Chapter 65 The Man Behind the Leader

The party office was filled with voices, papers, and ongoing discussions.

But something was missing.

Veeresh.

He sat at the head of the table, but his mind was not there.

His responses were delayed.

His focus scattered.

The members noticed it.

“Sir, you seem distracted,” one of them finally said carefully.

Another added, “You have not been yourself these past few days.”

Veeresh looked at them.

He didn’t deny it.

He didn’t explain either.

He just exhaled slowly.

“Let’s continue this tomorrow,” he said calmly.

The room went quiet for a moment.

Then they nodded.

“Okay, sir.”

One by one, they gathered their things and left.

Soon, the room was almost empty.

“Ravikant, you stay,” Veeresh said.

Ravikant stopped midway, then turned and sat down again.

He looked at Veeresh carefully.

“What happened, Veer?” he asked.

The tone was not formal.

It was personal.

Concerned.

Veeresh leaned back slightly, his hand running through his hair.

For a moment, he didn’t speak.

Then slowly…

“She doesn’t remember me.”

The words came out low.

Heavy.

Ravikant’s expression changed immediately.

“What?”

“Poornima,” Veeresh said. “After the accident…”

He paused.

“She forgot everything about us.”

Silence filled the room.

Ravikant leaned forward slightly.

“And you?” he asked.

Veeresh let out a bitter breath.

“I remember everything.”

That contrast hurt the most.

He looked down for a second.

“Every moment… every word… everything she said.”

His voice softened.

“She remembers her parents… her life… her studies…”

A pause.

“But not me.”

Ravikant didn’t interrupt.

He let him speak.

“She looks at me like I am someone new,” Veeresh continued. “Someone she is trying to understand.”

His jaw tightened.

“And still… she feels me.”

There was confusion even in his own voice.

“She says I feel familiar.”

He shook his head slightly.

“But she doesn’t know why.”

Ravikant listened quietly.

Veeresh leaned forward now, his elbows resting on his knees.

“She gets flashes,” he said. “Memories… small ones.”

His expression hardened slightly.

“But every time she tries to remember… it hurts her.”

His voice dropped.

“She fainted today.”

Ravikant’s eyes widened slightly.

“She said she saw a bike… night… holding someone…”

A faint, painful smile appeared.

“That was us.”

The memory lingered between his words.

Then it faded.

“She thinks she is a burden,” he added.

That hurt him more than anything.

“She left… went to her parents’ house.”

Ravikant stayed silent for a moment.

“Did you stop her?” he asked.

Veeresh shook his head slowly.

“She thinks she is protecting my work,” he said. “My responsibilities.”

His eyes lowered.

“She is still thinking about me… even now.”

A long pause followed.

Then Veeresh spoke again.

“I am scared, Ravikant.”

That was not something he admitted easily.

But this time…

He did.

“What if she never remembers?”

His voice was low.

“What if I become just someone in her life… and nothing more?”

Ravikant leaned back slightly, studying him.

“And what if she doesn’t need to remember?” he asked calmly.

Veeresh looked up.

Confused.

“She is still choosing you,” Ravikant continued. “Even without memories.”

A pause.

“That means something.”

Veeresh didn’t respond immediately.

“But it’s not the same,” he said quietly.

Ravikant nodded.

“No, it’s not.”

Then he leaned forward slightly.

“But you are not the same person anymore either.”

That made Veeresh look at him again.

“You changed because of her,” Ravikant said. “And she is still affecting you the same way.”

His tone softened.

“Maybe this is not about getting the old Poornima back.”

A pause.

“Maybe it’s about building something again… stronger.”

Veeresh exhaled slowly.

His mind processing it.

“She loves you,” Ravikant added simply.

“Even if she doesn’t remember it.”

Silence settled again.

But this time…

It wasn’t heavy.

It carried a thought.

A possibility.

And Veeresh sat there…

Holding onto it.