Chapter: Smoke, Silence, and Knowing Her

The cigarette burned slowly between Veeresh’s fingers, smoke curling into the quiet of the room.

Poornima saw it—and something in her snapped.

“That’s it,” she said sharply. “I’m going to my papa’s house.”

Veeresh turned, surprised by the firmness in her voice. For a second, he hesitated… then said quietly, “Okay. Go.”

The word hit her harder than she expected.

She waited—just a second—for him to stop her. He didn’t.

Her eyes stung. Without another word, she picked up her bag and walked out.

The door closed.

Hard.

Ramir came out almost immediately. “Dad… what happened?”

Rudra answered before Veeresh could. “Mom saw him smoking. She hates it.”

Veeresh exhaled slowly, staring at the cigarette like it had betrayed him.

“She’s been under too much stress,” he said, more to himself than to them. “Court, Ridhima, everything… She needs space to heal.”

Rudra frowned. “She might be angry, Dad.”

Veeresh shook his head gently. “No. I know my wife. This isn’t anger—it’s exhaustion.”

He looked at all of them, calm but certain.
“You don’t worry. I’ll fix this.”

He crushed the cigarette firmly in the ashtray, as if ending the argument with himself, and walked toward the bedroom.

Inside the quiet room, he sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his hair.

She was right.
He knew that.

And he also knew something else—
Poornima didn’t walk away to leave him.

She walked away so she wouldn’t break.

And that… he would never ignore.