Chapter 8 — The Truth About Noor

The room had fallen quiet again.

Veeresh stood near the window while Poornima adjusted the saree he had just helped her fix.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Veeresh looked at her seriously.

Veeresh: "Poornima, I need to tell you something."

Poornima turned toward him.

She was still irritated with him from their conversation downstairs, and his serious expression only made her more suspicious.

Poornima: "Then tell me, asshole."

Veeresh's eyebrows immediately furrowed.

Veeresh: "I am your husband."

Poornima looked at him innocently.

Poornima: "I know."

Veeresh: "And I am older than you."

Poornima crossed her arms.

Poornima: "I know that too."

Veeresh stared at her.

Veeresh: "Then stop calling me an asshole."

Poornima rolled her eyes.

Poornima: "I am your wife. I have every right to call you whatever I want."

Veeresh let out a slow breath.

Veeresh: "You are impossible."

Poornima gave him a small smirk.

Poornima: "And you are thirty-five."

Veeresh looked at her.

Veeresh: "Yes."

Poornima pointed toward herself.

Poornima: "And I am twenty."

She tilted her head.

Poornima: "So now tell me what you wanted to tell me."

The small smile disappeared from Veeresh's face.

He looked at her for a long moment.

This was the moment he had been avoiding.

He knew that once he said it, there would be no going back.

Veeresh: "I have a baby."

Poornima blinked.

For a second, she simply stared at him.

Then her expression changed into confusion.

Poornima: "What?"

Veeresh remained serious.

Veeresh: "I have a baby."

Poornima frowned.

Poornima: "Don't scold me for acting like a baby. I know I am immature sometimes, but—"

Veeresh: "Poornima."

His voice stopped her.

He took a slow breath.

Veeresh: "I have an eight-month-old baby."

Poornima's smile disappeared completely.

She stared at him.

Poornima: "What?"

Veeresh looked directly into her eyes.

Veeresh: "Her name is Noor."

He paused.

Then he said the words that changed everything.

Veeresh: "Noor Veeresh Qureshi."

Poornima's face went pale.

She didn't speak.

She couldn't.

Her mind struggled to process what she had just heard.

An eight-month-old baby.

His daughter.

Noor.

She slowly took a step backward.

Poornima: "You... have a daughter?"

Veeresh nodded.

Veeresh: "Yes."

Poornima's eyes widened.

She looked around the room as though she suddenly needed something to hold onto.

Then her knees weakened.

She sat down on the edge of the bed.

Veeresh immediately took a step toward her.

Veeresh: "Poornima."

She raised her hand.

Poornima: "Don't."

Veeresh stopped.

Poornima stared at the floor.

Her mind was filled with questions.

How had she not known?

Why had nobody told her?

Why had she been married to a man who already had a child?

And why had he waited until now to tell her?

She slowly looked up at him.

Her eyes were filled with shock and hurt.

Poornima: "Why didn't you tell me before?"

Veeresh remained silent.

That silence answered more than words could.

Poornima's eyes filled with tears.

Poornima: "I don't understand."

Veeresh wanted to explain.

He wanted to tell her everything.

He wanted to tell her that the marriage was never supposed to happen this way.

That she had never been the original bride.

That he had been supposed to marry her elder sister.

That her sister had disappeared before the wedding.

That Poornima had been brought into the marriage at the last moment.

But he couldn't say all of it.

Not yet.

He had already given her one truth.

He wasn't ready to give her the entire truth.

Veeresh: "I know this is a lot to take in."

Poornima looked at him with disbelief.

Poornima: "A lot?"

Her voice trembled.

Poornima: "You just told me that you have an eight-month-old daughter."

She wiped a tear from her cheek.

Poornima: "What am I supposed to do with that information, Veeresh?"

He didn't answer.

Poornima stood up suddenly.

Poornima: "I don't want to hear anything else."

Veeresh: "Poornima, please—"

Poornima: "No."

She pointed toward the door.

Poornima: "Get out."

Veeresh stared at her.

Poornima: "Leave the room, Veeresh."

Her voice broke.

Poornima: "I need to be alone."

Veeresh remained still for a moment.

He wanted to stay.

He wanted to explain.

But he knew that forcing her to listen would only make things worse.

He slowly nodded.

Veeresh: "Alright."

He walked toward the door.

Before leaving, he looked back at her.

Poornima had turned away from him.

She didn't look at him again.

Veeresh quietly walked out and closed the door behind him.

Downstairs, Mr. and Mrs. Qureshi were sitting in the living room.

The moment Veeresh came downstairs, both of them looked at him.

Mrs. Qureshi immediately noticed the expression on his face.

Mrs. Qureshi: "Veeresh, what happened?"

Veeresh stopped near the staircase.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then he looked at both of them.

Veeresh: "I told her about the baby."

Mrs. Qureshi's expression changed.

Mrs. Qureshi: "You told Poornima about Noor?"

Veeresh nodded.

Veeresh: "Yes."

Mr. Qureshi looked at him carefully.

Mr. Qureshi: "Did you tell her everything?"

Veeresh shook his head.

Veeresh: "No."

Mrs. Qureshi frowned.

Mrs. Qureshi: "Why?"

Veeresh looked toward the staircase.

His expression was filled with guilt.

Veeresh: "I told her that I have an eight-month-old daughter. I told her Noor's name."

He paused.

Veeresh: "But I didn't tell her the entire truth."

Mr. Qureshi remained silent.

Veeresh's jaw tightened.

Veeresh: "She doesn't know that she was the replacement bride."

Mrs. Qureshi lowered her eyes.

The truth had been hidden from Poornima since the beginning.

Veeresh was supposed to marry Poornima's elder sister.

The entire marriage had been arranged with her.

But before the wedding could take place, she had run away.

The families had been left with no choice.

The wedding could not simply be cancelled.

The reputation of both families was at stake.

And Poornima had been brought into the situation.

She had become the bride in her sister's place.

Veeresh had married her because there was no time left for another solution.

But there was more.

Noor was already eight months old.

And Veeresh had entered this marriage carrying a responsibility Poornima knew nothing about.

Mr. Qureshi finally spoke.

Mr. Qureshi: "She will find out eventually."

Veeresh looked at him.

Veeresh: "I know."

Mrs. Qureshi's voice softened.

Mrs. Qureshi: "Then why are you hiding it?"

Veeresh looked down.

Veeresh: "Because she has already lost enough in one day."

He looked toward the staircase again.

Veeresh: "Yesterday, she found out that she was married without being ready. Today, she found out that her husband has an eight-month-old daughter."

His voice became quieter.

Veeresh: "If I tell her that she was never even the bride I was supposed to marry..."

He stopped.

He couldn't finish the sentence.

Mrs. Qureshi understood.

Mrs. Qureshi: "You are afraid she will think you never chose her."

Veeresh's eyes hardened with guilt.

Veeresh: "Because I didn't."

The words fell heavily into the room.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Veeresh looked toward the staircase one last time.

Behind that closed door was a twenty-year-old girl who had entered this house believing that her life had been taken away from her.

She didn't yet know that there was another truth waiting for her.

A truth that could hurt even more.

She wasn't the bride Veeresh had been waiting for.

She had been the bride who had replaced the one who ran away.

And Veeresh knew that when Poornima finally learned the entire truth...

she might never look at him the same way again.