Chapter 43: A Mother's Tears

That evening, Veeresh returned to the Rathore Palace.

The house was quiet.

He found Poornima in the sitting room arranging the children's school bags for the next day.

The moment she saw him, she smiled.

Poornima: "Rana Sa, you're back."

Veeresh nodded.

His serious expression immediately caught her attention.

Her smile faded.

Poornima: "What happened?"

Veeresh sat down opposite her.

He spoke calmly, not wanting to frighten her.

Veeresh: "Something happened at school today."

Poornima's heart sank.

Poornima: "Ayat?"

He shook his head.

Veeresh: "Aarhan."

She immediately stood up.

Poornima: "What happened to my son?"

Veeresh gently told her everything.

How Yash and Aarav had gone to check on the children during lunch.

How Ayat was happily eating with her classmates.

How Aarhan was missing from his classroom.

How they found him crying alone in the washroom.

How some boys had mocked him because his biological father had left him.

How they questioned his surname.

How they laughed at him.

How Yash had called him.

How they had gone to the Principal.

How the school had promised to take action.

As Veeresh finished speaking, Poornima's eyes filled with tears.

A tear rolled down her cheek.

Then another.

She covered her face with her hands and began crying.

Poornima: "This..."

Her voice trembled.

Poornima: "...this is exactly what I feared, Rana Sa."

Veeresh immediately stood up and walked to her.

He gently held her shoulders.

Veeresh: "Poornima..."

She couldn't stop crying.

He spoke softly.

Veeresh: "Stop crying."

She looked at him through her tears.

Poornima: "He has already suffered so much."

Her voice broke.

Poornima: "He's just a little boy."

Veeresh gently handed her a handkerchief.

Veeresh: "I know."

He waited until she wiped her tears.

Then he continued.

Veeresh: "But listen to me."

She looked at him.

Veeresh: "Today, Yash and Aarav took care of him."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Veeresh: "They didn't ignore him."

He added,

Veeresh: "They stood beside their little brother."

Poornima listened quietly.

Veeresh: "And our Aarhan..."

He smiled proudly.

Veeresh: "...will grow stronger with each passing day."

She looked at him.

Veeresh: "Not because the world will suddenly become kind."

He gently squeezed her hand.

Veeresh: "But because he'll know he has people who love him."

He smiled reassuringly.

Veeresh: "He has you."

Veeresh: "He has me."

Veeresh: "He has Yash, Aarav, and Aadhya."

Veeresh: "He has a family."

Poornima slowly calmed down.

The fear in her heart didn't disappear...

But it no longer felt like she was carrying it alone.

A small smile appeared through her tears.

She looked at Veeresh with gratitude.

Poornima: "Thank you..."

Veeresh smiled gently.

Veeresh: "Didn't I tell you?"

Poornima looked at him.

He chuckled softly.

Veeresh: "No 'thank you' between us."

For the first time since hearing about the incident, Poornima let out a small laugh.

And Veeresh smiled, relieved to see that even after a difficult day, hope had found its way back into their home.