The Truth That Burned

🌙 Poornima’s Apartment – After the Kiss

The room was still trembling from their passionate kiss. The tension between them hadn’t settled — it had only deepened, thickened into something impossible to ignore.

Veeresh’s chest heaved. His hands were still on her waist.

Poornima stepped back, tears brimming.

> “You want to know why I left?” she whispered.

Veeresh nodded, his throat too tight to speak.

She turned away, walked to her drawer, and took out an envelope — old photos, torn at the edges. Memories of college. Her. Him. Their moments.

She threw them on the table.

> “Because Bindu made me believe I was just a time pass for you.”

Veeresh flinched.

> “She showed me your messages. Told me you were playing with me while planning to marry her. That I was just... a bet.”

> “I didn’t want to believe her, Veeresh. I swear I didn’t. But then…”

Her voice cracked.

> “You slapped me… that day, when I came to explain… and that’s when I broke. I thought it was all true.”

Veeresh looked stunned. Haunted.

Flashbacks hit him. That day. That fight. That slap.

His voice dropped.

> “No… I didn’t know… I—”

“You never gave me a chance to speak,” she said, wiping her tears. “So I walked away.”

There was a long pause.

Silence buzzed with regret.

> “I made a mistake,” she whispered. “But I never stopped loving you, Veeresh. Not for a single damn day.”

Veeresh looked at her, his emotions flooding through every vein.

He stepped toward her again, cupped her face, and kissed her — slowly, tenderly, but deeply.

> “Then stay,” he said against her lips. “Spend tonight with me. I don’t want revenge… not anymore.”

Poornima’s eyes widened.

He pulled the paper from his coat pocket again — the same one he brought before.

> “Sign these,” he said gently now. “One year contract marriage. For Thoshini. Then I’ll set you free.”

Poornima looked at him — lost, trembling, caught between old wounds and a child who wasn’t hers… but somehow, felt like home.

> “Why now?” she whispered.

“Because… she needs you more than me,” Veeresh whispered, closing his eyes. “And maybe… maybe I do too.”