Swarnima entered her house and tapped a few buttons on her phone. Abhedya followed her and closed the door. Swarnima gestured him to sit on the sofa in the living room and very politely asked him, "would you like something to go with coffee sir? Sandwiches or something?"
Abhedya just shrugged his shoulders.

While Swarnima was making coffee and sandwiches for them Abhedya was busy observing her house.

The house was definitely big for a single person. No pictures, just plain white walls. No real flowers just vases set with artificial flowers. No colours but white walls and a black background television wall. Not many windows just a small balcony. How could anybody live in such a dull environment? No doubt she is so 'boring and dull'. She doesn't know how to live life. Her parents died when she was just a child and maybe her grandmother brought her up like this. Abhedya had a heart-wrenching pain thinking how sad Swarnima's childhood would have been. A person who is so sweet, so caring, so understanding, so...so 'everything good' deserves a pot of gold under the rainbow! Abhedya was just thinking and observing Swarnima's house when she came and handed him some clothes for a change.

Abhedya looked at the fresh tagged Calvin Klein loungewear which would fit him perfectly. He questioned Swarnima from his eyes and she answered with a smile, "you can wear them they are fresh. I bought them for someone but didn't get a chance to give, so yeah... you can use them."

Abhedya knew it was pointless to ask 'WHO?' Coz she will not answer or just play with words so he quietly got up and went towards a room Swarnima showed him. When he entered the room he saw the room was decorated, unlike her living room. The four walls were each of different colour 'pink, red, blue and indigo.' Who even colours the walls in four different colours? The girl has 'no taste'. Abhedya changed and came back to the living room when his phone rang...

 
"Yes, mom! I am fine. Crashing at a friend's place." He said the last bit looking at Swarnima who was dressed in a white t-shirt with a unicorn without colours and black three fourth pyjamas. She looked every bit cute and Abhedya just wanted to gobble her up rather than those sandwiches. He shook his head to throw those thoughts from his mind.

He went and sat on the four-seater dining table. Swarnima served him coffee and a triple layer sandwich topped with cheese and olives his favourites. Abhedya's face lit up seeing the combination. She sat on another chair and served herself plain milk and butter toast.

"You are not having coffee or a sandwich?" He couldn't digest the fact that she was not having it herself and made it only for him.

"No" Swarnima gave a brief reply.
"Why?" Abhedya asked her.

"If I have coffee in the night I won't be able to sleep and I don't like sandwich without cheese and this week's cheese I have already eaten. So butter toast is just fine!" Swarnima explained the curious cat in her house.

"What do you mean 'this week's cheese'?" asked a confused Abhedya.

Swarnima looked down and answered, "I have to control my diet and avoid eating such things."

"WHAT?? You are anorexic. You can eat as much as you want. You are so thin don't diet," Abhedya put half of his sandwich in her plate.

"It's because of my doctor's instructions, Sir!" Swarnima replied though she so wanted to share his half-eaten sandwich.

"Oh!" Abhedya exclaimed and felt bad. "But the coffee is fantastic and tastes just how I like. The sandwich, however, is very salty."

"Salty??!!" Swarnima took a bite of it and said, "it isn't."

"The extra salt mixed with 'this' sugar candy(pointing at  Swarnima) makes it now balanced. And 'ummmm' tastes yummmyyy!" Abhedya used his charm and passed a cheesy comment to woo the girl sharing late night snacks with him.

Swarnima got up and left to the kitchen. She returned with some cheese and grated it on his sandwich.
Abhedya looked at her in confusion.

"Maybe the cheese is a little less. That's why you had to use a cheesy comment to 'balance' it." Swarnima taunted innocently and sat on her chair taking a bite of her toast. She knew the blush that had crept on her cheeks listening to his comment won't go easily but at least thumping of her heart might reduce.

But, damn!! The sound of Abhedya's laughter in her house made her numb! Made her senseless! Made her go insane! So she kept looking at him and finally joined him laughing heartily. They both stopped laughing when Swarnima's phone beeped. She read the message and put her phone upside down.

"Who is messaging you so late?" Abhedya couldn't restrain himself from asking. " I mean I am just asking you to know, you know... Your boyfriend might come and start fighting with me, seeing me here with you enjoying a late-night meal." Abhedya covered up but brought up his thoughts, he indeed wanted to know who the messenger was.

"Don't worry sir no one will EVER HARM YOU. You are UNDER MY PROTECTION. If I had a boyfriend he would have complete trust and faith in me. TRUST precedes LOVE and LOVE  is a fruit of FAITH.
Absolute and complete faith in your love and trust in your relationship is the base of any relation. So, my forever and for always will not mind this little midnight meal." Swarnima confessed honestly.

Abhedya just sat there listening to the most honest, pure and beautiful confession from the heavenliest soul he ever met. He always dreamt of this kind of relationship with HER. But Swarnima was not HER. Why can't Swarnima be 'her'? Abhedya questioned himself and jerked at his thought. Till date, no girl was ever able to knock at his heart and this girl was penetrating in.

"You believe in forever and for always kinda love? Don't fool yourself girl. Those things don't exist anymore. Love has a totally different meaning now. Get over your fairy tales. They are a myth." Abhedya concluded and got up to keep his plate and mug in the kitchen.

"Maybe fairy tales are myths but at least they tell us true love exists and the dragons in a relationship can be beaten." Swarnima also got up to keep her plate in the kitchen. She wanted Abhedya to believe in true love.

 Abhedya held Swarnima's hand pinned her to the kitchen island hovered over her and questioned her, "why did you let me in? Are you not scared of me? Don't you know my reputation? I am a big-time Player! You saw me kissing, scratch kissing... chewing away the lips of girls. You have seen me at college doing indecent stuff, haven't you?? Then why did you let me in?" 

No answer! 

"Answer me Swarnima! Why did you let me in?" Abhedya didn't know what he was asking or what answer he wanted. What he was expecting her to say. How would he react if she said what he anticipated? Several questions on his mind came to a halt when Swarnima's soft voice professed clearly, "BECAUSE I TRUST YOU!"
She freed her hands from his and left from under him. "Goodnight Sir! You can use the room you changed your clothes and here is a water bottle in case you feel thirsty."

She went inside her room leaving Abhedya and his thoughts. After several minutes Abhedya recovered and went to his room, lied down on the bed opened his mobile opened his Instagram feed. He saw his friend's picture with a girl captioned '#hitched #alotcanhappenovercoffee'. He threw his phone on the other side of the bed, closed his eyes and saw those big eyes which just confessed that they 'trust HIM'. The unsaid was said. He smiled, grabbed his phone back and double-tapped his friend's picture giving him a heart and mumbled to himself, " A LOT HAS HAPPENED OVER COFFEE!!"

Both the souls were tossing and turning on their respective beds but none dared to make a move.
This definitely was the most special day for Swarnima. She said what her heart felt. She listened to her heart and not her mind. Well with him near, her vital body organs did not function properly.
The heart sends signals, brain explodes. Eyes speak, mouth shuts. Not his touch but merely his aroma gives her goosebumps. She is a mess when he is around but she is only his mess. With only one though ABHEDYA, she hid herself in her pillow and a blush darker than tomato graced her cheeks.

Swarnima got up early in the morning as per schedule. Took a bath and dressed up in a white churidar suit. In the little temple in her house, she was offering her prayers when Abhedya got up and came out of his room. He was bewitched to see her. The girl in front of him was dressed in a beautiful churidar with a dupatta over her head as respect to god. He knew it was absolutely not correct to admire someone while they offer prayers but he was bemused.

While Abhedya was quietly observing the angel in front of him, the extreme left wall of the house opened and a man entered with a bouquet of flowers singing
"happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear princess
Happy birthday to you"
He gave Swarnima the bouquet, kissed her forehead and hugged her.

Swarnima was shocked to see him. "What are you doing here? You messaged me last night that you are leaving for something important and won't return until evening."

"Where are your manners lady? No greetings? No thank you?" The man commented with a tease.

"Manners?? Leave immediately. Your son is here and if he sees you here you know we will be in trouble." Swarnima was very worried and Rudra was confused hearing his son's name.

Sounds of claps boomed. 

"Wow! Dad! I didn't know you had other interests too! This is what keeps you occupied? And you Miss Swarnima!! I should have guessed... where all these extravagant things come from! This is what you are here for? Keeping yourself under wraps so that no one recognises what kind of a girl you are!! How many SUGAR DADDIES you have ?? You must have charmed them with your mature talks and things which you hide under...

"THWACK"

Came the sound of a SLAP echoing the room.
"You slapped me, dad? It is YOU who deserves it!! God!! What did I think of you!! Mom loves you so much, dad!! You love her so much!! What did this filthy girl here do? She is my age dad!! She should be like your daughter not like your mistre..."

"THWACK"

Boomed the sound of one more SLAP!
Swarnima came and held Rudra's hand and pleaded him, "DON'T!! he doesn't know. He is just concerned can't you see."

"How can you be so calm Nim? Look what he is saying. Do you hear him? This is what he thinks of his father? I have failed to instil in him faith and trust." Rudra sulked and sat on the sofa with a thud!

A raging Abhedya came and stood in front of his father and taunted him, "superb acting Mr Rudra R. Singh!! You should get an Oscar for acting. The truth lies in front of the eyes... don't deny your heinous acts."

"Please keep calm and let him explain." Swarnima requested him.

Abhedya held Swarnima's hand and barked, "don't you dare say a word. You were the one lecturing me about love trust and faith last night... my parents had it all. They had a fairy tale until a little witch decided to spoil it. So, don't interfere you whor..." Abhedya didn't complete but jerked Swarnima's hard and she fell hard on the floor.

Abhedya didn't want to jerk her so hard but his raging self was not in his control.

Rudra helped Swarnima up and examined her if she was hurt. He then turned to Abhedya and threatened, " You DARE not say or hurt her Mr ABHEDYA R. SINGH else I will forget I have SON. Yes, she is my everything. MY HEART, MY SOUL." Swarnima came near Rudra and kept her hand on his shoulder to calm him and he did.

He sat on the sofa taking Swarnima's hand in his left and clutching Abhedya's hand in his right, he said "Abhey, son..." Rudra gulped his saliva and looked with love and regret in  Abhedya's eyes and revealed...

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Dear Readers
Cliffhanger!! Sorry but to reveal the first truth of this intriguingly twisted story it was essential.
Stay hooked!
Lots of love!