Chapter Sixty-Four: The Goodbye She Never Wanted

That night in the Rathore palace in , silence wrapped around everything—but not her.

Poornima lay awake, her eyes open, staring into the darkness. Sleep refused to come, no matter how tightly she shut her eyes.

Because the words wouldn’t stop.

Ridhima’s voice.

Mocking.

Cruel.

“Unwanted… mistress’s daughter… what kind of character…”

She turned slightly, her breath uneven, her chest tightening.

Those weren’t new words.

She had heard them her entire life.

But tonight—

They felt different.

Because now—

They weren’t just about her.

They were about him.

Her gaze shifted to Veeresh, sleeping beside her, peaceful, unaware.

His arm rested loosely, his face calm in a way she rarely saw when he was awake.

“I love this room…”

His words echoed in her mind.

And suddenly—

Her heart ached.

Because she knew—

This was his world.

His peace.

His legacy.

And she…

She didn’t want to be the reason anything disturbed it.

She had seen it.

The whispers.

The way some members of the Rathore household looked at her.

The hushed conversations that stopped when she walked in.

The judgment they didn’t say aloud—but didn’t hide either.

She had never told him.

Never told his parents.

Because to her—

They were her blessing.

The only family that had ever accepted her without conditions.

And she wouldn’t let her pain become their burden.

Her eyes filled again.

But this time—

She didn’t cry out.

She sat up quietly.

Slowly, carefully, she moved out of the bed, making sure not to wake him.

Her steps were silent as she walked toward the study.

The dim light flickered on.

The room felt colder.

She sat down.

Took a deep breath.

And picked up a pen.

Her hand trembled slightly as she began to write.

Letter

Veer,

I don’t know how to say this without hurting you, but maybe there is no way to say it without pain.

I am leaving.

I am divorcing you.

Not because I don’t value what we had… but because I do.

These days with you… they were the most peaceful days of my life. I got to live a life I never thought I deserved. I got to feel what it means to belong to someone, to be cared for, to be seen. And for that… I will always be grateful to you.

Sometimes I think… if I was born differently, if I had a name that carried respect instead of questions, maybe things would have been easier for you. Maybe you wouldn’t have to stand in front of people and defend me. Maybe no one would dare to question your choices.

I know Ridhima has already started creating problems in your business because of me. And I know this won’t stop here. I don’t want to be the reason your empire shakes, the reason your name is dragged, the reason you have to choose between your world and me.

So I am choosing for you.

I am freeing you from this relationship.

No one will question you anymore because of me. No one will use me against you. You will be what you always were—untouchable.

Please take care of masa and papasa. They gave me more love in these few days than I received in my entire life. I will always be thankful to them.

If possible… take care of Saffron Ember. That place is not just a restaurant—it is my life, my identity.

Tell Gayathri and Ravi… thank you. For everything. For never leaving me when I had nothing.

And you, Veer…

Thank you for showing me that I was not unlovable.

I hope… in another life, I am born without this past. Without this name. And maybe… we meet again, without anything standing between us.

Be happy.

— Poornima

Her tears fell onto the paper, smudging the ink slightly—but she didn’t stop.

She signed the divorce papers with trembling hands.

Each signature—

Felt like breaking something inside her.

But she didn’t pause.

Because once she started—

She couldn’t stop.

Slowly, she packed her bag.

Not much.

Just what was hers.

Then—

She walked back to the room.

Veeresh was still asleep.

Unaware.

Peaceful.

She stood there for a moment.

Just looking at him.

Memorizing him.

The way he slept.

The way he breathed.

The man who had held her when she broke.

The man who had stood for her when the world didn’t.

Her lips trembled.

She leaned forward slowly…

And kissed his forehead.

Soft.

Lingering.

A silent goodbye.

“I’m sorry…” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Then she turned away.

Before she could change her mind.

Before her heart could stop her.

She walked out.

Her steps took her to his parents’ room.

The door was slightly open.

They were asleep.

Peaceful.

She walked in quietly, her eyes filling again as she bent down and touched their feet gently.

A blessing they didn’t know they were giving.

A goodbye they didn’t hear.

She stood there for a second longer…

Then turned.

And walked out of the palace.

Without looking back.

Because if she did—

She knew she wouldn’t be able to leave.

That night, she chose to walk away from the only place that ever felt like home, believing that her absence would protect the people she loved—even if it meant breaking herself completely.