Chapter 15 – The Truth

Poornima looked at Veeresh with trembling hands.

Poornima: "Open your phone, Veer."

Veeresh unlocked it and handed it to her.

She opened an old backup of their WhatsApp chat that she had kept for years.

There was a voice message.

She pressed play.

The room filled with a man's voice.

"I'm divorcing you, Poons. I want to stay with my ex's children, Adwait and Thoshini."

The message ended.

Poornima looked at him.

Her eyes were filled with years of pain.

Poornima: "Now what?"

Veeresh stood frozen.

He slowly shook his head.

Veeresh: "Poons... they are not my ex-girlfriend Riya's children."

She frowned.

Poornima: "What?"

He took a deep breath.

Veeresh: "They're my best friend Siya's children."

Poornima remained speechless.

Veeresh continued quietly.

Veeresh: "That day... I was in a meeting in New York."

His voice became heavy.

Veeresh: "I got a call from the hospital."

He closed his eyes.

Veeresh: "Siya... and her husband... had died in an accident."

Silence filled the room.

Veeresh: "Before she passed away, she had asked that I take care of Adwait and Thoshini."

He looked at Poornima.

Veeresh: "They were entrusted to me, Poons."

His eyes filled with tears.

Veeresh: "You never even saw the babies."

He paused.

Veeresh: "You were pregnant with Rudra then."

He looked down.

Veeresh: "I was broken after losing Siya."

He swallowed hard.

Veeresh: "That night I got drunk."

He shook his head.

Veeresh: "I don't know what happened to my phone after that."

Poornima's voice cracked.

Poornima: "Then... why didn't you tell me?"

She stepped closer.

Poornima: "I called you so many times, Veer."

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Poornima: "I wanted to ask why you suddenly wanted a divorce."

She looked at him helplessly.

Poornima: "But after that voice message... a lawyer came with the divorce papers."

She wiped her tears.

Poornima: "I thought you had already made your decision."

Her voice broke.

Poornima: "So... I signed the papers..."

She lowered her head.

Poornima: "...and I left New York."

Veeresh stood in complete shock.

Fifteen years.

Fifteen years of separation, pain, and unanswered questions had come down to a single voice message that neither of them truly understood.

For the first time, they both realized their marriage may not have ended because they stopped loving each other—but because of a misunderstanding that changed everything.