The train departed the station and continued south.
It was around 1:40 PM.
The compartment had become slightly quieter.
Many passengers were resting after lunch.
Some stared through the windows while others listened to music.
The warm afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass.
Sathyamoorthy closed his notebook for a moment.
Lakshmi had reached the most important turning point of her life.
The moment when she stepped into politics.
The moment that would eventually lead to power, sacrifice, betrayal, and everything that followed.
So what was the offer?
Sathyamoorthy asked.
Lakshmi smiled.
Direct as always.
He shrugged.
You're telling a story.
I want to know the next chapter.
For the first time since morning, Lakshmi laughed loudly.
A few nearby passengers glanced toward them before returning to their own conversations.
Neither paid attention.
The offer came in 2008.
A major political party invited me to meet their leadership.
At first I refused.
Then they invited me again.
And again.
Eventually curiosity won.
So I attended.
What happened?
Exactly what I expected.
They praised my social work.
Praised my public image.
Praised my popularity.
Then they asked me to join politics.
Simple as that.
Simple?
Sathyamoorthy laughed.
That sounds like the beginning of every political movie.
Lakshmi smiled.
Reality is usually less dramatic.
Then she became serious again.
I rejected them immediately.
Why?
Because I didn't trust politics.
The answer came without hesitation.
I trusted people.
Not political systems.
For years I had seen problems created by people chasing power.
Joining them felt hypocritical.
So what changed?
The party leader asked me something interesting.
She paused.
He asked whether I wanted to criticize the system forever...
or try changing it.
The question annoyed me.
Why?
Because it was a good question.
Both laughed.
Lakshmi continued.
For several weeks, I thought about it.
I spoke to my parents.
Friends.
Community leaders.
People I trusted.
Everyone had different opinions.
Some encouraged me.
Some warned me.
Some thought I was making a mistake.
The most surprising conversation happened with Haripriya.
Your sister?
Lakshmi nodded.
At that time she was still very young.
But she absolutely loved the idea.
She smiled at the memory.
She kept telling everyone her sister would become a great leader one day.
She had more confidence than I did.
Sathyamoorthy noticed genuine affection in Lakshmi's voice whenever she spoke about Haripriya.
The bond between them must have been strong once.
Very strong.
Eventually I made my decision.
The train rattled gently along the tracks.
I joined.
Just like that?
No.
Not just like that.
Lakshmi smiled.
I spent weeks arguing with myself first.
Then one day I finally signed the membership form.
The moment my signature touched the paper...
my life changed permanently.
She looked outside the window.
There are decisions that divide life into two parts.
Before.
And after.
That was one of them.
What happened after joining?
At first?
Nothing exciting.
Lakshmi laughed.
Most people imagine dramatic speeches and instant success.
Reality was very different.
I attended meetings.
Met local leaders.
Visited communities.
Learned how politics actually worked.
And?
And I realized politics was far messier than I imagined.
The answer made Sathyamoorthy smile.
Competing interests.
Conflicting priorities.
Internal rivalries.
Endless negotiations.
Nothing was simple.
Sometimes helping one group upset another.
Sometimes doing the right thing created political problems.
Sometimes doing nothing created bigger problems.
Every decision had consequences.
She paused.
For the first six months, I questioned my decision almost daily.
That bad?
That confusing.
Lakshmi corrected.
I entered politics thinking problems had clear solutions.
Reality taught me otherwise.
The train passed another station.
Passengers entered carrying bags and luggage.
The journey continued.
Yet despite all the challenges, something unexpected happened.
People started supporting me.
Not because I was powerful.
Because they believed I was genuine.
Public meetings grew larger.
Community programs attracted more attention.
My reputation expanded beyond Vijayawada.
For the first time, I felt I might actually make a difference on a larger scale.
Her expression softened.
Those were hopeful years.
Difficult.
Exhausting.
But hopeful.
Then came my first election campaign.
Sathyamoorthy immediately leaned forward.
Now we're getting to the interesting part.
Lakshmi laughed again.
Trust me.
It was interesting.
I had never contested an election before.
I knew social work.
I knew dance.
I knew community organizing.
I knew absolutely nothing about elections.
The image amused both of them.
So I made mistakes.
Many mistakes.
Like?
I answered questions honestly.
Sathyamoorthy blinked.
That's supposed to be a mistake?
In politics?
Sometimes.
Both laughed.
But despite the challenges, Lakshmi's popularity continued growing.
Yet success attracted something else as well.
Enemies.
The word arrived quietly.
But its weight was unmistakable.
People who ignored me before suddenly noticed me.
People benefiting from corruption started paying attention.
People who considered me harmless began seeing me as a threat.
The cheerful memories slowly faded from her face.
And that was when I learned a difficult lesson.
What lesson?
The moment you challenge powerful interests...
they stop seeing you as a person.
They see you as an obstacle.
The train continued toward Chennai.
The afternoon sun remained bright outside.
Yet the story itself was becoming darker.
Because Lakshmi Rajyam was about to enter the most painful phase of her political life.
The phase that would test everything she believed.
Her principles.
Her family.
Her future.
And eventually lead her behind prison walls.