Chapter 13
KAVYA
I squinted as golden sunlight streamed through the thin curtain. A yawn escaped me as I sat up, scanning the unfamiliar room then realization struck. This was Saurav’s room, not mine.
I looked at my finger, his ring mocked me. The second day of our marriage, and yet he made me feel like a stranger in his house. If he would lash out at me I would have tolerated it but his silence was driving me mad.
Tanya looked more like his wife than I did; she was with him almost every hour of the day.
Thankfully, Rhea had left last night without questioning Saurav’s cold behavior, though I knew she carried a seed of doubt now and she would surely share this to Avni.
Avni my best friend. If she found out anything wrong she would not hesitate to ask Saurav.
And I would hate that. I would tell Avni everything when the right time comes.
The digital clock read six. I quickly slipped out of bed and headed to the bathroom. A few minutes later, dressed and composed, I braced myself for another torturous day. It wasn’t truly torture, but Saurav’s silence gnawed at me.
As I made my way toward the kitchen, laughter drifted through the air. Curious, I followed the sound and found Tanya laughing in the backyard while working out with Saurav.
Another pang of jealousy hissed my chest.
“That’s crazy!” Tanya laughed even harder like she knew I was listening to them.
I stepped closer, straining to catch their words.
“She snores like a tractor,” Tanya teased, mimicking the sound. “Did you see how she slept? Sprawled across the bed like she owned the whole room, snoring loud enough to wake the house. It's not your fault you're not sleeping with her in the same room.”
My jaw clenched at the way she was talking about me. Snores? I didn't remember snoring.
Her laughter rang sharp, and though she looked smug, I wouldn’t have minded if it made Saurav laugh.
But he wasn’t laughing. He was focused on his pushups, muscles flexing with each movement.
His biceps and triceps bulged, sweat glistened on his flawless skin, his hair damp as he breathed heavily.
He looked like a model as he had a beautiful face, and even a beautiful smile.
How could someone like him ever want to sleep with me?
“Saurav, are you even listening?” Tanya asked, kneeling beside him and trying to get his attention but all he prioritised was his workout.
“Yes,” he huffed, continuing his pushups.
“Are you upset?” she pressed. “You always overdo pushups when you’re angry.”
“I’m not upset,” Saurav replied simply.
Tanya stayed silent for a few seconds like thinking about something, then she asked, “I was wondering why did you marry her?” Tanya’s voice softened, almost hesitant like she was afraid to ask that question. “You said you’d never marry.”
Saurav paused, breathing sharply. He sat up, grabbed a bottle, and poured water over his hair and face like he was blowing out the fire within him. Tanya waited, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he stood.
“Saurav… !” Tanya said, annoyed.
“Yes…” he finally replied, glancing at her. “Kavya will look after this villa and Dad perfectly well.”
“I could have done that too,” she muttered.
Saurav stepped closer, locking eyes with her. He was looking at her differently. “A housekeeper’s job wouldn’t suit you.”
"You mean your wife is a housekeeper?" Tanya broke into a laugh. "You know..."
I didn't listen further as I turned around, stepping back. Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I rushed toward the kitchen, only to bump into someone.
“Hey, are you okay?” Mr. Chauhan steadied me by the shoulders. “You’re running like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply before forcing a nervous smile. “I just … got confused about where the kitchen was.”
“You sure?” he asked, his gaze steady.
I nodded quickly.
He smiled, brushing my hair with a fatherly touch. My heart melted. He had never once questioned me about filing a complaint against his son. He was supposed to be angry, but instead, he had always been supportive to me.
“Aren’t you angry that I filed a complaint against your son?” I asked suddenly.
Damn!
Mr. Chauhan froze for a few moments as he watched with different eyes then he broke into a hollow laugh. “No. Why would I be?” His voice was calm, almost weary. “I know my son. What sort of person he is and I’m glad he finally took responsibility for his mistake.”
He looked embarrassed even calling Saurav his son.
He believed Saurav had truly forced me. Oh God.
I should have corrected him but if I did, he would ask more questions.
And if he asked more questions, he might suspect my family.
If he suspected my family, Kirti’s life could be at risk.
So I chose to give him the answer he wanted.
“Sometimes people aren’t wrong; circumstances just push them into doing things they never intended.” My words weren’t about Saurav. They were about someone who was truly evil.
“That’s true, Dad.”
My heart skipped when I heard Saurav’s voice behind me. His footsteps approached slowly. He wiped his face with a towel, smiling at me strangely.
“Sometimes people aren’t wrong,” he repeated, his tone sharp. “Circumstances push them into things they never intended. And we’re doing the same thing right now. We're living a lie because the truth would destroy everything.”
I flinched at the way he said those last words.
In just a few days, he had broken my heart countless times.
I looked at the man I had loved for over a year, the man who never knew how deeply I cared.
I would have done anything to be with Saurav Chauhan but this wasn’t part of my plan.
Living with him while enduring his hatred.
He hated me. It was written all over his face, in every word he spoke.
“And we’re doing the same thing right now,” he said quietly. “You act innocent… and I’m forced to live with the biggest mistake of my life.”
Each word crushed my heart further. I never imagined Saurav Chauhan capable of such hostility.
“Saurav…” Mr. Chauhan’s voice cut in, cold now, his fatherly warmth replaced by the tone of a stern businessman. “Take a bath. We’re having breakfast together.”
I noticed Saurav’s hand clench, his jaw tighten. He narrowed his eyes at his father before storming away.
“I’m sorry on his behalf, beta,” Mr. Chauhan said softly before walking away.
I wasn’t hurt by Saurav’s words alone, but by the fractured bond between father and son.
They were both wonderful men just not for each other.
Pride, harsh words, and silence had built a wall between them.
They cared, yes, but they hid that care so deeply it seemed almost lost. And I wanted to know what had made them this way.
I wanted to know the truth. The fracture between father and son, the shadow of Saurav’s mother, the wound her absence had carved so deep it turned love into silence, pride, and resentment.
“I know what’s running through that thick head of yours,” Tanya’s voice sliced through my thoughts. Arms crossed, lips curved in a smirk, she looked like she’d already won. “Don’t start imagining things that aren’t real.”
I turned slowly, meeting her gaze. Up close, her smile was less friendly, more warning.
“I’m not imagining anything,” I said, my voice quiet but steady.
“Oh really?” She tilted her head, studying me like I was some puzzle she’d already solved. “Then why were you standing there like a spy? Listening to conversations that weren’t meant for you.”
Heat crawled up my neck, but I forced my face into calm. “I wasn’t spying.”
Tanya laughed, the sound light but dripping with mockery. “Please. You’re new here, Kavya, but not that innocent. Women always know when something threatens them.”
My fingers curled into the fabric of my suit. “I’m not threatened by you.”
Her brows lifted, amused. “You should be.” She leaned in, her smirk sharpening. “Because unlike you, I actually know Saurav.”
Her words made me want to claw that perfect smile off her face.
“I know what makes him angry. I know what makes him laugh. I know how he takes his coffee, how he hates waking up early, how he pretends he doesn’t care when something eats at him.
” She stepped closer, her voice dropping.
“And most importantly, I know how he likes to be in bed. We had nights, Kavya. Hot nights. He’s… incredible.”
“Stop it.” My voice cut sharp, my glare locking on hers.
Her smile widened, satisfaction flickering in her eyes. Seeing me break was her victory.
“Saurav told me everything,” she said, brushing her yoga pants like the conversation bored her. “He told me how much he didn’t want this marriage.”
“I didn’t want it either,” I said, my chin trembling despite my effort to hold it still.
“But you’re still here.”
I held her gaze. “So are you.”
Silence stretched, heavy, before she leaned in, her whisper brushing against my skin. “Let me give you a piece of advice, Kavya.”
I didn’t answer.
“Saurav Chauhan doesn’t fall in love,” she said softly, almost tenderly. “He ruins the women who do.”
Her smile faltered, pain flashing in her eyes as she glanced at her wrist. A scar ran across it, raw even in memory. “He ruined me.” Her voice cracked, then steadied. “And now…”
I opened my mouth, but no words came. Tanya straightened, her expression smoothing into something sweet, fake, polished.
“Anyway,” she said lightly, brushing invisible dust from her leggings. “Breakfast should be… interesting.”
She walked past me, perfume lingering like a taunt. I stood frozen, staring at nothing, before forcing a breath and wiping the corner of my eye before the tears could fall.
Two days. Just two days in this house, and already the drama was unfolding like a storm I couldn’t escape.
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