Swayam had taken the step from his side. Now all he had to do was wait for Sharon to surface up. And with his move, he was sure she would. Sooner than later and that it was. When Kriya and Swayam reached office the next day, Swayam could feel the atmosphere was different. When he walked in, the receptionist told him someone was waiting for him and he knew. He entwined his fingers with Kriya's and led her up the elevator.

Aashi rushed to him when they stepped out on the floor. "Swayam..." He held his hand up to signal her to stop as they continued walking.

"I know. No one disturbs us. No matter how loud it gets in there. Got it?" He didn't wait around for her to confirm. It was a question but an order at the same time. Aashi knew better than to question and thus simply nodded. Kriya only followed his lead, unaware of what was going on.

"I knew you'd come around." Swayam announced their presence as he walked in the cabin with Kriya.

Sharon turned the chair to reveal her face. Kriya stiffened. Swayam pressed her hand to have her look at him. When she did, he gave her a comforting blink and walked her in the door, shutting it behind them.

"Only you know how to get to me. Fascinating, isn't it?" She tapped her fingers on the table.

He gave the least interested face. "Didn't take long. Must say, still very predictable."

"And you as always, unpredictable. Not to flatter you, but it was surely something I hadn't expected."

"I guess I just know which button to press. Besides, it's not me who's changed. That's your line. I wouldn't dare steal it from you, would I? We all know what happens when you get a competition and you feel threatened."

She kept her calm, trying hard to not let his taunts get to her. She turned her attention to Kriya, who was terrified but tried to compose herself. "Darling sister! I hope you're well."

"Leave her out of this. She never was a part of it." His tone was sharp.

Hers, sharper. "Oh she was! She has been since the second she interfered between us. And she will pay."

"The only person who'll pay here is you. For all the things you've done." Swayam's voice was cold and firm. He meant business, and instead of the reaction he thought he'd get, she laughed.

"That's where you've failed to understand me love. Those who come in my way pay. I don't. I make sure of that. And by giving her what I wanted, you've just strengthened my determination to harm her all the more."

He smirked. "And that's where you've failed to understand me." He repeated her line back on her. "By giving her your prized possession, power, I have actually secured her life. You can't do anything, let alone touch her."

Kriya was simply standing there, watching them both fight over her. One, defending her. Another, ready to pounce and take her life any second. She wondered why she had to befriend Swayam. She wondered why she had to show him the Sharon he hadn't seen. She wondered why she became the reason they separated. She realized she was the reason her parents went against Swayam. She was the reason Sharon had them dead - as she said... she removed everyone who comes in her way. Her parents had come between Sharon and Swayam. Now, they were dead. Next? Kriya knew it was her turn.

Swayam let out a laugh, pulling Kriya out of her guilt. "A wonder what a split second, a blink of an eye can do. The whole world changed, didn't it?"

"Swayam, you forget something love. I killed my own parents. Then who is she? Nothing! I'm the puppeteer. She is but a puppet to me. Killing another family member isn't going to bother me." There was no guilt in her tone. No remorse.

"Do you know why she is better than you? Why everyone always preferred her over you? She has a conscious. A heart. A heart that would have had remorse for her actions. That, my love, is why you're alone today while she had everyone in her favor." He despised using the word 'my love' for her ever since that night he saw her murder her own parents mercilessly and then laughing it off, wanting Swayam to marry her. "That is why she has me."

"No one in their sane mind would want to spend the rest of their life with a person like you. That night, to keep Kriya, my best friend, safe from you, I had married her. Even back then, Kriya trusted me enough to not question my action and had agreed on my request. Once again, to save her from your reach, I had transferred everything, all the power you ever wanted, in Kriya's name. She did not question me once. She did not even read the papers. She simply signed them. That is called trust. Something, you'll never learn to do. You can kill. You can betray. You can play all the games you want to. But you can never love. Love is one game you've always failed at, Sharon, and you always will. That is the bitter truth."

Kriya did not want to relive that night. She had no choice though. She didn't even know what she had signed the previous night. She looked at Swayam amazed. How can a person do so much for someone? How can a person care about another to this extent? She was only awe-struck. The existence of Sharon no longer bothered her. She believed Swayam and had immense trust in him. He had always been there for her and she never had a chance to acknowledge it before that moment. She had gotten so used to having him around she had turned the blind eye to reality - to what was right in front of her.

Sharon let out a ridiculous laugh. "You do know how to flatter yourself, don't you? I knew Kriya had it in her to make people blind with her acting skills of being innocent, but I never thought you'd be brainwashed." She tried to put her hand on his shoulder but Kriya stopped it mid-air.

She stepped in front of Swayam, courage filled every ounce of her. "I wish, for once, you would look at things the way they are and stop your delusion depending on your fairytale. Then you'd realize it's not called brainwashing, but simply caring about a person without wanting anything back in return. You might not know the word or the concept, but it exists. It's called being selfless. I don't expect you to know though, dear sister." The word spat out as an insult.

"Oh look! Someone's turned daring too." Sharon mocked her.

"Haven't you gotten yourself insulted enough? How can a person be so shameless? You cannot be my sister. You don't deserve to have me as a sister. You don't deserve to have Swayam."

Sharon scoffed, "And what? You do? Nice going sister."

Kriya crossed her hands across her chest. "Maybe. Maybe someone even better than me. That's for Him to decide and for us to know." She used Him to refer to God and 'us' referred to Swayam and herself. "Now that I see it, you don't fit in the equation at all. Swayam" She turned to him. "Why is she still here? Do we know her?"

Swayam could not be more proud. She had finally understood that Sharon did not deserve the concern Kriya still had as a sister. "You're right, love. She should get going. I've made sure she gets a special good-bye." He opened the door and outside, stood the police officers. "Officers, you have her confession. That should be enough for you to charge her with murder. I'm sure there isn't a lack of evidence now." They came in and hand-cuffed her while Sharon fumed.

"I'm sure if you search her, you'll find a weapon on her. I'd also suggest you file a charge for an attempt to murder my wife as well."

Sharon gritted through her teeth. "I'm not done. I'll be back."

He laughed it away. "I think you are, Sharon."

When the officers exited the office with her behind bars, Swayam let out a relief. She came up behind him and looped her hand in his arm. "How'd you know she'd be here?"

He smiled. "Unfortunately, I know her a bit too well."

She hugged his arm. "Thank you. If not for you, she'd have gotten away with..."

He cupped her face, bringing her in front of him. "I'd never have let that happen. That night, when I saw her true colors for the first time, I vowed to myself that one day, I will bring justice to your parents. That burden always stayed with me. Today, I am a free man."

A tear escaped her eyes. "Why are you so nice?" She questioned, looking at him unblinking.

"Because you have been that much nicer to me." He wiped the tear away from one cheek and went towards another while saying, "Can I just say how proud I am of you for standing up to her?"

She chuckled and shied. "Putting a stone on your heart is not easy."

He nodded, agreeing, knowing just what she meant. He had to do the same back then. Today, it didn't pain him. The only regret he had was that his love wasn't strong enough to bring a good change in Sharon. Ever since he had first met Sharon, he knew she wasn't perfect. He knew she was caught up in her own world. Still, he kept on wishing he'd somehow be able to change her. Hence, he kept on putting all her shallow talks aside. As reality has it - an end had to come. He couldn't keep lying to himself. He had to face the truth - and that was: nothing could bring Sharon back. She was long gone. She had always been too deep in her alternate reality.

Kriya had hid her face in his embrace, wanting to forget every memory of Sharon - good and bad. She wanted to deal with none of it. It wasn't easy. She had managed to defend herself in front of Sharon. Inside, she was breaking down, upset and terrified. The moment that just happened was the scariest of her life.

He felt his shirt damp. He pulled her back and shaking his head to her, again wiped her tears. "There are some things we can't change; can't control. It'll go away with time."

"How did you come to realize?" She questioned, wanting to understand how he, as a lover, had it in him to let go of his love because merely as a sister, she wasn't able to and she was sure her love for Sharon could be nothing compared to the love of Swayam for Sharon.

"I already told you - your kindness won me over. Good always prevails over the bad. Yes, I'm sure she has her own reasons for everything's she done. But all of them, at the end, are still not right. She never loved me. It was obsession and now, it's just a game for her. And love can never be a game. You know, that night, before I had you sit at the altar instead of Sharon, my love for her was already gone. My heart was empty. After which, I did think of Sharon. But only because I regretted not being able to help her like you helped me."

"I'm sorry; you lost her because of me."

He smiled. He wanted to tell her she didn't have to be - because in return, he had gotten much more without even asking for it. "She was already lost." He murmured. He couldn't have this heavy conversation with her right then, when the focus was Sharon and him wanting to help her forget every moment of Sharon that haunted Kriya.

"If I have Mrs. Shekhawat's permission, I'd like to get some work done before we take off to Maldives."

She chuckled and took a step back. "All yours!" She swept her hand in to his office, welcoming him in. He sat in his chair and started working as she watched him from the chair across the table. In no other moment than this one did she come to a realization how much she had grown since he became a part of her life, how much she couldn't imagine another life without him, and just how deep her feelings for him were.

××××××××××××

The next day, they had to drop Meena to the airport for she was heading back to India. The month had passed away and it was a mix of everything. "I'm glad you decided to come by." Kriya said hugging Meena.

"So am I. Got to see my lovely daughter and ever-busy son."

"Mom!" Swayam whined, resulting in laughter from both of them except Swayam. The call was made and it was time for her to board. Everyone exchanged last minute good-bye and messages. Meena pulled Kriya away from Swayam. "I know the truth of your relationship and I also know you've started to notice the changes. You both are no longer just friends looking out for each other. I know my son well. He won't say anything unless you do."

Kriya grasped in the advice she was giving her and both looked towards Swayam. She knew that as well. Swayam never said anything. He simply gave. "Thank you." Kriya gave Meena a last hug.

"And next time I call, I better hear some good news." Kriya simply smiled at Meena's little threat. On their way back, Meena's words roamed around in Kriya's head. She knew Meena was right. She had also realized there was something more between them two. The feeling, the attraction, the care, the worry, the fear. It wasn't all limited to friendship any longer and she would have to admit that. She had admitted that. The only thing left was for her to confess what she had realized to Swayam; which - she knew would be the hard part.

××××××××××××

Two days had passed by. Kriya kept herself busy packing their bags and unpacking them, then starting it all over again, making a list of items so she wouldn't forget anything. Swayam called her crazy once or twice whenever he saw her repeat the procedure every couple of hours. She was packing her things as well as Swayam's for Maldives. Finally, the morning arrived where they would have to board.

Kriya looked at the group that was going too and knew. From the girls, there was only Taani she'd be able to talk to. The others - she couldn't tolerate their bickering. Their chaperons - a couple of their professors - huddled them in a group and were giving them their tickets when both of them walked up to them.

Taani squealed seeing her. "Kriya! You decided to come."

Kriya smiled back uncomfortably. She had yet to get used to the fact that she was befriending Taani. She hadn't made a 'girl' friend in a long time, other than Aashi who was almost like a sister to her, more than a friend. Aashi being 4 years older than her treated Kriya as a younger sister at times when away from office.

One of the teacher passed a comment. "Ms. Ghai, how nice of you to join us, late."

Swayam looked at him sternly. "She's with me." He shut his mouth.

Kriya sugar-coated. "And FYI, it's Mrs. Shekhawat."

The look on Swayam's face as she announced that was one worth capturing.

The End. 

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