By Priyanka Pathak
In a city where ambition is stitched into every seam and dreams shimmer brighter than the runway lights, Lakshi walked with purpose, her sketches tucked beneath her arm and her heart guarded by years of self-reliance. Love, she believed, was an accessory—beautiful, but never essential. Yet fate, with its own sense of style, had other plans.
Across town, Raghav moved through life with a quiet certainty, his presence commanding yet gentle, his gaze lingering on the world’s details that others missed. He wasn’t searching for love, but he recognized its rare fabric when he saw it.
In a world that tells you to chase what you want, their story would soon ask a different question: What if the greatest love is the one that chooses you?
The Fated Encounter
Raghav Rana first saw Lakshi Adhikari on a rainy Tuesday afternoon at the small coffee shop where she worked part-time while pursuing her degree in fashion designing. He had ducked in to escape the downpour, his expensive suit slightly damp despite the protection of his umbrella. The moment his eyes met hers across the counter, something shifted in his universe—a feeling he couldn’t explain but immediately recognized as significant.
“Just a black coffee, please,” he had said, trying to mask his immediate attraction with casual conversation. Lakshi, however, was unfazed by his charm or the obvious signs of his wealth—the tailored suit, the luxury watch peeking from under his cuff, the way he carried himself with the confidence of someone who had never known financial struggle.
“That’ll be $4.75,” she replied curtly, her focus on the line forming behind him rather than his attempted smile. Something about her directness, her complete disinterest in impressing him, captivated Raghav instantly. He found himself returning to the coffee shop day after day, not for the mediocre coffee, but for the chance to see the woman who had somehow taken residence in his thoughts.
The Pursuit of Reluctance
“You know, most people would be flattered by a regular customer,” Raghav said one day after weeks of visits, when the shop was empty enough for conversation. He had learned her name by then, and had noticed the sketchbook she often worked in during quiet moments—fashion designs that showed remarkable talent.
Lakshi looked up from wiping down the counter, her eyes narrowing. “Most ‘regular customers’ don’t show up in different luxury cars every day just to order plain black coffee,” she responded. “What do you really want, Mr. Rana? Because if you’re looking for someone impressed by wealth, you’ve picked the wrong barista.”
Her directness stunned him, but also reinforced his interest. “I’d like to take you to dinner. Just dinner, nothing more.”
“Why? So you can add the struggling student to your collection of conquests?” Her words were sharp, her anger seemingly disproportionate to his simple request.
Raghav leaned forward, his voice softening. “I come here because for the first time in my life, I’ve met someone who sees through the facade that everyone else falls for. You treat me like a person, not a bank account. That’s… refreshing.”
Walls of Protection
Lakshi’s skepticism wasn’t without reason. Behind her fierce exterior and quick temper lay a history of disappointments. Her ambition to become a fashion designer wasn’t just a dream—it was her escape plan from a life where she had always been let down by those who claimed to care.
“I don’t need your charity,” she told Raghav bluntly after he offered to help fund her final year project when she mentioned struggling with materials costs. “I’ve gotten this far on my own merit, and I’ll finish the same way.”
“It’s not charity if it’s an investment in talent,” Raghav countered, unfazed by her sharp tone. “Nobody in my life has ever thrown me so much attitude as you do, Lakshi. Everyone else just nods and agrees with whatever I say because of my last name.”
Despite her initial resistance, Lakshi found herself sharing more with Raghav during their conversations—her frustrations with professors who didn’t understand her vision, her dreams of creating sustainable fashion in underserved communities, even her childhood memories of building elaborate designs with whatever materials she could find.
Tests of Sincerity
Three months into their tentative friendship, Lakshi decided to test Raghav’s intentions. “I should probably mention that I’m seeing someone,” she lied one evening as they walked through a park after she had finally agreed to spend time with him outside the coffee shop.
Raghav felt his heart constrict painfully, but his expression remained steady. “I hope they treat you with the respect you deserve,” he said quietly. “But I’ll still be here, as your friend if nothing else.You know when to come back to me right, I will always be waiting for you if the universe stops playing nice with you.” Your dreams matter to me, Lakshi, whether or not I’m part of your personal life.”
His response—devoid of possessiveness or entitlement—caught her off guard. She had expected him to walk away once he realized she wasn’t an easy conquest, but instead, he continued showing up, continued supporting her dreams from a respectful distance.
What Lakshi didn’t know was that Raghav had begun putting aside a portion of his wealth in a fund specifically dedicated to helping her establish her own Atelier firm after graduation. Not as a way to buy her affection, but because he genuinely believed in her vision and wanted to see her succeed with or without him in her life.
The Surrender to Truth
On the night of Lakshi’s graduation, Raghav presented her with a small, elegantly wrapped package. Inside was a custom-designed pair of golden dressmaker’s shears, engraved with her initials and the words, “Stitching dreams, one creation at a time.”
“I’m not seeing anyone,” Lakshi confessed suddenly, her voice barely audible amidst the celebration around them. “I lied to you that day in the park. I wanted to see if you were just after… well, if you would give up.”
Raghav smiled softly. “I figured as much after a while. But it doesn’t change anything—my feelings for you aren’t conditional, Lakshi. If you had a twin sister who looked identical to you, I’d still choose you because it’s your spirit, your fire that I’m drawn to. Not just your face, beautiful as it is.”
“Seriously, out of all the people you could chase after, you picked me? Bold move, Raghav. Hope you can keep up.” Even though sassy in her tone, the walls she had built began to crumble. ” Why me? You could have anyone, she replied”
“Because when I’m with you, I’m not Raghav Rana, heir to whatever fortune. I’m just a man trying to be worthy of an extraordinary woman’s attention. You’ve never once been impressed by what I have—only occasionally by who I am. How could I not fall completely in love with that?”
The Flowering of Trust
Raghav’s heart pounded as he stood with Lakshi beneath the quiet stars outside her tiny apartment. He’d never felt this nervous—or this alive. When he finally leaned in, their noses bumped, and he let out an awkward laugh, instantly embarrassed. But Lakshi just grinned, and together they tried again, this time finding a gentle, perfect rhythm. It was Raghav’s first kiss—unpolished, genuine, and unforgettable. There was no script, only honesty, and in that moment, he knew he’d started something real.
Lakshi’s temper didn’t disappear overnight. She still challenged Raghav, still pushed back when she felt he was trying to solve problems with money rather than understanding. But gradually, she allowed herself to trust that his intentions were genuine, that he was a gentleman.
“I’m saving every penny of my first commissions,” she told him six months into their relationship, as they discussed her future plans. “I want to prove I can make it on my own merit.”
“I know you can,” Raghav replied, not mentioning the fund he had established. “But remember that accepting help doesn’t diminish your achievement. No great designer creates a masterpiece alone.”
She reached for his hand then, a simple gesture that communicated more than words could express. “When did you get so wise?”
“When I met a woman worth becoming better for.”
A Foundation Built to Last
The proposal came a year later, not with grand gestures or public spectacle, but with quiet certainty as they sat together late one evening, reviewing sketches for Lakshi’s first solo runway show—a collection inspired by the vibrant streets of her childhood neighborhood.
“I see us in these blueprints,” Raghav said softly. “A foundation built to last, spaces designed for growth, room for unexpected additions.” He reached into his pocket and placed a small box on top of the plans. “I want to build a life with you, Lakshi. Will you marry me?”
The ring inside was modest by his standards—he had learned that Lakshi valued thoughtfulness over extravagance. It featured a small central diamond surrounded by sapphires that matched the blue of her favorite drafting pencil.
“You know I’m still going to call you out when you’re being ridiculous,” she teased, a mischievous glint in her eye. “And just so you know, I fully expect your hand cooked meals, weekly spa days, and a walk-in closet bigger than our living room. Good luck keeping up, Prince Charming—I don’t do ordinary.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he grinned. “Your passion is what I fell in love with. I’d never want to dim that fire.”
Their wedding was an elegant but intimate affair, bringing together two vastly different worlds. Lakshi’s former colleagues from the coffee shop mingled with Raghav’s business associates, creating unexpected connections that would later prove beneficial to many. What guests remembered most wasn’t the clearly expensive venue or the gourmet food, but the way the couple looked at each other—as if they were the only two people in the room.
Proving the Skeptics Wrong
Not everyone believed in their union. Some of Raghav’s associates thought Lakshi was a calculated gold-digger who had played hard-to-get to secure a wealthy husband. Others in Lakshi’s circle suggested she had sold out her principles for comfort. Even Lakshi’s parents expressed concern that their daughter had abandoned her ambitions for a life of luxury.
But as the years passed, the couple proved every skeptic wrong. Lakshi’s Ateiler firm flourished, earning acclaim for innovative designs that prioritized sustainability and community needs. Raghav supported her vision while pursuing his own business interests, often seeking her straightforward perspective on deals that others would simply affirm without question.
“You’re the only person who will tell me when my ideas are terrible,” he often joked, though they both knew it was this honesty that kept their relationship strong.
The Expanding Universe of Love
Their first child, a daughter they named Aria, arrived three years into their marriage. Lakshi had worried that motherhood might derail her career momentum, but found instead that it sharpened her focus and gave new purpose to her designs. Raghav, for his part, took to fatherhood with unexpected enthusiasm, often bringing Aria to the office and rearranging meetings around school events as she grew.
“I never knew I could love someone this much,” he confessed to Lakshi as they watched their daughter sleep. “Except you, of course.”
Lakshi smiled, placing his hand on her stomach. “Well, you might need to expand your heart again. There’s another one on the way.”
Their family grew with remarkable speed—twin boys followed their second daughter, and their fifth child, another boy, arrived just as Lakshi was unveiling her most ambitious collection yet: a groundbreaking line that redefined sustainable luxury and garnered international acclaim. Through it all, Raghav always assured her she could embrace her most feminine self with him, supporting her every step as she conquered both the runway and motherhood.
The Depth of Devotion
“Maybe one more?” Raghav suggested playfully one night as they collapsed into bed after wrangling all five children through dinner and bedtime stories.
Lakshi threw a pillow at him. “Five is quite enough, thank you very much! Even your considerable resources have limits, Mr. Rana.”
But they both knew that the richness of their life together had little to do with financial resources. It was built on the foundation of his unwavering devotion and her steadfast authenticity. Where others saw an unlikely pairing, they recognized complementary strengths that made them better together than apart.
Legacy of Purity
As their children grew, Lakshi and Raghav found that their relationship had a curious effect on those around them. Friends whose marriages were struggling often sought their advice. Business associates who had once been cynical about love found themselves reconsidering their perspectives after witnessing the Ranas’ partnership.
“It’s strange,” Lakshi commented on their fifteenth anniversary as they watched their children playing in the garden of the home she had designed for their family. “Remember how everyone thought we wouldn’t last?”
Raghav nodded, his fingers intertwined with hers. “They couldn’t understand what I saw from the beginning—that true wealth isn’t what’s in my accounts, but what’s in this home. The love you’ve given me, the family we’ve created, the woman you’ve always been and continue to become.”
“Even when I’m yelling at you?” she teased, referencing her still-present tendency to lose her temper over things that mattered to her.
“Especially then,” he confirmed with a smile. “Your passion is ageless, Lakshi. It’s what I fell in love with that first day, and what I fall in love with again every morning.”
In a world often cynical about lasting love, Raghav and Lakshi became living proof that when devotion is genuine and acceptance is complete, the purest form of love not only endures—it transforms everyone it touches.
The Quiet Victory
Twenty years into their marriage, Lakshi and Raghav sat together on the balcony of their home, watching their oldest daughter graduate from medical school with honors. Their other children were pursuing various passions—some aligned with their parents’ paths, others entirely different—but all approached life with the same authenticity and determination they had witnessed in their home.
“Do you ever regret it?” Lakshi asked suddenly, turning to look at the man who had pursued her so persistently all those years ago. “Choosing someone who made it so difficult? Who doubted you at every turn?”
Raghav’s face softened as he regarded the woman who had become the center of his universe. “Not for a single moment. Everything worthwhile requires effort, Lakshi. And you were always worth every ounce of perseverance.”
He reached for her hand—a gesture that had become as natural as breathing over their years together. “The most beautiful things in life are those we have to fight for, to prove ourselves worthy of. You taught me that, and it’s made everything in my life more meaningful.”
The sun set on their quiet moment of reflection, casting a golden glow over the life they had built together—a shining example of love in its purest form, where devotion overcomes obstacles and two people become better versions of themselves through the simple act of choosing each other, day after day, year after year.
And though Raghav still occasionally joked about having “just one more baby,” they both knew their family was perfect exactly as it was: a living embodiment of a love so pure that it had changed not only their lives but the lives of everyone fortunate enough to witness it.
Priyanka Pathak is a writer from Kathmandu.
Academy of the Heart And Mind 