He ran back to Amma and hugged her. “You were right,” he said. “‘Apne’ turns strangers into family. It makes the world less lonely.”
Finally, near the temple, he met an old man who had slipped on the wet stones. Raghav helped him up and said, “Hold my shoulder, apne pitaji (father).” The old man’s eyes glistened. “I lost my son last year,” he whispered. “No one has called me ‘pitaji’ since.” He ran back to Amma and hugged her
Raghav shrugged. “What difference does a word make, Amma?” It makes the world less lonely
Further up, he saw a young girl crying because she had lost her way. He called out, “Don’t worry, apne behen. I know this path.” The girl wiped her tears and followed him to the fork where her house lay. She smiled and said, “Thank you, apne bhaiya.” Raghav felt a bond he had never noticed before. “No one has called me ‘pitaji’ since