Chapter 19
KAVYA
The shrill cry of my phone sliced through the heavy silence of the room. I bolted upright, heart hammering against my ribs, and snatched the device from the nightstand. Rhea's name on the screen brought a momentary flicker of normalcy. I swiped to answer.
“Hey, happy birthday, my dear lady!” Rhea’s voice chirped, vibrating with excitement.
“Thank you,” I murmured, my voice thick with sleep. I forced a smile I knew she couldn't see, my eyes instinctively drifting to the other side of the bed. It was empty. The sheets were cold, the pillows undisturbed, as if the man who had been there only hours ago was a ghost.
I scanned the room, but the shadows offered no answers.
Wrapping the silk sheets around my trembling frame, I padded toward the living room.
"Saurav?" I whispered, but the cottage remained stubbornly silent.
A cold knot of dread tightened in my chest. To be alone in this secluded place felt less like a getaway and more like an abandonment.
“Hey, are you even listening to me?” Rhea’s voice snapped me back to the present.
“Umm, Rhea... I’ll call you later. I promise.” I didn't wait for her sigh of frustration before hanging up.
I searched the rest of the house, my pulse quickening with every empty corner. Had he gone for an early run? Or had he simply... left? I retreated to the bathroom, scrubbing my skin under a hot spray of water until it turned red, trying to wash away his lingering scent.
In the dressing area, I found a curated selection of clothes and accessories, everything in my size, everything brand new. I wondered if Mr. Chauhan owned this place; the level of preparation was too meticulous to be a coincidence.
I was ready to leave, my hand hovering over the door handle, when a flash of gold on the console table caught my eye. A heavy card sat atop a folded note.
I stepped closer, my breath hitching as I recognized the sharp, aggressive slant of Saurav’s handwriting. I picked up the note.
I was satisfied with your service, so I’m leaving your fee along with a generous tip. This is a golden card; it has no limit. Spend as much as you want. I assume this is exactly why you slept with me.
— Saurav Chauhan
The paper crumpled in my fist, the edges digging into my palm. I felt the air leave my lungs as if he had physically struck me. A hot, stinging blur of tears filled my eyes. I sank onto the edge of the bed, covering my mouth to stifle a sob that felt like it was tearing my throat open.
Service. The word was a brand. Last night, I had allowed myself to believe in a thaw that he had finally looked at me and seen a wife, not an enemy. I thought he had forgiven me. Instead, he had just been appraisal shopping. I was nothing more than a high-end transaction.
The cab ride back to the villa was a blur of passing trees and suppressed rage. When I walked through the front doors, the clinking of silverware echoed from the dining room. Mr. Chauhan and Tanya were having breakfast. But the chair at the head of the table, Saurav’s chair, was empty.
“You’re back!” Mr. Chauhan stood abruptly, a look of genuine relief crossing his face. “Come, sit. Let’s have breakfast.”
“Where’s Saurav?” I asked, my voice strained as I scanned the room for a shadow of him.
“Urgent work. He’ll be back by evening,” Mr. Chauhan said, his smile warm and paternal. He reached out, sliding a plate of sandwiches and a glass of orange juice toward me. “So... how was last night?”
My hand froze over the plate. I looked at him, searching for any sign of a double meaning, but his eyes were clear, full of a kindness that felt almost cruel given the circumstances.
I couldn't tell if he was my greatest ally or an accidental architect of my misery.
But his smile was real. His love felt pure.
“It was perfect,” I lied, the words tasting like ash. I forced a brittle, plastered smile onto my face, ignoring the way my soul felt like it was being ground into the floorboards. “We had a lot of fun.”
“Really?” Tanya’s voice cut through the air, dripping with venom.
She didn't look up from her salad, her fork moving with clinical precision. “That’s strange. I didn’t see much 'fun' on Saurav’s face when he trudged in here at dawn... having left his wife alone in a deserted cottage while she was still sleeping.”
I didn't hesitate. “He wanted me to come with him, but I was exhausted. I told him I’d follow in a few hours.”
Tanya rolled her eyes, her jaw working rhythmically as she chewed a leaf of spinach like it was an insult. She wasn't buying it, but she didn't have the leverage to push further, not with Mr. Chauhan watching.
“I have an announcement,” Mr. Chauhan said, sipping his soup and beaming at me. “Tonight, I’m throwing a party. Happy Birthday, Kavya.”
The surprise was genuine this time. “Thank you... but how did you know?”
“Rhea told me. She and Avni are coming over this evening.”
The mention of my friends brought a small, true spark of warmth to my chest. I had missed Avni’s call during the frantic drive back, too consumed by Saurav’s cruelty to speak.
“Eat up, child,” Mr. Chauhan urged, adjusting his tie as he prepared for the day. “After breakfast, I’ll show you the themes I’ve picked out. My team is on standby to arrange everything exactly as you want it.”
I glanced at Tanya’s sour expression, then back to the man who was treating me more like a daughter than my own father ever had. “You don’t have to do all this, Dad.”
“You are my child now,” he insisted, his voice firm yet tender. “And I intend to make this day special. Now, be quick, we have a lot of celebrating to do.”
I nodded, picking up a sandwich I knew I couldn't swallow. Outside, the sun was shining, and a party was being planned, but inside, I could still feel the cold weight of the golden card in my purse, a reminder of the price Saurav had placed on my heart.
________
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Mr. Chauhan led me toward the glass doors of the backyard. My chest remained tight, the phantom weight of Saurav’s golden card sitting like lead in my purse. But when the doors slid open, my breath caught for an entirely different reason.
The backyard had been transformed into a bohemian sanctuary, looking as if it had been plucked straight from a dream.
“Wow,” I whispered, stepping onto the grass.
The cool evening air brushed my cheeks, yet the scene was bathed in a warmth that felt almost protective.
Above us, strings of golden globe lights crisscrossed the darkness, their amber glow reflecting off the villa’s dark windows like low-hanging stars.
They cast a gentle light over a long, rustic table crafted from pale wooden pallets.
In place of stiff chairs, long white mattresses lined the grass, scattered with plush cushions in pops of mustard yellow, olive green, and delicate florals.
It was beautiful.
“Do you like it?” Mr. Chauhan asked softly, standing beside me.
I walked toward the table, my fingers brushing the burlap runner.
Baskets of dried pampas grass and white wildflowers were tucked at intervals, their textures soft and earthy.
At the far end, a tall wooden panel stood draped in hundreds of tiny fairy lights, shimmering like a wall of diamonds against the dark garden hedge.
"It’s perfect, Dad," I said, unable to take my eyes off the setup.
Looking at the inviting cushions, I allowed myself a fleeting second to imagine sitting here with a husband who actually loved me, someone who would laugh with me under these lights instead of buying my silence with a golden card.
The beauty of it felt like a bandage on a deep wound; it didn't heal the pain, but it made the evening feel a little less dark.
“Oh my goodness!” Rhea’s high-pitched voice broke my reverie as I turned around. “Did you steal this idea from my dreams, Uncle?”
Mr. Chauhan laughed. “Of course, but I’ve only taken it on lease,” he winked, before moving toward his sister. Rhea’s mother.
“Where’s Avni?” I asked Rhea.
“She’s coming with her husband and kids in another car,” she informed me. “Aryan is back, too.”
“Aryan’s back?”
“Yes, and also… ” she stepped closer, “Ira and Prashant.”
“Oh my god!” I jumped in excitement. “They’re all coming?”.
“Yes, and it was all my plan.” Rhea looked around as if searching for someone. “And where is your husband?”.
Before I could speak, Mr. Chauhan stepped in. “He’s entertaining one of my clients, so unfortunately, he won’t be attending the party”.
“But Bhai hates attending to your clients, doesn’t he?” Rhea frowned.
“Rhea, mind your business,” her mother muttered, grasping her arm and dragging her away.
Mr. Chauhan looked at me with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Kavya. I think my plan failed again. I wanted to bring you two closer, but instead… ”
“No, it’s fine,” I said, plastering on a smile. “He just needs some space. He’ll be fine”.
“He leaves for duty tomorrow, and God knows when he’ll return. I really want you two to work on your relationship”.
“You can’t force a relationship,” I said, glancing at Rhea and her mother, who were still arguing. “The tighter you hold someone, the more desperate they become to escape. So, I’m letting him be free. If he doesn't want this... I'll let him go. I just need some time”.
“Kavya,” Mr. Chauhan held my hand, hurt flashing in his eyes. “Trust me, I won’t let this break. My own story might be incomplete, but I will make sure my son gets what he deserves: a woman who genuinely cares for him, not for his money or his looks, but for his heart.”
“You really think I… I…”
“I know everything about you. I had my men do a background check, and frankly, I was moved by your bravery.
You’ve been incredibly strong, putting up with your father and brother’s behavior for far too long.”
I watched him in shock. Pure, white shock. This was the last thing I wanted to hear at my birthday party.
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