Chapter 12
KAVYA
It was my first day in the kitchen, so Saurav’s father had asked me to make something sweet.
My mood was still sour after last night, but I knew I deserved his harsh words.
I was the one who had barged into his peaceful life and made everything messy.
I also knew Saurav hadn’t truly meant all of it.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror, wincing at the sight of my face.
My eyes were puffy, and I looked too fat in the saree.
Or was I just imagining it in my head? People used to say I looked gorgeous in a saree because of my curves.
They must have been lying just to make me happy.
Saurav was right. I was ugly, too fat, and unrefined.
“What are you doing, Kavya?”
I heard a soft voice. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Tanya peeking inside the refrigerator, probably looking for something to eat.
A sting shot through my chest when I saw her in yet another beautiful anarkali suit.
It clung to her slender body like a second skin.
The suit was sleeveless, backless, showing off her perfect, sexy back.
She wore those kinds of clothes to seduce my husband. Homewrecker, wasn’t she?
I clutched the knife in my hand, wanting nothing more than to slice her beautiful, slender neck. Blood might look beautiful on her too.
“Yes, I’m talking to you, Kavya,” Tanya snapped her fingers in front of my face, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Are you blind? Don’t you see I’m cooking?” I rolled my eyes and went back to the halwa.
“Do you need any help?” she asked softly, as if I would melt at her sweet words.
“Yes,” I said with a fake smile. “You can help by not breathing near my halwa. It’s already struggling to rise to the occasion without your perfume suffocating it.”
Tanya blinked, clearly unsure whether I was joking or insulting her. Perfect.
I stirred the halwa with exaggerated seriousness, as though I were conducting a symphony. The spoon clanged against the pot like cymbals.
“You know, Kavya,” Tanya said, leaning against the counter with that graceful smile I hated most, “I once made halwa so good that Saurav...”
I cut her off sharply. “Oh please. Spare me the tragic backstory of your halwa. I don’t want to hear it.”
“Well, fine,” she said, grabbing a water bottle and turning to leave.
“Listen, Tanya.”
She paused.
“I don’t know what’s going on between you and Saurav, but let me make one thing clear. Saurav is no longer your ex—he is my husband now. So I’d be really grateful if you keep some distance from him.”
Tanya turned to face me, and that’s when I saw a victorious smile on her pretty face.
“I wish I could stay away from your husband,” she said lightly, “but he was the one who wanted me here until he leaves for duty. So unfortunately, I’ll be staying as long as your husband wants.”
I gripped the spoon in my hand, glaring at her, but it only seemed to delight her even more.
She eyed me up and down.
“Saurav hates the color pink.”
I looked down at my saree, then back at her. She was smiling again because I was wearing pink.
"You know what..."
"Wow! I could smell how delicious that halwa is," Saurav’s father stepped in before I could finish my sentence. I sighed and let the words die on my tongue. "I can’t wait to eat it," Mr. Chauhan said with the same fatherly smile.
"You wanna taste it?" I asked, almost shoving the spoon toward him.
"Nope," he chuckled, "I’ll not only taste it but eat the whole pot." He winked, and I laughed nervously, clutching the spoon tighter.
"Whole pot?!" Tanya’s voice floated back from the doorway. "Careful, Uncle, you might need Kavya to roll you out of the kitchen afterward."
I shot her a glare. "Don’t worry, Tanya. If he eats the whole pot, I’ll make another one. And another. And another. Until you’re forced to admit my halwa is better than yours."
Saurav’s father chuckled, clearly enjoying the banter. "Ah, competition in the kitchen. That’s how the best sweets are made." He scooped a spoonful, tasted it, and closed his eyes dramatically. "Mmm… this is divine. Kavya, you’ve outdone yourself."
My heart swelled with pride. For a moment, my insecurities melted away like sugar in ghee.
Tanya folded her arms, smirking. "Divine? Really? Uncle, you’re too kind."
He licked the spoon clean and grinned. "Kind? No, no. Honest. If this halwa were a movie, it would be a blockbuster. If it were a song, it would be a chart-topper. And if it were a cricket match, it would be India beating Pakistan in the finals."
I burst out laughing, unable to help myself. Even Tanya cracked a reluctant smile.
"See, Tanya," I said sweetly, "this halwa doesn’t just taste good but it wins trophies."
Saurav’s father patted my shoulder warmly. "Exactly. And you, Kavya, win today’s kitchen trophy."
Tanya rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath, but I didn’t care. For once, I wasn’t the insecure wife. I was going to win everyone's heart one by one, especially my husband's.
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I was serving halwa when, suddenly, a dark urge flickered through me to serve poison instead at the sight of Saurav and Tanya sitting together. Rhea sat beside Mr. Chauhan.
When I approached Saurav to serve him, he refused coldly. “I don’t like halwa …”
“Unless it’s made by my hand,” Tanya finished for him with a sinister smile, her eyes cutting toward me.
I forced a polite smile and moved toward his father.
“He won’t eat it. He has diabetes,” Saurav said flatly.
“I like halwa, son,” Mr. Chauhan replied calmly.
“You’ve already had enough sugar, Dad,” Saurav countered. “I spoke to your doctor. He strictly forbade you from eating anything sweet.”
“I know my health condition,” Mr. Chauhan snapped. “You’d better focus on the health of your relationship. And since when did you suddenly start caring about me?”
“I’ve always cared about you, Dad,” Saurav sighed. “But you were too stubborn to see it.”
The tension between father and son thickened the air. Before it could escalate further, Rhea jumped in.
“Mmm… it’s delicious, Kav,” she moaned theatrically. “I’ve never tasted anything so good.”
“That really is tasty,” Mr. Chauhan agreed. He snatched the bowl from my hand and began eating.
Saurav looked at his father with disappointment but said nothing. After a few moments, he rose and walked away without touching breakfast.
My heart sank. I endured the coldness he kept throwing at me, wishing just for a few minutes that he would treat me the way he once did. He had stopped smiling the day I entered his world.
“Why is he acting so strange?” Rhea whispered.
“Maybe Tanya cast some spell on him,” I joked lightly, scooping halwa into another bowl.
“Maybe… ” Rhea laughed, then her expression hardened as she glanced at Tanya, who seemed far too pleased with herself. “But you need to take bhai in your hand,” she muttered, clenching her fist.
“In my hand?” I raised a brow.
“Yes. Control the situation. Don’t let that snake take over your house.”
I chuckled softly. “You really hate her, don’t you?”
“Hate is too small a word,” Rhea replied bluntly.
“I heard she’ll be staying here for a couple of weeks,” she added.
“Why is she staying here? Isn’t it… strange for Saurav’s ex to live in the same house?”
“Tanya Rana is the daughter of Dev Rana, Uncle Shaurya’s business partner. Their families have always been close. That’s how Tanya has known Saurav bhai since childhood,” Rhea explained between spoonfuls of halwa.
“They studied in the same school, the same college. But Dev Rana never wanted Tanya to marry Saurav because, you know…” She trailed off, taking another bite. “You really made this delicious,” she added.
“Thank you,” I murmured, though my thoughts were elsewhere.
“So why is she here now?” I pressed.
Rhea leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Because Dev Rana recently agreed to a new business deal with Uncle Shaurya. And apparently… Tanya insisted on staying here.”
A strange uneasiness crawled into my chest. “Insisted?” I repeated.
Rhea nodded. “She said she wanted to spend time with old friends.”
My eyes drifted toward Tanya again. She was laughing softly at something Mr. Chauhan said, her hand resting comfortably on the table. She seemed to have a good rapport with both Mr. Chauhan and Saurav. Perhaps she wanted to replace me.
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