Chapter 10 — The Words That Broke Him

The evening had settled over the Qureshi residence.

Veeresh had spent most of the day in his study, giving Poornima the space she had clearly wanted.

But he could no longer stay away.

He walked upstairs slowly and stopped in front of their bedroom door.

For a few seconds, he simply stood there.

Then he knocked once.

There was no response.

Veeresh waited.

Nothing.

He slowly opened the door.

Veeresh: "Poornima..."

Before he could say anything else, a vase came flying toward him.

Veeresh immediately moved to the side.

The vase crashed against the wall behind him and shattered across the floor.

He stared at the broken pieces for a moment before looking at Poornima.

She was standing near the bed, her face wet with tears and anger burning in her eyes.

Poornima: "You asshole!"

Veeresh remained silent.

Poornima: "Why did you come here?"

Her voice trembled with rage.

Poornima: "I told you to leave me alone!"

Veeresh carefully stepped inside but kept his distance.

Veeresh: "I just wanted to—"

Poornima: "I don't care what you wanted!"

She wiped her tears angrily.

Poornima: "I hate you!"

Veeresh's expression tightened, but he did not interrupt her.

Poornima pointed toward him.

Poornima: "Do you understand that? I hate you."

Her voice broke.

Poornima: "I am twenty years old!"

Veeresh looked at her silently.

Poornima: "I had dreams."

She took a shaky breath.

Poornima: "I had plans for my life. I was studying. I was planning for higher studies. I had so many things I wanted to do."

Tears continued falling down her cheeks.

Poornima: "And now?"

She laughed bitterly.

Poornima: "Now I don't even have any interest in studying anymore."

Veeresh's eyes lowered.

Poornima: "Do you know what you did to me?"

She took another step toward him.

Poornima: "You took everything away from me."

Veeresh opened his mouth, but she stopped him.

Poornima: "Don't."

Her voice was quieter now, but somehow it hurt more.

Poornima: "Don't give me another explanation."

She shook her head.

Poornima: "I don't want to hear about responsibility. I don't want to hear about family. I don't want to hear about the baby."

Her tears fell faster.

Poornima: "I wanted my own life."

Veeresh stared at her.

Poornima: "I wanted to finish my studies. I wanted to go for higher studies. I wanted to build something for myself."

She placed a trembling hand against her chest.

Poornima: "And you played with my life."

Veeresh's jaw tightened.

Poornima: "You are selfish."

She pointed at him again.

Poornima: "You are cruel."

Her voice shook with anger.

Poornima: "Sometimes I think you are nothing but a cruel animal who thinks he can decide everything because he has power."

Veeresh didn't defend himself.

He knew she needed to say it.

Poornima: "You didn't ask me what I wanted."

Her voice cracked.

Poornima: "You didn't care whether I was ready."

She looked down at her bridal bangles.

Poornima: "You just took my life and changed it."

Veeresh's eyes remained on her.

Poornima's anger slowly turned into grief.

Poornima: "I will hate you forever."

The words landed heavily.

Poornima: "And I will never forgive you for this."

Veeresh looked away for a moment.

He had expected her anger.

But hearing those words still hurt more than he thought they would.

Poornima wiped her tears.

Poornima: "One day, you will understand my pain."

Veeresh looked back at her.

Poornima: "One day, you will understand what it feels like to lose everything."

Her voice trembled.

Poornima: "To wake up one morning and realize that the life you planned doesn't exist anymore."

She looked directly into his eyes.

Poornima: "Maybe then you'll understand what you did to me."

Silence filled the room.

Veeresh stood there, absorbing every word.

He could have defended himself.

He could have explained why he had made those decisions.

He could have told her about Noor.

He could have told her about Rukmini.

He could have told her that he had never planned for Poornima to become his wife.

But none of those explanations would change what she had lost.

So he remained silent.

Poornima turned her face away.

Poornima: "Get out."

Veeresh looked at her for a long moment.

Then he nodded.

Veeresh: "Alright."

He turned toward the door.

His eyes briefly fell on the broken vase scattered across the floor.

Then he looked back at Poornima.

She was standing with her back toward him, quietly crying.

Veeresh stepped out and closed the door.

He stood in the corridor for several seconds.

Her words continued to echo in his mind.

I will hate you forever.

I will never forgive you.

One day, you will understand my pain.

Veeresh slowly lowered his eyes.

For the first time, he wondered what it would truly mean to lose everything.

Because Poornima had lost her dreams.

Her freedom.

Her plans.

And perhaps the person she had been before entering this house.

Veeresh walked away from the door.

He didn't know how he could give her back the life she had lost.

But for the first time, he knew one thing clearly.

He could not keep taking choices away from her.

Not anymore.