Chapter 43 — The Dream She Built

Poornima said nothing for a moment.

She looked at Veeresh, then at the chair beside her.

Poornima: "Sit."

Veeresh immediately became cautious.

He sat down.

Veeresh: "What happened?"

Poornima looked at him seriously.

Poornima: "I have something to discuss with you."

Veeresh's heart sank.

For a moment, the thought of divorce crossed his mind.

After everything they had discussed, he couldn't help wondering whether she had changed her mind again.

But Poornima didn't mention divorce.

Instead, she asked something completely different.

Poornima: "Where is your laptop?"

Veeresh blinked.

Veeresh: "My laptop?"

Poornima: "Yes. The one I was using."

Veeresh: "It's in the study room."

Poornima nodded.

Poornima: "Okay."

Veeresh stood up and went to his study.

A few minutes later, he returned with the laptop and handed it to her.

Poornima placed it on the table and opened it.

She went through a few folders before finding the file she wanted.

Veeresh watched her curiously.

Then Poornima turned the laptop toward him.

Poornima: "Veer, look."

Veeresh leaned closer.

On the screen was a detailed layout.

He looked at it carefully.

It was a restaurant design.

There was a reception area, dining section, kitchen, storage area, washrooms, staff room and even a small private dining section.

Veeresh looked at Poornima.

Veeresh: "What's this?"

Poornima smiled for the first time.

Poornima: "This is the restaurant I want to build."

Veeresh looked back at the screen.

She had clearly spent a lot of time working on it.

The file wasn't just a simple idea.

There were detailed plans.

The restaurant's estimated size.

The seating capacity.

The kitchen layout.

The equipment required.

Furniture costs.

Interior design expenses.

Staff salaries.

Licensing and registration expenses.

Raw material costs.

Marketing expenses.

Even an emergency fund had been included in the budget.

Veeresh scrolled through the file.

Veeresh: "You made all of this?"

Poornima nodded.

Poornima: "Yes."

She pointed toward the budget section.

Poornima: "This is the estimated investment."

Veeresh read through the numbers carefully.

Poornima: "I calculated the cost of the property or rent, interiors, kitchen equipment, staff, licenses, ingredients, furniture and everything else."

She looked proud of herself.

Poornima: "I don't want to open something without planning."

Veeresh continued looking through the file.

There was even a projected monthly expense sheet and an estimated revenue calculation.

He looked at her again.

Veeresh: "You've thought about everything."

Poornima smiled.

Poornima: "I've been thinking about this for a long time."

She paused.

Poornima: "This is my dream."

Veeresh looked at the screen again.

For the first time, he wasn't seeing the girl who had entered his life unwillingly.

He was seeing a young woman who had completed her education and was now trying to build something of her own.

Veeresh: "What kind of restaurant?"

Poornima's eyes brightened.

Poornima: "A proper family restaurant."

She began explaining her idea.

Poornima: "I want good food, a comfortable atmosphere, and a kitchen where everything is prepared properly."

She pointed at the layout.

Poornima: "This will be the main dining area. Here will be the kitchen. And I want a separate section for families."

Veeresh listened without interrupting.

Poornima continued explaining every part of her plan.

She had even thought about the menu, suppliers, staffing and how she wanted the restaurant to feel.

When she finally stopped, Veeresh looked at her with quiet admiration.

Veeresh: "You really want to do this."

Poornima nodded.

Poornima: "More than anything."

Veeresh closed the laptop gently.

Veeresh: "Then let's make it happen."

Poornima looked at him in surprise.

Poornima: "You will help me?"

Veeresh smiled faintly.

Veeresh: "You built the dream."

He looked at the laptop.

Veeresh: "I'll help you build it."

Poornima didn't answer immediately.

But this time, she didn't look away from him either.