When he finally spoke, his voice was low, almost breaking.
"So this is what you chose over me," he said. "While I begged for your time, you counted your coins. While I wanted to talk to you, you hid money under the floor. Do you think this makes up for the years I felt invisible?"
"Arjun…" Meera whispered, her face pale. "We did this for you."
"For me?" His laughter was bitter. "No, Amma. You did this for yourselves—for your idea of love. You never asked what I needed. You gave me everything except yourselves."
Raghavan's pride crumbled. "But son—"
Arjun raised his hand, cutting him off. "Keep it. Keep all of it. I don't need your money. I needed parents. And that, you never gave me."
The silence that followed was heavier than words. Kavya touched his arm, urging calm, but he shook his head, eyes filled with hurt.
And then he walked out.