Chapter 15 — The Message

The room had finally become quiet.

Poornima sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor.

Her anger had slowly started to cool down, but the hurt was still there.

She wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks and took a deep breath.

She knew she had said a lot.

Perhaps too much.

She had called Veeresh an asshole, selfish, cruel, and worse.

But she was angry.

Angry at her parents.

Angry at Rukmini.

Angry at Veeresh.

Angry at the situation.

Angry at herself for not knowing what was happening around her.

Poornima sighed and leaned back against the headboard.

Poornima: "I know I shouldn't have spoken like that."

She paused for a moment.

Poornima: "But I'm angry at everything."

Her eyes moved toward the closed door.

Poornima: "And he is still an asshole."

Despite everything, a tiny smile appeared on her face.

She reached for her phone.

She opened Veeresh's contact.

She stared at his name for a few seconds.

Then she began typing.

She deleted the message.

Typed again.

Deleted it again.

Finally, she sent it.

Poornima: "Asshole husband, will you feed me food or should I go out and eat by myself?"

She stared at the message after sending it.

A few seconds passed.

Then she frowned.

Poornima: "Why did I even message him?"

She placed the phone beside her.

Almost immediately, the screen lit up.

Veeresh had replied.

Poornima picked up the phone and read the message.

Veeresh: "Stay there. I'll bring your food."

Poornima stared at the screen.

She had expected an argument.

Or perhaps a sarcastic reply.

Instead, he had simply agreed.

She typed again.

Poornima: "I don't want anything fancy."

A few seconds later, another message appeared.

Veeresh: "What do you want?"

Poornima thought about it.

She suddenly realized that she was actually hungry.

Poornima: "Anything that doesn't look like politician food."

Veeresh read the message in his study.

For the first time that day, a small smile appeared on his face.

He typed his reply.

Veeresh: "I'll see what I can do."

Poornima rolled her eyes.

Poornima: "And don't take one hour."

Veeresh looked at the screen.

Veeresh: "Five minutes."

Poornima stared at the message.

Poornima: "Impossible."

Veeresh replied immediately.

Veeresh: "Watch me."

Poornima couldn't help the tiny smile that appeared on her face.

She quickly hid it from herself.

Poornima: "Still an asshole."

She placed the phone down.

For the first time since the morning, the room didn't feel quite as heavy.

Downstairs, Veeresh stood up from his chair.

He looked at the message one more time.

Asshole husband.

He shook his head with a faint smile.

Veeresh: "At least she's talking to me again."

He walked out of the study and headed toward the kitchen.

For now, he wasn't going to talk about the marriage.

He wasn't going to talk about Noor.

He wasn't going to ask her to forgive him.

She was hungry.

And for the moment, that was the only thing that mattered.