A single father carries a poor mother and child home in the rain and his life changes from there
The night sky in Delhi is pouring rain, heavy raindrops hitting the streets, creating puddles. Arjun runs frantically in the sparse traffic, his breath coming out of his lungs. He has just lost track of his five-year-old son, Aarav, when they were on their way to buy fever medicine. In just a moment of carelessness, the boy ran out of his sight and disappeared into the pouring rain.

He called out as he rushed to find him. “Aarav, where are you? Answer me!” Arjun’s call was mixed with the sound of the rain, almost swallowed up. As he ran along the dark alley in Chandni Chowk, Arjun suddenly heard the shrill cry of a little girl. The weak, childish cry mixed with the trembling voice of a woman pleading:

“Please… don’t leave me, I beg you, I beg you…”

Arjun’s heart clenched. He looked towards the end of the alley, where the pale yellow light fell, creating a distorted streak of light on the road. His fatherly instincts made him rush over immediately, fearing that someone was harming a mother and child. He shouted, “Who is it?”

As he got closer, he stopped. There was no one else but a young woman kneeling on the road, her body soaked from head to toe. In her arms was a little girl about three years old, sobbing from the cold and hunger. She hugged her child tightly, crying and mumbling apologies in despair. The rain mixed with her tears, making it difficult to distinguish between rain and pain.

Arjun slowly walked over.

“Sister… what’s going on? Why are you two here in the rain?”

The woman was trembling, not because she was afraid of him, but because she was exhausted. Her voice was only the sound of wind whistling through her trembling teeth:

“I’m sorry, Aarini… Mom has no money to buy milk. Mom promised but couldn’t do it…”

Arjun looked at the scene, his chest tightening. The little girl was already purple from the cold, and the mother looked like she would collapse if only one gust of wind blew. He quickly asked:
“Who are you with? How did you end up like this?”

The girl answered in a broken voice:
“I’m Meera. My husband died, he had an accident at work. My husband’s family forced me to pay the debt. I sold the house, we went to Delhi to find work and all my belongings were burned. I applied for jobs all day but no one accepted. It’s raining, I don’t know where to go anymore…”

Meera hugged her child to her chest, as if to shield her from the world. Arjun stood still. The rain hitting his face was cold, but not as cold as the feeling he had when he was witnessing two small people being pushed to the end by life.

He bent down to help, but felt the little girl’s body in Meera’s arms go limp. Anika had fainted. Meera screamed in panic:

“My child, my child, wake up! Anika, don’t!”

Arjun picked her up immediately, feeling her breath as weak as a thread. If he had waited a few more minutes, she might not have made it. He looked at Meera, then at Anika, then turned his eyes back to the road where he was looking for Aarav.

His heart ached. He had to choose: continue looking for his son – who was feverish, lost in the rain – or save Anika’s life in front of him. In that moment, all his emotions were mixed up. He closed his eyes for a second, took a deep breath.

“My son can still be found, but this one’s life cannot be…” He decided to pick Anika up, helping Meera stand up.

“Follow me, I’ll take you two to the hospital.”

Meera trembled as she followed, each step looking like she was about to fall. Arjun covered the baby under his jacket to keep out the rain. As soon as he opened the car door, his phone rang. The voice on the other end was the policeman’s voice, “We found the baby boy…”

Arjun was stunned. The sound of the rain was as heavy as a hammer pounding on the road. His face was pale, his eyes wide with panic. “My baby… how is my baby?”

The call was interrupted by the sound of the rain, the sound of the car, and his rapid breathing. The scene stopped there, choking as if squeezing the viewer’s heart.

Arjun pressed his warm jacket against the baby while driving, trying to keep Anika’s body warm. Meera hugged the baby, her hands trembling. When they arrived at the hospital, everything happened quickly. The nurse took Anika to the emergency room. Meera collapsed into Arjun’s arms as soon as she set foot on the ground. He called the nurse in panic, and Meera was finally given an IV because she was physically and mentally exhausted.

Arjun’s phone rang again. The police voice reassured: Aarav was found near Chandni Chowk market, lost and scared. He had a high fever but no serious injuries, and was taken to the local health department. Arjun breathed a sigh of relief and ran to pick up his son. When Aarav saw his father, he sobbed and hugged him tightly. Arjun also burst into tears, blaming himself for being careless while hugging his son tightly.

He took Aarav back to the hospital for a health check. In the room, Anika was given oxygen, her face pale but feeling better. Meera had an IV, her eyes were glazed but less tense. Khoa looked at Anika, his eyes curious and worried. Arjun patted Aarav’s head, “You’re sick, you need to rest. Sit still.”

After being cared for, Meera recounted her family tragedy: her husband died in a work accident in Mumbai, the company shirked responsibility, her husband’s family dumped all their debt on her. Meera had to take her child and run away in the middle of the night. Arjun clenched his fists, feeling that this woman had suffered too much alone.

When it was time to pay the hospital bill, Meera was confused. She had nothing but a few crumpled bills. Arjun said gently, “Let me take care of it.” He used his card to pay the hospital bill, saving the mother and child from danger.

When discharged from the hospital, Arjun took Meera and Anika to his home in Delhi. The house was small but cozy. Aarav was happy to see Anika. In the early days of living together, Arjun witnessed their feelings gradually blossoming: Anika falling asleep in Aarav’s arms, Meera shyly cleaning the kitchen, and even awkward but warm meals.

However, Meera’s husband’s family came to the house and caused trouble. They stormed in like a storm, accusing Meera of taking money and fighting with Arjun. Arjun protected the mother and child, asking the police to verify legal custody. A tense argument broke out in front of the house, and the neighbors heard it. Finally, the police detained both sides for investigation.

When the case was cleared up, the investigation agency discovered that Meera’s husband had bought a large life insurance policy for his wife and children. The husband’s family’s attempt to take advantage of the situation was exposed. The company where Meera’s husband worked was also forced to pay compensation. Justice came late but still came.

The next day, Meera’s mother-in-law came to apologize, knelt down, and asked to take care of Anika. Meera forgave him but kept a safe boundary.

Thanks to the insurance money, Meera opened a small bakery in Delhi, fulfilling her long-standing dream. Arjun got a good job thanks to his ex-mother-in-law’s introduction. Together they built a new life, raising two children in warmth and peace.

One morning after the rain, Arjun held Meera, Aarav, and Anika’s hands and walked on the small road, the sunlight was bright, the hearts of the four people were full of hope. Life can be stormy at times, but there are always people standing by to protect you, and sometimes it is the person who was once looked down upon who saves you from the storm.