Chapter 76 — Sweetness and Jealousy

The next morning, the atmosphere in the Dreewan mansion felt lighter than before.

Poornima was sitting in the living room with her laptop open, discussing restaurant work with her staff over video call. Her voice was calm, professional, confident—the version of her that built an empire from nothing.

Veeresh stood nearby quietly watching her.

Sometimes he forgot how beautiful she looked when she worked.

Focused.

Independent.

Alive.

Mrs. Dreewan came and sat beside him.

Veeresh looked at his mother and asked softly,

“You knew Poornima since childhood, right?”

His mother smiled faintly. “Of course.”

“What was her favourite food?”

Mrs. Dreewan thought for a moment before smiling warmly.

“She loved gajar halwa.”

A pause.

“And she makes it beautifully. She learned cooking very young.”

Something clicked in Veeresh’s mind immediately.

Maybe memories didn’t always return through pain.

Maybe they could return through comfort too.

“Then we’ll ask her to make it,” he said quietly. “Maybe it will help her remember.”

Mrs. Dreewan nodded slowly.

“Yes… maybe.”

—

A little later, Veeresh walked toward her.

“Poons.”

She looked up from the laptop. “Hmm?”

“Can you make gajar halwa today?”

Poornima blinked once, surprised by the random request.

Then shrugged lightly.

“Okay.”

And just like that, she went to the kitchen.

What Veeresh didn’t expect—

was Rakesh already being there helping her.

Within minutes, laughter started coming from inside.

Rakesh was cutting carrots badly on purpose while Poornima kept correcting him.

“You’ll cut your hand,” she said.

“Then save me,” Rakesh replied dramatically.

Poornima laughed.

Actually laughed.

And Veeresh, standing outside the kitchen door—

was burning.

His jaw tightened instantly.

The sight irritated him more than it should have.

The way she smiled freely with Rakesh.

The way she lightly hit his arm while correcting him.

The way Rakesh was making her comfortable so easily.

Mrs. Dreewan noticed his expression immediately and tried not to laugh.

“Possessive?” she whispered teasingly.

Veeresh scoffed slightly.

“I’m not eating.”

His mother gave him a look.

“You sound like a child.”

But Veeresh stayed silent, arms crossed, eyes fixed only on Poornima.

And Poornima noticed.

Of course she did.

A small smirk appeared on her lips before she returned to cooking.

—

After some time, the entire family gathered for dessert.

Poornima served everyone herself.

The warm smell of ghee and carrots filled the dining room.

Mrs. Dreewan took the first bite and immediately smiled.

“It’s exactly the same,” she said softly, emotional without showing too much.

Mr. Dreewan nodded in approval too.

Rakesh happily took another serving.

But Veeresh sat there stubbornly without touching his bowl.

Poornima looked at him.

“Salvatore.”

No response.

“Eat.”

“I’m not hungry.”

Poornima narrowed her eyes immediately.

Then she took the spoon herself, scooped some halwa, and held it near him.

“Stop behaving like a child and eat.”

Rakesh almost laughed seeing Veeresh’s expression.

Veeresh glared at him once before finally taking a bite.

And the moment he tasted it—

he paused.

It was genuinely good.

Very good.

Poornima looked at him expectantly. “Well?”

Veeresh looked at her for a second before quietly saying,

“I like it.”

That one line made her smile properly.

Not forced.

Not tired.

Real.

And seeing that smile—

Mrs. Dreewan silently thanked every god possible.

Because after so many painful days,

their home finally heard Poornima laugh again.

Chapter 77 — The Memory That Returned

The night had been peaceful for hours.

Poornima slept quietly against Veeresh’s chest while his arm remained securely around her waist.

For once, there were no nightmares.

Until suddenly—

She jerked awake.

A sharp gasp escaped her lips as her breathing immediately became shallow.

“Poornima,” Veeresh said instantly, sitting up. “Breathe.”

She clutched her chest, visibly panicking now.

“Veer…”

Her voice trembled badly.

Veeresh immediately grabbed her inhaler from the bedside table and handed it to her.

“Here. Slowly.”

Her fingers shook while taking it.

One inhale.

Then another.

Veeresh stayed close the entire time, one hand steady against her back.

“Look at me,” he said calmly. “You’re okay.”

After a few moments, her breathing eased slightly.

But her face had gone pale.

Veeresh frowned immediately.

“What happened?”

Poornima stared ahead blankly for a second before whispering,

“I… I saw something.”

A pause.

“Veer…”

Her eyes slowly turned toward him, terrified now.

“I shot two people.”

Silence.

Veeresh’s expression didn’t change outwardly, but inside he already knew what memory was surfacing.

Poornima’s voice trembled harder.

“I was young… and I was screaming at someone…”

Tears formed in her eyes.

“I kept asking him—”

Her breathing hitched.

“—why did you kill my friend?”

Veeresh stayed completely still.

Because he knew.

Zoya.

His sister.

And Poornima was finally remembering fragments of that night.

Poornima pressed her hand to her head painfully.

“It felt so real…”

Her voice cracked.

“There was blood… and I was crying…”

She looked at him helplessly.

“Veer… who was that?”

A pause.

“I only had one friend… Sanjay.”

Confusion filled her face now.

“Then who was that girl?”

Veeresh’s chest tightened hearing that.

Because even after everything—

she still couldn’t remember Zoya properly.

Not fully.

He carefully pulled her closer before answering softly,

“Maybe… you forgot.”

Poornima looked frustrated immediately, like her own mind was betraying her again.

“It hurts,” she whispered.

Veeresh kissed the top of her head gently.

“I know.”

He lowered her slowly back against him.

“Don’t force it right now.”

A pause.

“You’re safe.”

Poornima closed her eyes tightly, trying to stop the flashes from returning.

And Veeresh held her through it silently—

knowing the past was finally starting to crack through the walls built inside her mind.

Chapter 78 — The Fall

The next morning, Veeresh took Poornima to a new therapist.

Not someone connected to the Rathores.

Not someone who would drug her into silence.

This doctor was different.

Calm.

Patient.

Dr. Mira Anand.

The clinic itself felt warm instead of clinical, filled with soft lighting and quiet music instead of sharp white walls that triggered anxiety.

For the first time, Poornima didn’t look terrified entering a therapist’s office.

Veeresh stayed beside her the entire session.

Not interrupting.

Not controlling.

Just there.

And when they finally walked out, Poornima looked lighter somehow.

Not healed.

But less trapped.

As they sat in the car afterward, Veeresh glanced at her while the driver moved through the mountain road leading back toward the city.

“So?” he asked quietly.

Poornima looked outside the window for a moment before speaking.

“She didn’t force me to remember.”

Veeresh nodded slowly.

“She won’t.”

A pause.

Poornima leaned back slightly.

“I liked her.”

That made the corner of Veeresh’s lips lift faintly.

“Good.”

The road ahead curved through dense forest terrain, quiet except for the sound of the engine.

Then suddenly—

Poornima’s expression changed.

Sharp.

Alert.

Her eyes widened.

“Veer—!”

Everything happened in seconds.

A massive truck came speeding toward them from the opposite side—completely out of control.

Too fast.

Too close.

The driver shouted.

Veeresh turned instantly—

And Poornima pushed him.

Hard.

The car door flew open from the impact as Veeresh was thrown outside onto the rough roadside ground.

“POORNIMA—!”

Before he could reach back—

The truck smashed directly into their car.

A deafening crash echoed through the mountains.

Metal twisted violently.

Glass shattered everywhere.

And the car—

fell straight through the broken railing and rolled down into the forest slope below.

Veeresh’s entire body froze.

“No…”

The car crashed through trees before finally slamming into the ground below.

And then—

BOOM.

Fire exploded through the vehicle.

The blast lit the forest orange.

“POORNIMA!” Veeresh screamed.

His voice broke violently through the air.

Without thinking, bleeding from his own injuries, Veeresh stumbled to his feet and ran down the dangerous slope toward the burning wreckage.

Branches tore through his clothes.

His hands bled against rocks.

But he didn’t stop.

Couldn’t stop.

“POORNIMA!”

The flames were growing rapidly now, smoke rising into the sky.

And Veeresh’s heart pounded with only one terrifying thought repeating in his head—

No. Not her. Not her.

Chapter 79 — No Body Found

“POORNIMA!”

Veeresh’s scream echoed through the forest again and again.

He tried to move toward the burning wreckage, but the flames were too violent now.

Police officers and rescue teams had already arrived, pulling him back forcefully while firefighters tried to control the fire spreading through the trees.

“Sir, you can’t go there!”

“Leave me!” Veeresh roared, struggling against them. “My wife is inside!”

His hands were covered in blood from climbing down the slope.

Smoke filled the air.

The entire forest smelled like burning metal.

And Veeresh kept staring at the fire like if he looked away for one second, he would lose her forever.

—

An hour later.

The entire Dreewan family had arrived.

Mrs. Dreewan was crying uncontrollably while Mr. Dreewan stood frozen, staring silently at the destroyed area below.

Rakesh looked shattered.

Samuel was trying to control the situation with the police.

But Veeresh—

Veeresh stood completely still.

Like his soul had stopped functioning.

One of the officers finally approached carefully.

“Mr. Dreewan…”

Veeresh looked at him instantly.

The officer hesitated before speaking.

“We searched the vehicle.”

A pause.

“There is… no body inside.”

Silence.

Everyone froze.

Veeresh stared at him blankly.

“What?”

The officer continued cautiously,

“The blast was severe. It is possible the body—”

Before he could finish—

“No.”

Veeresh’s voice came out dangerously quiet.

The officer stopped.

Veeresh’s breathing became uneven now.

“No.”

His eyes turned back toward the burning wreckage below.

Because somewhere deep inside him—

he refused to believe she was dead.

Poornima survived too much.

Too many horrors.

Too much pain.

Too much torture.

She couldn’t end like this.

Not like fire and ash.

Not after finally beginning to heal.

Mrs. Dreewan broke down crying beside her husband.

“My child…” she whispered.

But Veeresh didn’t react.

Didn’t cry loudly.

Didn’t scream anymore.

That was worse.

Because Salvatore Dreewan had gone numb.

Completely numb.

The police kept speaking around him.

Rescue teams moved.

People talked.

But their voices became distant noise.

All Veeresh could hear now was her voice from earlier.

“I feel like I’m dying inside every time I forget…”

His knees finally gave out slightly.

And for the first time since Zoya’s death—

Veeresh cried.

Not controlled tears.

Not hidden emotion.

He broke.

Completely.

Because the woman who slowly became his entire world—

had pushed him away from death…

and disappeared into it herself.

Chapter 80 — She Saved Me

The fire had finally weakened by the time Veeresh returned toward the roadside.

But the numbness inside him only grew worse.

His clothes were torn.

His hands were bleeding.

Ash covered parts of his face.

Yet he didn’t seem to notice any of it.

Mr. Dreewan slowly walked toward his son.

“Veeresh…”

That one word broke the silence around him.

Veeresh looked at his father, and for the first time since childhood—

he looked completely lost.

“Dad…” his voice cracked badly.

A pause.

“She saved me.”

Mr. Dreewan’s expression tightened painfully.

Veeresh shook his head slowly, unable to process it himself.

“When the truck came…” he whispered, “she pushed me out.”

His breathing became uneven again.

“She saved me.”

Those words kept repeating like punishment.

“I couldn’t even react properly…”

He laughed once bitterly, brokenly.

“She thought about me before herself.”

Mr. Dreewan stayed silent, letting him speak.

Because this wasn’t Salvatore Dreewan standing there anymore.

This was just a man falling apart.

Veeresh’s eyes turned red again.

“I couldn’t save her, dad.”

His voice dropped lower.

“I promised her…”

A pause.

“I promised I would protect her.”

His hands trembled violently now.

“But she protected me instead.”

The guilt was crushing him alive.

Veeresh dragged his bloody hand through his hair roughly.

“I am the worst.”

Mr. Dreewan immediately grabbed his shoulders firmly.

“No.”

But Veeresh shook his head harder.

“Yes!”

For the first time, his voice rose from pain instead of anger.

“She trusted me after everything!”

“She came back!”

“And what did I give her?”

His chest heaved.

“Pain. Trauma. Fear.”

A pause.

“And now she’s gone because of me.”

Mr. Dreewan pulled him closer before he could spiral further.

“This is not your fault.”

But Veeresh looked completely shattered now.

“If I didn’t enter her life…” he whispered brokenly, “she would still be alive.”

Silence.

The night wind moved through the burned forest below them.

And Veeresh stood there drowning in the cruelest realization of all—

The woman he was supposed to save…

had died saving him instead.