In the dimly lit streets of Chennai, Raghavan and his daughter Sandhya boarded the sleeper bus that would take them through the night to Bangalore. The air had the scent of diesel and anticipation, the engine humming a lullaby as they found their designated cabin in the very back. The curtains, a faded blue that had seen better days, provided a semblance of privacy in the otherwise open space. The bus creaked as it pulled away from the station, swallowing them into the inky embrace of the road. Raghavan, a 45-year-old man with a rough exterior but a heart of gold, looked at Sandhya with a mix of pride and concern. Her 18-year-old beauty was like a flame flickering in the shadows, her youthful figure a testament to the woman she was growing into. She had her mother's eyes, a warm brown that seemed to hold the secrets of the universe. He had done his best to raise her alone, and now she was on the cusp of a new chapter in her life. Sandhya, for her part, was lost in thought about her...