Chapter 42 – The Truth About Riya

That evening, Veeresh poured himself a glass of whiskey and walked out onto the balcony.

He sat quietly, looking at the city lights.

Poornima changed into a comfortable saree and came outside.

She sat beside him without saying anything.

Veeresh poured himself another drink and stared at the glass for a moment.

Then he spoke.

Veeresh: "Her name was Riya."

Poornima looked at him but didn't interrupt.

Veeresh: "We were college friends. We fell in love."

He took a sip.

Veeresh: "We got married too."

His voice was calm, but his eyes weren't.

Veeresh: "My mother didn't like her. She told me she didn't feel good about her, but she also said, 'She is your happiness, so I support you.'"

He looked down.

Veeresh: "And she did."

Poornima remained silent.

Veeresh: "We were happy. At least, I thought we were."

He gave a bitter smile.

Veeresh: "But no."

He took another drink.

Veeresh: "Vikram and Daniel told me she was cheating on me."

Poornima looked at him.

Veeresh: "I didn't believe them."

His fingers tightened around the glass.

Veeresh: "Arjun eventually found out and sent me photographs."

He shook his head.

Veeresh: "Even then, I didn't believe it."

Poornima: "Why?"

Veeresh looked at her.

Veeresh: "Because I believed she wasn't like that."

His voice cracked slightly.

Veeresh: "I trusted her completely."

He looked away.

Veeresh: "Then came our anniversary."

Poornima stayed quiet.

Veeresh: "She gave me the biggest gift of my life."

He swallowed.

Veeresh: "I came home that night and went toward our bedroom."

His eyes became distant.

Veeresh: "I heard sounds from inside."

He stopped speaking for a moment.

Veeresh: "I knew she knew I was outside."

His voice became quieter.

Veeresh: "And they still didn't stop."

Poornima's eyes filled with tears.

Veeresh: "That broke me."

He stared into his glass.

Veeresh: "I confronted her."

He laughed bitterly.

Veeresh: "And do you know what she told me?"

Poornima shook her head.

Veeresh: "She said nobody would love me."

He looked directly at Poornima.

Veeresh: "She said people only wanted my luxury, comfort and money."

His breathing became heavier.

Veeresh: "She said nobody would love my soul."

Poornima's eyes welled up.

Veeresh: "She said people would laugh at me."

He paused.

Veeresh: "And nobody would cry for me."

Poornima immediately understood.

Those were the words that had come back to him earlier.

Veeresh: "When you told me, 'I'm here,' it triggered everything."

He looked down.

Veeresh: "Then Riya told me she had aborted our baby."

Poornima covered her mouth.

Veeresh's eyes became glassy.

Veeresh: "I went blank."

He slowly shook his head.

Veeresh: "I took off our marriage ring and threw it away."

He paused.

Veeresh: "Then I don't remember much."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

Veeresh: "Daniel took me to the hospital."

Poornima gently placed her hand over his.

Veeresh: "I was unconscious for almost a year."

Poornima's tears finally fell.

Veeresh: "My body had given out."

He looked toward the city.

Veeresh: "It was my three friends and their families who took care of me."

His voice softened.

Veeresh: "Arjun would sit beside me in the morning."

Veeresh: "Daniel would stay in the afternoon."

He paused.

Veeresh: "Daniel even left his wife, who was pregnant at the time. She needed him, but he stayed with me."

His eyes filled with guilt.

Veeresh: "I'm sorry, Anna."

Poornima knew he was speaking about Daniel's wife.

Veeresh: "When I woke up nearly a year later, I found out everything."

He looked down.

Veeresh: "Anna told me, 'That's okay, Veeresh. We are family.'"

A tear slipped down his cheek.

Veeresh: "Vikram took care of my company."

He continued slowly.

Veeresh: "Their wives brought food and stayed beside me."

He took a deep breath.

Veeresh: "For one year, they took care of me."

Poornima gently squeezed his hand.

Veeresh: "Nobody at home knows about any of this."

He looked at her.

Veeresh: "I never told anyone."

Poornima: "What did you tell them?"

Veeresh: "I said we had compatibility problems."

He gave a faint, painful smile.

Veeresh: "When I married you, I told myself it was practical."

He looked directly into her eyes.

Veeresh: "And even now, I still can't completely trust you."

Poornima's eyes filled again, but she didn't pull her hand away.

Veeresh quickly continued.

Veeresh: "I know you're not that woman."

His voice trembled.

Veeresh: "I know you're different."

He looked away.

Veeresh: "But the betrayal and the hurt are too big, Poons."

He closed his eyes.

Veeresh: "Those images are still there."

Poornima remained beside him.

She didn't interrupt.

She simply held his hand.

Veeresh took a slow breath.

Veeresh: "But now..."

He looked at the glass in his hand.

Veeresh: "I'm sleeping because of you."

Poornima looked at him.

Veeresh: "Otherwise, every day, I'd have one peg and sleep."

He gave a small, tired smile.

Veeresh: "Now I don't need it every night."

He looked at her.

Veeresh: "Olivia also told me something."

Poornima waited.

Veeresh: "She said you might prove me wrong."

He paused.

Veeresh: "She said not everyone is Riya."

His voice softened.

Veeresh: "And maybe she's right."

Poornima moved closer and rested her head against his shoulder.

She didn't tell him that everything would suddenly become fine.

She knew better than to make promises she couldn't control.

Instead, she held his hand.

Poornima: "I'm not Riya, Veer."

He closed his eyes.

Poornima: "And you don't have to forget what happened."

She gently squeezed his fingers.

Poornima: "Just don't let what she did make you believe that everyone will do the same."

Veeresh remained silent.

But this time, he didn't reach for the whiskey.

He simply sat beside his wife, holding her hand.