My first time visiting my boyfriend’s home, I was shocked to see his mother rush to my knees and kneel before me.

MY FIRST TIME VISITING MY BOYFRIEND’S HOME, I SAW HIS MOTHER RUSH TO MY KNEELS BEFORE ME — I WAS SHOCKED TO LEARN THE REASON

I still vividly remember the faint scent of sandalwood perfume on Aarav that evening — a warm, comforting scent that always made me feel safe whenever I was with him.

We had just left a small French restaurant in Bandra, Mumbai, where the soft candlelight reflected in his deep, dark eyes. Aarav and I had been in love for exactly one year. He was the kind of man any girl would dream of: handsome, the head of sales at a tech corporation, calm and composed, and most importantly—he owned a luxury apartment in the heart of Mumbai before he was thirty.

In my eyes, Aarav was almost perfect. He was thoughtful, a good listener, always painting a picture of a warm home and children. And tonight—after a year of keeping things under wraps—we decided to take our relationship a step further.

I was nervous, my hand gripping my clutch, my heart pounding as the elevator announced the 18th floor. In my mind was an image of a cozy apartment, soft yellow lighting, gentle jazz music, and passionate kisses.

“We’re here,” Aarav smiled, a smile that melted my heart.

He reached out and entered the electronic keypad.

“Beep… beep…”

The heavy wooden door slowly opened.

But instead of the pleasant scent of essential oils or the warm glow of lights, what appeared before me was a horrifying scene of chaos.

THE WOMAN KNEELING

As soon as the door creaked open, a figure darted out from the dark corner like a cornered animal:

“Aarav! You’re home! Save me!”

I jumped back, almost dropping my bag of food. Before me stood a middle-aged woman. Her hair was disheveled and matted with sweat. Her expensive silk sari was wrinkled and askew. Her face was gaunt, her eyes dark and wide with panic.

It was Aarav’s mother—the woman he had told me was living a peaceful life in the countryside, occasionally going on pilgrimages with her elderly friends.

Before I could understand what was happening, she rushed forward and knelt before her son.

The sound of her knees hitting the marble floor was a dry, jarring noise that sent shivers down my spine.

“Mother begs you! Please save me this one time!”

“Since I gave birth to you, you must save me!”

“Otherwise… they’ll kill me! They’re waiting in the lobby!”

She bowed her head repeatedly, her trembling hands clutching at Aarav’s crisp trousers.

I froze.

Instinctively, I quickly put down my bag and bent down to help her up.

“Auntie… please stand up, what’s wrong—”

“DON’T TOUCH HER!”

Aarav yelled.

I was stunned.

This was the first time I’d seen him so out of control. His handsome face flushed red, veins bulging in his neck. He pushed my hand away, motioned for me to step back, then looked down at his mother with a mixture of pain and rage.

“This time… how much?” he gritted his teeth.

The woman looked up, tears streaming down her face:

“Two… two crore rupees…”

Two crore.

Twenty million rupees.

Aarav roared:

“Two crore?!”

“Are you crazy, Mom? I just paid you fifty lakh last month!”

“What do you swear? You said you’d quit gambling?!”

“I… I was trying to win it back…”

“I thought my luck was about to change…”

“Who would have thought…”

“If I don’t get the money tonight, the boss will cut off my fingers and send them to your company…”

I stood frozen. A chill ran down my spine.

Two crore—the entire fortune my parents had saved up their whole lives. Yet, through her words, it was just a gamble of bad luck.

WHEN I BECAME THE “EXIT”

Seeing Aarav’s silence, his mother suddenly turned to me.

She crawled on the floor, clinging tightly to my legs, making me scream in panic.

“Miss!”

“You’re Aarav’s girlfriend, aren’t you?”

“You look so kind, you must be from a wealthy family!”

“Tell him to save me… or do you have any money? Lend me some, I’ll write a promissory note!”

“MOM!”

Aarav rushed forward, pulling her away from me.

“Mom, don’t drag her into this!”

“She has nothing to do with your troubles!”

He turned to me. His eyes no longer held their usual confidence, only shame and despair.

“Go home,” he said hoarsely. “Today… isn’t convenient.”

I really wanted to run away. But seeing Aarav standing in the luxurious yet cold apartment, facing his distraught mother, I couldn’t bring myself to leave.

“Aarav… what exactly is going on?” I asked, my voice trembling.

THE NAKED TRUTH

Aarav slumped onto the sofa, clutching his head.

And then, everything fell apart.

This apartment—it had been mortgaged two years ago to pay off his mother’s debts.
His high salary—just enough to live on, the rest going to bail his mother out of gambling.

“She doesn’t just owe two crores,” he said bitterly.

“That’s just the interest.”

“The total debt… must be ten crores.”

Ten crores.

I recoiled, my back hitting the cold door.

“I’m sorry… but you’re so good… you make good money…” she continued to murmur.

“Sell the car… borrow more from your friends…”

“Even if I sold my blood, it wouldn’t be enough to cover your gambling expenses!” Aarav yelled.

A NAKED CHOICE

Aarav stepped forward and took my hand. His hands were cold and sweaty.

“Anjali…” he whispered.

“I’m sorry for hiding it from you. I was afraid of losing you.”

“But you see… this is my life.”

I looked at him. I still loved him.

But then I looked at the other woman—her eyes still darting around, calculating what more she could get out of me.

If I went any further, she would be my mother-in-law.

Ten crores in debt.

The mafia.

Nights of fear.

Could love bear it all?

Aarav let go of my hand.

“Go home,” he said, unusually calm.

“Don’t get involved with them.”

THE END

I don’t remember how I left that apartment.

Only when the elevator doors closed, separating me from the sounds of crying and desperate sighs, did I dare to cry.

Through the taxi window, I saw a group of tattooed men enter the apartment building lobby.

My phone vibrated.

A text from Aarav:

“Forget about me.
You deserve a peaceful life—something I could never give you.”

I cried. But my reason told me:

There are burdens…
that cannot be carried together simply by love.

And the door I just closed—
was not a loss,

but self-salvation.