Chapter 26: Veeresh Breaks

Veeresh sat alone at the bar, his elbows resting on the counter, his head bowed low. The glass in front of him was untouched. Noise surrounded him—laughter, clinking glasses, music—but none of it reached him.

He felt hollow.

Narayana walked in, scanned the place, and spotted him immediately. One look at Veeresh’s face told him everything. He pulled a chair and sat beside him without asking.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Veeresh broke.

“I destroyed her,” he said, his voice cracking.
“I destroyed her completely, Narayana.”

His hands trembled as he covered his face. Tears slipped through his fingers—uncontrolled, heavy, filled with guilt.

“I shattered her life in one moment,” he continued.
“She didn’t even know what was happening… and suddenly her entire world collapsed.”

Narayana stayed silent, letting him speak.

“She told me today morning,” Veeresh said, choking,
‘I want to take therapy.’

His voice broke completely at that.

“She said she doesn’t want to fall into depression,” he whispered.
“Can you imagine that? Someone who was so strong… saying she’s scared of losing herself.”

He wiped his tears angrily.

“Every night, Narayana… every single night—she doesn’t sleep. She just lies there, staring into nothing. Sometimes she wakes up suddenly, sometimes she holds her head because of pain.”

His chest heaved.

“She gets severe headaches in class. She can’t concentrate. Exams are coming, and she’s terrified she’ll fail—not because she’s weak, but because her mind won’t stop replaying everything.”

He clenched his fists.

“The mandap. Her parents slapping her. Disowning her. My family cursing her, assassinating her character… words that can never be taken back.”

His eyes were red now, raw with remorse.

“She said she wants to live,” he whispered.
“Not survive. Live.”

Veeresh laughed bitterly through his tears.

“And look at the irony—I am the reason she forgot how to live.”

Narayana finally spoke, his voice steady but heavy.
“She didn’t break because she’s weak, Veeresh. She broke because too much fell on her at once.”

Veeresh nodded violently.

“She still tries to call her parents,” he said.
“Different numbers. Different days. No response.”

His voice dropped to a whisper.

“Do you know how it feels to watch the person you love lose herself every night… and know you’re the reason?”

Tears rolled down again.

“She even said sorry to me,” he said in disbelief.
“She apologized for hurting me.”

He looked at Narayana, eyes filled with pain.

“How cruel is that? That after everything, she still thinks about others before herself.”

Narayana placed a firm hand on Veeresh’s shoulder.

“You made a mistake,” he said quietly.
“A terrible one. But you didn’t walk away.”

Veeresh shook his head.
“That doesn’t erase what she went through.”

“No,” Narayana agreed.
“But it gives her a reason to heal.”

Veeresh stared at the glass in front of him, finally pushing it away.

“She trusted me enough to tell me she needs help,” he said.
“That means she’s still fighting.”

He took a deep, shaky breath.

“And I swear to God, Narayana… I will spend my whole life making sure she never fights alone again.”

Narayana nodded.

“That’s all you can do now,” he said.
“Stand with her. Not as the man who ruined her life—but as the man who stayed when it mattered.”

Veeresh leaned back, exhaustion washing over him.

For the first time that night, the tears slowed—not because the pain was gone, but because it finally had somewhere to fall.

And in that dimly lit bar, Veeresh made a silent vow—

If Poornima was choosing to heal,
he would choose to become worthy of standing beside her.