Chapter 15

...That night...

Swathi watched in anger from the top of stairs the way karan kept looking at Chandhini. Everyone had noticed the way he was going gaga over her. His eyes won't leave her for a second and when he banged into a pillar by mistake, Veer ribbed him mercilessly over it. With red cheeks, he had looked down at his shoes and good naturally taken the jokes.

What was so special about her? Why did everyone has to love her. She was sick and tired of listening to Chandhini chant. Angrily she went inside Advay's room where he was rolling up some blueprints for buildings.

Advay,''what happened?''

Swathi,''Nothing. What are these?''

Advay smiled, 'I was going to surprise you but now that you have seen it, I guess I should spill the beans.''

Her anger forgotten swathi went near him while he spread the map all over the bed again. It was map of two buildings surrounded by large grounds.

He pulled swathi in her arms and said,'' These are the designs for houses I am building in Delhi, one building marked A is almost complete and when it's finished, the work will begin on second building.''

Swathi was confused what were these building for?, '''you have started some new project?''

Advay kissed her on nose tip and gazed at her with heat in his eyes, 'guess again,''his voice gone husky he said, 'but remember you got to pay for each wrong answer.''

The map forgotten, swathi curled her arms around his broad shoulder and said, 'promise?''

Advay hugged her even closer and said, 'I plan to deliver.''

Swathi muttered,'' I will leave my room window open today.''

Advay kissed her on lips and said,'' I hate climbing windows at my age.''

Swathi,''but ...''

Advay winked at her, 'but it's worth it.''

swathi laughed and kissed him one lips and sometime later, she laid her head on his chest and said,'' what are the maps for?''

Advay,''Our house.''

Swathi who was now on bed with Advay maps thrown on the floor and got up and said, 'Our house? But you said we will live here.''

Advay,''Most of my projects are in Delhi and I have to keep going there, so ayi asked me to build a house there, and we will come over here for weekends.''

Swathi felt like dancing with joy, this was what she always wanted. If Advay stayed in Delhi then she won't have to watch Chandhini's face daily and see how she was pampered by everyone. And as for weekends, she was sure she could manage situations, so that these weekly trips turned to be monthly and eventually on special occasion.

She peppered Advay's face with kisses while repeating, ''Thank you, thank you...'' Advay laughed content at her happiness.

Then swathi asked, 'I hope you didn't decorated the whole house because I plan to do it starting tomorrow and what about the second building?''

Advay moved his fingers through her open hairs and said,'' I am gifting that to Chandhini when she gets married. I have talked with karan, he plans to settle in Delhi too, so I thought why not live near each other. This way I can keep an eye on him too and ensure that he is treating tiny well.''

Swathi was left speechless, she slowly got up and pasted a smile on her face, 'I just remembered, I have saloon appointment today.''

Advay looked at her in confusion knowing something had upset her but what he could not figure it out.

Guest house

Swathi fumed silently as she marched down the hall and entered her room. The door banged against the wall and she threw her purse on floor. She angrily sat on bed thinking, thinking what to do.

Advayp was going to be her husband but all he could think was of Chandhini! -I need to do something to make him hate her, to make everyone hate her. But what?

Chandhini was happy with her new in laws and that lover boy. But that was not enough, she commanded Advay's and everyone's attention too. I will break her engagement and then I will make her fall in Advay's eyes.

She still hadn't forgiven Chandhini for kissing Advay the other day, it had been a ploy to hurt swathi and it had! And she was not the sort to forgive. She knew Chandhini liked Advay but there was no evidence. I need to go through her room, there must be something there.

...Next day...

Chandhini, Advay and Khushi came to airport to see off Karan. Karan's eyes lit at her seeing her. After saying goodbye to everyone he just stood near Chandhini staring at her. Chandhini offered her hand to shake, his hand closed over her possessively and he bent and kissed her hand and then said, 'bye.''

Chandhini muttered, 'bye'' and waved at him until he was gone.

On the way back, Advay teased her that he had expected lots and lots of tears and hence had brought a whole box of tissues.

Chandhini showed him tongue and said, 'I never cry.''

Advay,''Yeah yeah, says the girl who cried buckets when she saw me unexpectedly few months back.''

Chandhini retorted,'' You are so scary that you can make any girl cry.''

Advay gave the evil laugh of mogambo from India and said,'' I am pleased.''

Chandhini started laughing and then said, ''Advay do that other one of amresh puri too, something like shoom.''

Advay''ahh that one where he used to say shoom shoom shamoo shakka...''he twirled an imaginary ponytail on his head and said,''shooom...'' Chandhini could not stop laughing. She hugged Advay and put her head on his shoulder.

...

Swathi went to Chandhini room knowing that Khushi and Chandhini were both gone out. She entered the room and went through her dresser first. On the dresser there was a picture of Advay and a box, swathi opened it and saw the mangulsutar . Really subtle, swathi sneered but this cannot be used as evidence. so she put the mangulsutar inside her bag and then went to Chandhini's closet, she quickly went through everything careful not to change anything from its place, in the bottom drawer she found lots of diaries, she quickly scanned through few pages. So Chandhini wrote daily diary, how lucky for swathi, she smirked to herself and grabbed all the diaries and closed the drawer. She left the room as silently as she had come.

...

Swathi went through the diaries one by one trying to make sense, did Advay married Chandhini when she was a kid? But that seemed so impossible. Why didn't anyone mentioned this to her. Slowly she reread the first diary and then the realization dawned that somehow Advay had mistakenly tied the thread and he was unaware of it but in Chandhini's mind, that bonded them together. Swathi closed the diary, a plan already forming in her mind.

...

Swathi called a servant who was about to go to kitchen.

Swathi told her to send karan's mother to Advay's room because Arnav was there and wanted to talk to her about something. Rani nodded and went towards the guests.

Swathi quickly went to Advay's room knowing she had very little time.

Advay was on teleconference with one of his managers, he saw swathi and raised two fingers mouthing 2 minutes. Swathi hurriedly looked outside the window, no one was here yet.

Advay finished off and teasingly said, 'I thought bride is not supposed to see the groom two days before the wedding.''

Swathi threw the bag containing diaries at the table with force.

He got up,''Swathi?''

Swathi raised her voice so that anyone coming down the hall could hear her voice and said,'' Here is the evidence that Chandhini loves you.''

Advay looked at her in bewilderment, 'of course, she loves me. Are you alright?''

Swathi ground her teeth and spat out, 'she loves you as a women loves a man.''

Slowly comprehension dawned on Advay's face and then anger, his voice got cold and he said,'' shut up. Don't you dare say anything like that ever again.''

Swathi saw two women standing near window, and were visible through corner, she made her voice teary and said,'' you don't believe me but its truth, she is always trying to get near you, hugging you, and '' swathi let out a sob, 'kissing you. How I am to bear all this. karan is stupid but I am not. Here, in her diaries, it's clearly written that she wants you as a lover, just read them and you will know the truth.''

Swathi saw the women going away and controlled her smirk, time to do the damage control. At that moment she felt Advay's hand close around her arms with force, swathi let out a pained gasp, 'Let me go, You are hurting me!''

Advay,''how dare you? How dare you say such thing about her? I love you but that does not mean you can say whatever you feel like!, it's your inner insecurities which are speaking. You compare every man to your dad.''

Swathi felt her face pale, 'my dad has got nothing to do with it! I am saying the truth. You are blind, everyone knows it except you.''

Advay,'' Stop it. Chandhini is my pride and I can't bear it if you slander her. It's because you have got broken family that you can't understand true meaning of relationships.''

Swathi seethed, how he dare to bring up the issue of her parent's broken marriage. '' Relations? Do you know she believes that you are her husband because you tied mangulsutar on her neck long ago? Are you aware that she believes that you two are meant for each other? She tried everything to separate us and your whole family sides with her. They made me feel unwelcome, and unwanted ''.

Advay,''You are full of lies. She is my tiny, I have raised her. No one knows her better than me. I also know you. You are telling me everyone mistreated you and you did nothing? No, Swathi you would never have tolerated it.''

Swathi moved closer to him and whispered,'' I let everything go just for you, because I loved you but you don't trust me, you trust her. And I know she lied and what she put me through, but you are doing nothing because you love her too. You are sick, you let her play these little games boasting your ego. You like it that a girl half your age is crazy over you. You are so cheap and disgusting, I simply don't want to be with you'' She grabbed her bag and left.

Advay stood there his eyes red with anger. Never had he been insulted so badly. He felt like strangling Swathi. So he just stood there. Trying to calm himself. So many years he had given to this relationship and now he felt like he didn't know Swathi. Did she thought he was a pervert? How could she think of him and Chandhini in same thought?

...

On her way out Swathi saw karan's mother and aunt talking quietly in corner. Every gaze turned to her , she was shaking so badly with anger, she marched down to where Khushi was sitting and took off her ring, she threw at her feet and said, 'this wedding is over, make your precious Chandhini wear it.''

Chandhini who was coming inside carrying shopping bags with aditi in tow looked at swathi who stopped in front of her and said,'' congratulation , you finally got what you wanted, Advay broke up with me, I guess karan won't stand a chance? I guess wedding bells will be ringing soon.'' she bitterly pushed Chandhini aside who lost her balance and nearly fell down because of the shock ,and bags she was carrying.

Aditi grabbed Chandhini before her head could hit the wall. Then, strong male hands were grabbing chandhini and pulling her straight.

Chandhini looked up into the furious eyes of Arnav who glared angrily at swathi's back.

A/N Swathi is such a psycho. My head hurts after writing from her pov.