

"Divya? You're here after so many days!"

Divya raised her eyebrows slightly.

"Yeah. Why? What happened?"

Prachi laughed softly."Nothing happened... except that you and Ishani have become really famous across the whole of Banaras."

Divya rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Oh great. That's exactly why my mother didn't want me to come to college."

Prachi grinned and added,

"By the way, the college is busy preparing for the fresher party, and there's also a football match today. So don't expect much studying."

Ishani leaned toward Divya and said,

"Oh! I totally forgot to tell you yesterday. Why did I even come if there's no proper class?"

Divya smiled mischievously."Relax, Miss Topper. Studying this much isn't good either."

Then she added teasingly,"Besides, watching the match will be fun someone special invited me."

Ishani narrowed her eyes suspiciously."Someone special? Who invited you?"

Divya smirked."You'll find out soon enough. Don't stress."

Under the burning afternoon sun, Rahul wandered through the narrow lanes of Banaras.

The heat pressed down on him, and his empty stomach twisted painfully.

He hadn't eaten a single bite since morning.

Every step felt heavier than the last, but his resolve was stronger than his exhaustion.

I will never go back home, he told himself again and again.

I'll earn my own money.

I'll live on my own terms.

The thought gave him strength until his body finally gave up.

His legs trembled, and he slowly sat down near a quiet corner.

His throat felt dry, almost burning.

He swallowed hard, craving just a sip of water, but there was nothing around him.

Elsewhere, Deeksha and Abhay had set out to roam the streets of Banaras together.

Abhay had mentioned that he would be leaving soon, and the idea of his absence had deeply unsettled Deeksha.

Just to spend more time with him, she had taken multiple days off from school.

Abhay knew how deeply his little sister cared for him so deeply that he couldn't say no. In the end, he agreed to spend all his holidays with her.

They were driving through the city, Abhay at the wheel.

"Bhaiya, let's go watch a movie," Deeksha said softly, breaking the silence.

Abhay smiled faintly.

"A movie? You know I don't really enjoy movies."

Deeksha turned toward him, her voice pleading."Please, Bhaiya... just this once."

Abhay sighed, defeated by her eyes.

"Alright. Wherever you want."

They reached the cinema hall.

Deeksha stepped out of the car, excitement in her steps.

Abhay followed right behind her.

Then everything stopped.

Deeksha's eyes fell on a familiar figure standing under the blazing sun.

A boy in a school uniform.

A bag hanging loosely from his shoulders.

His posture is tired... broken.

It was Rahul.

Her breath caught in her throat.

School is open today, her mind screamed.

Then why is he here?

Shock turned into fear in a split second.

Without thinking, Deeksha started running toward him.

"Deeksha!" Abhay shouted urgently.

"Where are you going? Watch the road Deeksha!"

But she didn't hear him.

All she could see was a lonely boy standing where he never should have been lost, hungry, and far away from where he belonged.

And in that moment, her heart knew something was terribly wrong.

Deeksha came running, her breath uneven and the chest rising and falling as she gasped, “Rahul… what are you doing here?”

The moment Rahul heard Deeksha’s voice, he turned around.

His eyes widened in shock as he stared at her.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, still trying to process her sudden presence.

Just then, Abhay rushed in, clearly panicking.

“Deeksha! What kind of carelessness is this?” he scolded. “What if something had happened to you?”

Deeksha looked at Abhay and said softly, “I’m sorry, Bhai. He’s my friend. I saw him here, so I ran without thinking.”

Abhay’s gaze shifted to Rahul.

His tone grew firm.“No matter what, you should never run like that. Anything could have gone wrong.”

“Okay, Bhai,” Deeksha replied quietly.

After a brief pause, Deeksha turned back to Rahul, concerned about clouding her eyes.“Rahul, why are you here in your school uniform?”

Rahul looked at her for a second and replied coldly, “It’s nothing.”

Without another word, he turned around and started to walk away.

Something didn’t feel right to either Deeksha or Abhay.

Suddenly, Deeksha ran after him and grabbed his hand.“Rahul, where are you going like this?”

Rahul jerked his hand, anger flashing in his eyes.“Leave my hand. What does it matter to you where I go?”

Abhay raised an eyebrow and said calmly, “Oh, junior, so much anger? Carrying a school bag, wearing your uniform where exactly are you going?”

Rahul snapped back, his voice shaking with rage,“I’m leaving my home. Why does it matter to you?”

“Leave my hand,” he said again.

But Deeksha refused, holding on tighter.“No, I won’t let go. First tell me why are you leaving your home?”

Rahul struggled harder, twisting his wrist again and again, trying desperately to free his hand.

But Deeksha’s grip only tightened, as if she was afraid he might disappear the moment she let go.

Abhay watched silently for a second, then spoke in a measured tone, choosing his words carefully.

“Deeksha, let go of his hand.“He doesn’t know yet what the world is really like.If someone else sees him alone, they might kidnap him. They’ll drag him away, cut off his hands and legs, and force him to beg on the streets. He won’t even be able to return to his parents. Maybe then he’ll understand what he’s doing.”

The words hit Rahul like a slap.

Fear rushed through his body.

His breath caught in his throat, and his eyes widened as horrible images flashed before him.

For a moment, his courage crumbled.

“W-Who would kidnap me?” he said quickly, forcing a laugh that sounded hollow even to his own ears. “I’m not scared of anyone. I’m strong.”

He turned toward Deeksha, his voice suddenly pleading.“Okay… just let go of my hand. Please. Let me go.”

Deeksha looked at him, anger and worry crashing together inside her.

“Have you completely lost your mind, Rahul?” she snapped, though her eyes were moist. You don’t run away from home like this. Do you have any idea how worried your parents must be right now?”

Rahul’s face stiffened.

The fear faded, replaced by something far heavier hurt.

“No one is worried,” he said quietly, but every word carried years of pain. “I left a letter at home. I told them I’m leaving.”

He lowered his gaze, his voice breaking despite his effort to stay strong.“It doesn’t matter to them. No one cares if I stay or go. No one loves me.”

Deeksha shook her head slowly, her voice soft but firm.“Why are you saying such things, Rahul? Parents do love their children. Your mom and dad love you too.”

Rahul let out a bitter laugh, his eyes burning with unshed tears.

“No one loves me,” he said. “At my house, everyone is always scolding me. All the time.”

He swallowed hard, his voice dropping to a fearful whisper.

“And yesterday… Papa told Vaibhav bhaiya to give me tuition.” “But… you know how he is?” Rahul continued, his hands trembling. “You know how badly he beats children.”

Deeksha looked at him, shocked.

“No, I don’t know that,” she said honestly. “Vaibhav sir has never hit me. Not even once.”

Rahul met her eyes, pain flashing across his face.

“Because you’re good at studies and you're a girl", he said quietly. “That’s why he doesn’t hit you.”

His voice cracked as fear finally spilled out.“But I’m not. He’ll beat me a lot. And Papa even told him to hit me… to punish me.”

After listening to everything, Abhay finally spoke, his voice calm but decisive.“Alright. Don’t go home. Come with us we’re going to watch a movie. You should come too.”

Deeksha looked at him, startled.

“But Bhaiya, he should go home,” she said worriedly.

Abhay shook his head slowly.

“No, Deeksha. He’s right. His parents don’t love him. He shouldn’t go back there.”

“Bhaiya, but—” Deeksha tried to argue.

Abhay shot her a sharp look, silently signaling her to trust him and go along with what he was saying.

Deeksha paused, then understood.

She turned to Rahul, forcing a gentle smile.“Okay. If you don’t want to go home, then don’t. Come with us we’re going to watch a movie. After that, you can go wherever you want.”

Rahul shook his head stubbornly.

“No. I don’t want to watch a movie. Just let me go.”

Deeksha quickly added, her voice playful now, “There will be pizza and burgers at the cinema too. Come on, Rahul you must be hungry.”

“I’m not hungry,” Rahul replied instantly.

Just then, his stomach betrayed him with a loud growl.

Deeksha and Abhay looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

Deeksha laughed and said, “But your stomach is saying something else.”

She gently tugged at his arm, smiling warmly.“Come on, Rahul. I’m not letting you go anywhere.”

Rahul refused to move, standing there stubbornly, his feet rooted to the ground.

Deeksha looked up at the harsh sky and then back at him.

“The sun is so strong, Rahul,” she said softly. “Please come. How long will the three of us just stand here like this?”

Rahul felt it then the hunger twisting in his stomach, the dryness in his throat, the heat pressing down on his tired body.

He stayed silent, but his thoughts raced.

If I watch the movie and leave afterward, it won’t matter, he told himself.

Otherwise, Deeksha won’t let me go like this.

After a long pause, he finally sighed.

“Okay… let’s go.”

Deeksha’s face instantly lit up with relief, and Abhay smiled, clearly pleased.

Without another word, the threeof them turned and walked together toward the cinema hall.

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