It was a humid Sunday afternoon when Arjun and Kavya finally visited after months. The old house was cleaned, the hidden boxes taken out, the savings arranged in neat piles.
After lunch, Raghavan cleared his throat. His hands trembled with excitement as he opened the almirah and brought out the tin box, then the bundles from under the bed, the gold bangles wrapped in newspaper.
"All this," he said proudly, "we saved for you. Every coin, every note, every sacrifice—it was for your future."
Meera's eyes shone with tears. "Now you see, Arjun? We gave you our life's work. This is our love."
Arjun stared at the piles of money, his chest tightening. For a long moment, he said nothing.