Chapter Twenty-Two: Why You

Night had settled quietly over , the city lights flickering like distant thoughts that refused to fade.

Inside the penthouse, the silence was calm—but not empty.

Poornima sat in the living room, her laptop open in front of her, files scattered neatly, her attention fixed on work.

Or at least… it looked like it was.

Because her mind had been somewhere else since afternoon.

Waiting.

For him.

The door opened without noise.

She didn’t look up immediately.

But she knew.

She felt it.

Veeresh Rathore walked in, his presence filling the space effortlessly, his steps steady, unhurried.

He didn’t say anything at first.

He just walked toward her…

And sat beside her.

Close enough for her to be aware of him.
Not close enough to make her uncomfortable.

His gaze shifted to the laptop screen.

“What is that?” he asked casually.

Poornima didn’t meet his eyes.

“Nothing.”

A simple answer.

Too simple.

Too quick.

Veeresh leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing just enough to show he didn’t believe her.

“Poornima.”

Her name came out differently this time.

Not loud.
Not harsh.

But… authoritative.

Not forcing.

But not allowing her to hide either.

She slowly closed the laptop.

The sound echoed softly in the room.

And then—

She turned to him.

Her expression wasn’t guarded this time.

It was… searching.

There was only one question left in her now.

The one she couldn’t ignore anymore.

“Why did you choose me?”

Her voice was calm.

But beneath it—

There was everything.

Doubt.
Fear.
Vulnerability she rarely allowed anyone to see.

Veeresh didn’t answer immediately.

He looked at her.

Properly.

Not as a rival.
Not as a responsibility.

But as her.

The woman sitting in front of him.

The one he had stepped into a future with.

Then—

He spoke.

“Because you didn’t try to be chosen.”

The answer came simple.

Unexpected.

Poornima frowned slightly, not understanding.

He continued.

“Every woman I’ve met…” he said calmly, “wanted something from me.”

Power.
Status.
Attention.

“They tried to impress me. Please me. Stay around me.”

A pause.

“You didn’t.”

Her breath slowed slightly.

He leaned forward just a little, his elbows resting on his knees.

“You ignored me.”

There was no offense in his tone.

Just… observation.

“You spoke to me only when necessary.”

His eyes met hers again.

“You didn’t care who I was.”

That part—

That mattered to him more than he let on.

“And then…”

His voice lowered slightly.

“I saw your work.”

Her fingers stilled.

“Mannat.”

The name lingered softly between them.

“You write what you don’t say.”

His words were steady.

Accurate.

“And I understood that.”

Poornima’s chest tightened slightly.

Because not many people did.

“I chose you,” he continued, “because you’re not weak.”

A pause.

“But you’re not pretending to be strong either.”

That hit deeper than anything else.

“You know how to stand alone,” he added.

His gaze softened—just slightly.

“But you shouldn’t have to.”

Silence followed.

Not empty.

But full.

“And one more thing,” he said after a moment.

Her eyes lifted again.

“You didn’t beg for a place in your own house.”

His voice carried something sharper now.

Something that came from what he had learned about her.

“You walked out of it… in your own way.”

Poornima’s throat tightened.

Because he saw that too.

“I respect that.”

Simple.

But meaningful.

She swallowed slowly, her voice softer now.

“That’s it?”

The question slipped out before she could stop it.

Because part of her still expected something more.

Something emotional.

Something closer to… love.

Veeresh leaned back slightly, his gaze never leaving her.

“That’s enough for me.”

A pause.

“And it should be enough for you too.”

Her eyes searched his face again.

Trying to understand him.

Trying to see if there was something more hidden beneath his words.

“And…” he added quietly,

“I don’t choose people I can’t stand beside.”

That line settled differently.

Not romantic.

But solid.

Grounded.

Poornima looked at him for a long moment.

Her heart wasn’t racing.
Her mind wasn’t overwhelmed.

But something inside her…

Had eased.

Because he hadn’t lied.

He hadn’t said things she wanted to hear.

He hadn’t promised love.

But he had given her something else.

Clarity.

Her fingers intertwined softly in her lap as she let out a quiet breath.

“This is not how I imagined it,” she admitted.

A faint, almost invisible smile touched Veeresh’s lips.

“I told you,” he said simply. “I don’t do fairytales.”

And somehow—

This time…

She didn’t mind.