Chapter 10: A Name from the Past

The next morning in Rajgarh was unusually quiet.

Ajay was preparing to leave for Mumbai.

His bags were already packed.

Before getting into the car, he turned toward Veeresh one last time.

"Dad."

"Hmm?"

"I meant what I said."

Veeresh already knew what was coming.

Ajay smiled.

"I want you to meet her."

Veeresh folded his arms.

"Ajay."

"Just once."

Veeresh sighed.

"I'll think about it."

Ajay studied his father's face.

The answer wasn't a yes.

But it wasn't a refusal either.

That was enough for now.

A smile appeared on his face.

"Okay."

He hugged Veeresh.

Then Rhea and Ritesh.

And soon the car disappeared down the dusty village road toward the airport.

By afternoon, Rhea had left for college.

Ritesh had gone to medical classes.

For the first time all day, Veeresh was alone.

The haveli felt strangely empty.

He sat in his study staring at the profile on his phone.

Poornima Qureshi.

The name still felt unreal.

After all these years.

After all those memories.

After all the lives they had lived separately.

Fate had suddenly placed her name back into his world.

Veeresh leaned back in his chair and picked up his phone.

There was one person he trusted completely in Delhi.

An old friend and business associate.

Aravind Mehta.

The two had known each other for years.

Aravind handled several projects in Delhi and was known for his discretion.

Veeresh dialed the number.

The call connected after two rings.

"Veeresh!"

Aravind laughed.

"To what do I owe this rare honor?"

Veeresh smiled faintly.

"I need a favor."

"Now I'm interested."

There was a pause.

Then Veeresh spoke carefully.

"I'm sending you a picture."

"Alright."

"And some details."

"Okay."

"I need information about the person."

Aravind immediately understood.

There was amusement in his voice.

"Since when are you interested in people's profiles?"

Veeresh ignored the question.

"Can you do it?"

"Of course."

"By tonight, I'll send everything."

"Done."

Aravind paused.

Then asked curiously,

"Who is she?"

For a brief second, Veeresh looked at the photograph on his screen.

The same smile.

The same eyes.

Only older now.

Wiser.

Touched by life.

A smile he remembered from a school library decades ago.

His voice became quieter.

"Someone I knew long ago."

That answer immediately caught Aravind's attention.

Because Veeresh Thakur rarely spoke about his past.

Especially not with that tone.

"Interesting," Aravind said.

Veeresh shook his head.

"Don't make stories."

"I'm already making stories."

"Aravind."

The man laughed loudly.

"Fine, fine. Send me the details."

The call ended.

For several moments Veeresh simply sat there.

Then he opened the profile once again.

His thumb hovered over the photograph.

He remembered a younger Poornima sitting near the library window.

Reading.

Smiling.

Completely unaware of the boy who couldn't stop looking at her.

The memory made him shake his head.

Thirty years.

Thirty years had passed.

People changed.

Lives changed.

Circumstances changed.

Perhaps she wasn't the same person anymore.

Perhaps she wouldn't even remember him.

Perhaps she had never noticed him in the first place.

Yet despite all those thoughts, he found himself saving her photograph.

A small action.

One he couldn't explain even to himself.

Then he forwarded the picture and profile details to Aravind.

A few seconds later, a message arrived.

Aravind: "Received."

Aravind: "Let's see what destiny is planning, my friend."

Veeresh stared at the message.

Then looked out the study window toward the fields of Rajgarh.

For the first time in years, something felt unsettled inside him.

Not fear.

Not regret.

Something else.

Something he hadn't felt since he was a teenager.

And that realization disturbed him far more than he was willing to admit.

To be continued...