Baby (2023) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Anand mortgages his auto to buy a smartphone for Vaishnavi because she has moved to a prestigious engineering college where all her wealthier classmates have one. He wants to bridge the growing gap between their different worlds and maintain their connection despite their diverging paths. The gesture comes at a significant financial cost, as he struggles to repay the loan while also facing pressure from a loan shark.

Foreshadowing: The auto he depends on for his livelihood was already established as his means of survival after dropping out.

• anand
• vaishnavi
• smartphone
• loan
• mortgage
• auto

Vaishnavi begins to drift away from Anand as she tries to fit in with wealthier, more modern classmates at her prestigious engineering college. The cultural and social gap between her old life in the slum and this new world grows wider. She is drawn to the glamour and acceptance that Viraj's circle offers, making her increasingly uncomfortable with her secret relationship with Anand.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows her entering a new world where the cultural gap creates new tensions.

• vaishnavi
• anand
• college
• drift
• social class
• acceptance

Anand's controlling behavior stems from his insecurity as Vaishnavi enters a world he cannot access. He drops out of school while she pursues higher education, and the financial gap between them widens. When she receives an iPhone from Viraj and belittles his modest gift, his jealousy and fear of losing her intensify, leading to increasingly abusive behavior.

Foreshadowing: The financial strain from the mortgaged auto and the loan shark confrontation planted seeds of his instability.

• anand
• vaishnavi
• abuse
• controlling
• jealousy
• insecurity

When Anand discovers the full extent of Vaishnavi's affair through the recorded confession and CCTV footage, he experiences an intense emotional breakdown. The revelation that she cheated on him, combined with his existing instability from financial pressure and his mother's vulnerability, drives him to attempt to kill her in her sleep. However, he fails and breaks down in tears, realizing the severity of his actions.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows his escalating jealousy and the CCTV kiss being used as a weapon against him.

• anand
• vaishnavi
• murder
• attempt
• rage
• infidelity

Seetha becomes envious of Vaishnavi, believing someone from a lower social class does not deserve Viraj's attention. She exploits Vaishnavi's vulnerabilities and uses gossip, the kissing video, and recorded confessions to fuel jealousy and distrust among all parties. Her scheming drives a deeper wedge between the characters and escalates the conflict.

Foreshadowing: Seetha's envy was established early when she first meets Vaishnavi at college.

• seetha
• vaishnavi
• viraj
• manipulation
• envy
• scheme

At Viraj's birthday party, Vaishnavi is torn between Anand's apologetic voicemails and Viraj's declaration of love. In a drunken moment of confusion and emotional vulnerability, she texts Anand that she loves him before kissing Viraj. The impulse to belong to Viraj's glittering life blinds her to the consequences, and the moment is captured on CCTV.

Foreshadowing: Her growing attraction to Viraj's world had been building since she received his iPhone.

• vaishnavi
• viraj
• kiss
• party
• alcohol
• confusion

Anand's mother passes away on the same night that Vaishnavi is hospitalized following the public confrontation and suicide attempt. The emotional turmoil of the events, Anand's arrest, the relationship collapse, and the subsequent chaos, proves too much for her. She dies while Anand is dealing with the aftermath of the crisis, leaving him devastated and adding another layer of tragedy to the story.

Foreshadowing: Her vulnerability and love for Anand were established from the beginning as a emotional anchor.

• anand
• mother
• death
• hospital
• emotional turmoil

After his mother's death and his own arrest, Anand is deep in depression and alcoholism. When Vaishnavi visits the train station to apologize, he is emotionally shattered and cannot forgive her. He asks her to leave for his own sake, believing that continuing to interact with her would only deepen his pain. His rejection represents his inability to move past the betrayal and personal tragedy.

Foreshadowing: His mother's death and the failed murder attempt had already pushed him toward complete emotional collapse.

• anand
• vaishnavi
• apology
• rejection
• train station
• depression

During the public confrontation where Seetha reveals Vaishnavi's long-running relationship with Anand, Vaishnavi is overwhelmed by guilt and shame. The weight of her infidelity, the public exposure, and the realization of how she has hurt both men become unbearable. She attempts suicide as a desperate escape from her guilt and the consequences of her actions.

Foreshadowing: Her guilt had been building since the CCTV kiss and one-night stand were exposed.

• vaishnavi
• suicide
• guilt
• public
• confrontation
• exposure

Harsha, who is part of Vaishnavi and Seetha's circle, obtains the secret recording of Vaishnavi's confession about her one-night stand with Viraj. He passes this information along to Anand, believing it would hurt Vaishnavi or perhaps as a way to create chaos. The recording becomes the catalyst that triggers Anand's violent outburst.

Foreshadowing: The web of deceit had been tightening since Seetha started recording confessions.

• harsha
• recording
• confession
• anand
• exposure
• betrayal

Viraj gifts Vaishnavi an iPhone because he is attracted to her and wants to impress her with his wealth and status. The iPhone symbolizes the glamorous world he represents, a world Vaishnavi is trying to belong to. The gift triggers a sharp rift with Anand when Vaishnavi belittles the phone he had bought for her, not knowing the personal sacrifice it entailed.

Foreshadowing: Viraj's attraction to Vaishnavi was established when she first entered college.

• viraj
• iphone
• gift
• status
• impress
• attraction