Chapter 16 – I Never Sent It

Veeresh stepped closer, his eyes desperate.

Veeresh: "Poons... I never sent that message. Believe me."

Poornima looked at him silently.

He took a deep breath.

Veeresh: "Adwait and Thoshini are Siya's children."

His voice trembled as memories came rushing back.

Veeresh: "When I reached the hospital... Siya was barely conscious."

He closed his eyes.

Veeresh: "She held my hand."

His voice cracked.

Veeresh: "She looked at me and said..."

'Veer... these twins are yours now. Tell Poons to take care of my babies. I know she will... I know she'll love them.'

A tear rolled down his cheek.

Veeresh: "Those were among the last words she spoke."

He wiped his face.

Veeresh: "You know how close Siya and I were. She wasn't just my best friend... she was family."

He looked away.

Veeresh: "Losing both her and her husband on the same day... broke me."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

Veeresh: "That night... I got drunk."

He shook his head helplessly.

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

He looked back at Poornima.

Veeresh: "When I finally came home with the babies..."

His eyes searched hers.

Veeresh: "...you had already left for India."

Poornima stood frozen.

Veeresh continued,

Veeresh: "I thought you had left because you couldn't accept the children."

He laughed bitterly through his tears.

Veeresh: "And you thought I had left you for someone else."

Neither of them spoke.

Fifteen years of pain had been built on two different assumptions.

They had loved each other all along.

But neither had known the truth the other was carrying.