Chapter 44 — The Tremor in Her Hands

Breakfast at the Dreewan mansion was unusually peaceful.

The dining table was filled with simple food, soft conversation, and the quiet presence of family instead of business tension. Poornima sat beside Mrs. Dreewan, still adjusting to the warmth she had started receiving without condition.

Everything felt normal.

Until the dessert was served.

A small bowl of kheer was placed on the table.

The moment Poornima saw it, something shifted.

It wasn’t obvious at first.

Just a pause.

A slight stillness in her movements.

Her spoon stopped halfway.

Her eyes lingered on the bowl a little too long.

And then—

A flicker of something unreadable crossed her face.

Veeresh noticed instantly.

He didn’t ask anything.

Didn’t react.

He simply reached under the table and gently took her hand.

Poornima startled slightly at the contact, but she didn’t pull away.

Instead—

She held his hand back.

Too tightly.

Veeresh felt it immediately.

The pressure.

The tension in her fingers.

The way her grip tightened like she was trying to ground herself in something real.

Poornima kept her gaze lowered, forcing herself to continue eating silently.

But her body betrayed her.

A slight tremor ran through her fingers.

Veeresh didn’t let go.

Not even for a second.

His thumb moved slowly over her knuckles in a steady, grounding motion, silent reassurance passed without words.

No one at the table noticed.

Or maybe they pretended not to.

Poornima kept her head down, taking small bites, trying to act normal.

But Veeresh could see it clearly.

She was not okay.

Not fully.

Something inside her had been triggered.

A memory.

Or the edge of one.

And yet, she was trying.

Trying too hard.

Veeresh’s grip stayed firm under the table.

A silent promise.

You are not alone in this.

And for the first time during the entire breakfast—

Poornima didn’t feel like she had to fight the tremor in her own hands alone.