In a small, dusty village named Shanti Pur, lived two boys named Ram and Shyam. They were not brothers by birth, but they were brothers by heart. Ram was the son of a simple farmer, and Shyam was the son of a small shopkeeper. From the age of five, they were inseparable.
They went to the same village school, sat on the same wooden bench, and shared the same lunch box. If Ram fell down and scraped his knee, Shyam would be the first one to cry. If Shyam forgot his homework, Ram would stay back after school to help him finish it. Their friendship was the talk of the entire village. People used to say, "If you see Ram, Shyam must be just a few steps behind."
One evening, while sitting under a large mango tree, they made a promise. Ram said, "Shyam, no matter how hard life gets, I will always be there for you." Shyam held Ram's hand and replied, "And I will always protect you, even if I have to give up everything I own." At that time, they were just children, and they did not know how much that promise would soon be tested.