Sharon took a nice long shower and felt the fatigue drain away. These past few days she was so worried for Taani. She felt relaxed now. After her bath, she changed into a pair of comfortable pyjamas and top. She plopped on the sofa and turned on the television.

It was around 11pm and Swayam was still not back from office. She called on his phone and texted him but got no reply. Rishi informed her over dinner that Swayam would be late.

Sharon flipped through the channels but her mind was on something else. She had to do something about Swayam ignoring her. Now that Taani's problem was out of the way, she could focus on their relationship.

She knew honesty was the best policy but in this case, it would do more harm than good.

Swayam walked in at quarter past 11. He bolted the door behind him and flung his office bag on the bed.

Sharon stood up, "Is everything fine?"

Swayam's eyes bored into hers, "You tell me."

She shrugged, "I don't know what you mean."

"Of course you do," He walked towards her till he was standing a foot away from her. His eyes were fixed on her.

"What's happening?" She asked; a little scared.

He laughed, in a menacing way, "Still feigning innocence! How long are you planning to play me? You must take me for a fool."

Sharon gulped, "Swayam, if this is about the pregnancy test, I swear it was not mine."

Swayam scorned, "Singing the same tune again, are we? Forget about the test. Tell me why you were at the gynaecologist today?"

Sharon looked at him, her eyes wide open. "How did you..." she managed to speak the words.

Swayam didn't answer her. He was not in the mood for answering her queries. She was the one who owed him an explanation.

Sharon furrowed her eye brows, "Did you... did you keep a watch on me?"

"I had you followed," he replied blankly, on being prodded again.

"My God!" she whispered, "I... I can't believe it."

"You can't believe it?" he mocked her, "You had a test in your bag, you act shady for a week, you visit a doctor, you lie to me and YOU are the one who can't believe it?"

Sharon took a deep breath, "Swayam, I know you have trust issues after what happened with Kria but this is-,"

He cut her mid-sentence, "Don't drag Kria into this."

"That is not what I meant. I am just saying that-," Sharon tried to reason when Swayam yelled at her, "Just tell me the truth!"

Sharon's breath caught in her throat and now she was scared. His voice, his face, his eyes frightened her.

She gulped nervously, "Swayam... you are very upset. Let's talk about this tomorrow, when you are calm."

She started to walk away when he grabbed her arm and pushed her on the wall. Her back hit the wall with force and she flinched in pain. Her back was pressed against the cold concrete and Swayam's grip tightened on her arm.

"Swayam," she pleaded softly, "You are hurting me."

He sneered, "I am hurting you?"

Up close, Sharon realized his eyes were bloodshot and she could smell traces of alcohol on him.

His fingers dug deep into her skin, "You will tell me the truth Sharon."

"You are not in the right state of mind. We'll talk tomorrow," she asserted, trying to calm her voice.

He scoffed, "I want to know right now... who is it?"

Sharon's mouth hung open, "I am... not cheating on you..."

"Stop lying!" he bellowed. Tears started to form in her eyes. She knew she had to tell him about Taani, but she wanted to discuss with Taani once before revealing anything. Things could go anywhere from there.

Sharon's voice quavered, "Swayam, please, just bear this night. I promise I'll tell you everything tomorrow."

He laughed derisively, "You and your tricks! You really played me good for quite some time. I knew all this love and relationship was a weakness; nevertheless I let my guard down, I let you in and you," he breathed on her face, "you did the same to me. You betrayed me. You humiliated me."

Sharon started shaking her head, "I didn't..."

Swayam raised an eyebrow, as if making a discovery, "Is that why you didn't sleep with me in Goa?; Because you are already screwing someone else behind my back?"

Sharon looked at him defiantly, "Stop, please, before you say something you'll regret."

Swayam ignored her. "How long has this been going on? Sneaking behind my back with your lover?" he asked.

"I am not having an affair! You are drunk and angry. You need to sleep it off."

He gripped her arm as hard as he could; wanting to hurt her. He lifted his other hand and touched her cheeks. She recoiled at his touch. "Such a pretty face," he slurred, "Even managed to fool me."

Sharon flicked his hand away from her face, "Why are you doing this? Just please trust me."

"Trust you?" he jeered, "Trust a Singhania? You married me for money. Your family sold you for money. You know, there is a word for that- for girls like you."

Sharon pushed him away with a jerk. He staggered but didn't let go off her. She spoke, infuriated, "I get that you are upset but you have no right," she pointed a finger at him, "No right to insult me or my family like that."

He sneered at her reaction, "Hit a nerve, did I? Did someone give you a better deal this time for warming their bed?"

Swayam retreated in shock as Sharon's palm hit his face with ferocity, "How dare you!" she yelled,

She wiped a tear with the back of her hand and shouted at him, "I have been listening to your non sense because I felt bad for lying but this time you have crossed a line. You have no right to humiliate me like that. You want to know whose test that was. Fine! It was your sister's!"

Swayam stood still, dumbstruck.

"Your mother mistook her bag for mine. The test was hers. And I went to the doctor along with her because she thought she was pregnant," Sharon huffed.

Swayam tried to process this piece of information, "Taani..." he uttered.

Sharon massaged her upper arm. Swayam's grip had left reddish imprints on her skin. She spoke, "It's hard to process, I know. But there is nothing to worry. Her test results are not positive. Everything has been taken care of."

He spoke after a few minutes of silence, "Who is she seeing?"

Sharon suddenly stiffened. She couldn't tell Swayam it was Rey. He would kill him. She lied, "I... don't know."

Swayam caught her arms again with both his hands, but this time gently, "I will find out one way or another. Tell me what you know."

She bit her lip, "First promise me you won't lose you cool."

He shook his head, "I won't."

"You won't promise or you won't lose your cool?" Sharon inquired.

"Sharon, please."

"Okay!" she raised her hands in defeat, "It's Rey." She told him everything – about their no-strings-attached arrangement, about her conversation with both Rey and Taani. Sharon disclosed everything because she knew Swayam would try to find out and it's better he heard from her rather than getting half-baked information from some investigator.

She looked at him, waiting for a reaction. But the reaction never came. He looked lost, deep in thought.

"Are you all right?" she asked, scared and confused.

"I am," he replied coolly, but Rey won't be, he promised himself.

---------

Swayam never apologized to Sharon and things definitely didn't go back to normal. Swayam was back to answering her questions with just a yes or no. He didn't behave badly with her. He was indifferent – just like he was during the initial months of their marriage.

She didn't want to hold him for his behavior the night of the argument. He had crossed a line and jumped to conclusions. Granted that she was hiding something major from him. She could understand his anger, his frustration but she was scared how swiftly he accused her of betraying him. After all these months, it didn't take him more than a day to doubt her. His past was still haunting him somewhere. He thought she had betrayed him because he let his guard down for her. Just as Kria had, all those years back.

But he said he had let gone of the past, Sharon tried to quell her fears. It was not an overnight process, Sharon reasoned. Some wounds take time to heal.

Sharon tried everything to make things normal but all in vain. It was hard to believe that just a few days ago, they were about to consummate their marriage in Goa. It felt like a distant memory to Sharon. She didn't tell Taani that Swayam knew. Taani would freak out and Sharon didn't want that.

College re-opened and Sharon found herself busy with course work and projects. 2 weeks into college, towards the end of February, Sharon got a call from her father Ranvijay. She was busy preparing for an important presentation.

"Hi dad," she greeted skeptically. Her father had never called her except on festivals and occasions. Why was he calling her all of a sudden?

"Sharon?" It was a man's voice but not her father's or Rey's.

"Yes, who is this?" she asked.

"This is Malhotra, your father's legal advisor," he replied, "I was wondering if you could come home right now? It's a little urgent."

"Malhotra Uncle, Is everything fine?" she was worried. Why was her father's lawyer calling her?

"Just come over as soon as possible," he replied and hung up.

Sharon stared at her cellphone- dumbfounded. She knew Malhotra Uncle for some years now. He was the family lawyer as well as a close friend. If he had called her, it must be important. But she had a presentation to give. It would be counted towards her final score. She bit her lip, thinking of what to do. She dialed Rey's number but it was not reachable.

She walked up to the Professor. He was a male in his late 50s and already looked cranky.

"Sir," she cleared her throat, "I have some urgent personal business to attend to. Is it okay if I make the presentation first?" She felt silly asking this.

The professor raised his eyes and gave her an incredulous look, "Do I look like someone who grants personal favours? I don't care if you are close with the Dean. Do the presentation at your specified slot or I'll give you an F."

Sharon nodded and walked back to her seat. One by one the presentations began. Each student took at least 30 mins to present and then there was a 10 min cross questioning session. Sharon's cell phone vibrated. It was Malhotra uncle.

She received it and whispered, "I am sorry Uncle but I won't be able to come now."

"Sharon," his voice was urgent, "We just shifted your father to the hospital."

"What?" Sharon raised her voice a little, "I am coming!"

She packed her laptop and books in her bag and started walking out of the class. The student making the presentation paused and the Professor glared at her.

"I am sorry," she spoke to no one in particular and left the classroom.

---------

Within half an hour she reached the hospital. Malhotra uncle who had informed her name of the hospital and the room number, was waiting outside her father's room. Rey was nowhere in sight.

"What happened?" Sharon panted as she caught up to Malhotra.

"Your father was complaining of chest discomfort an hour ago. The pain sharpened and I immediately got him here. The doctors said it was a minor heart attack," Malhotra replied.

Sharon gasped, "Heart attack!"

"It was a minor one. He is fine now," Malhotra calmed her down, "He is resting."

Sharon was about to walk in the room to see her father when Malhotra stopped her, "I want to tell you something before you go in."

"Can't it wait?" Sharon gave him an impatient look.

"Actually, no," he replied solemnly, "This is what caused your father's health to falter."

"What is it?"

"Rey was arrested earlier this morning."

Sharon felt the ground under her feet shake, "What!"

"Yes, I went to the station immediately at your father's behest, but I couldn't get him out. He has been booked under a non-bail able offence for transfer of shares with an intention to defraud." Malhotra went on to explain the technical know-hows but Sharon was not interested in the jargons.

"Rey is in jail!" she exclaimed and took a seat. And her father was inside- recovering from a minor heart attack. She felt her heart squeeze in her chest.

"Yes, I was back from the police station explaining him the situation. I called you at that time, asking you to come home. After sometime, he complained of pain and I got him here." Malhotra explained.

Sharon craned her neck to look up, "How do we get Rey out of jail?"

"I am working on all possible leads," Malhotra assured her, "However, at this point the best way would be if the accusations are falsified."

"Who accused Rey of fraud?" Sharon inquired.

Malhotra replied uneasily, "Your husband – Swayam."

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