KAVYA
It was my first day in the kitchen, so Saurav’s father had asked me to make something sweet. My mood was still sour after last night, but I knew I deserved his harsh words. I was the one who had barged into his peaceful life and made everything messy. I also knew Saurav hadn’t truly meant all of it.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror, wincing at the sight of my face. My eyes were puffy, and I looked too fat in the saree. Or was I just imagining it in my head? People used to say I looked gorgeous in a saree because of my curves. They must have been lying just to make me happy. Saurav was right. I was ugly, too fat, and unrefined.
“What are you doing, Kavya?”
I heard a soft voice. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Tanya peeking inside the refrigerator, probably looking for something to eat. A sting shot through my chest when I saw her in yet another beautiful anarkali suit. It clung to her slender body like a second skin. The suit was sleeveless, backless, showing off her perfect, sexy back.
She wore those kinds of clothes to seduce my husband. Homewrecker, wasn’t she?
I clutched the knife in my hand, wanting nothing more than to slice her beautiful, slender neck. Blood might look beautiful on her too.
“Yes, I’m talking to you, Kavya,” Tanya snapped her fingers in front of my face, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Are you blind? Don’t you see I’m cooking?” I rolled my eyes and went back to the halwa.
“Do you need any help?” she asked softly, as if I would melt at her sweet words.
“Yes,” I said with a fake smile. “You can help by not breathing near my halwa. It’s already struggling to rise to the occasion without your perfume suffocating it.”
Tanya blinked, clearly unsure whether I was joking or insulting her. Perfect.
I stirred the halwa with exaggerated seriousness, as though I were conducting a symphony. The spoon clanged against the pot like cymbals.
“You know, Kavya,” Tanya said, leaning against the counter with that graceful smile I hated most, “I once made halwa so good that Saurav...”
I cut her off sharply. “Oh please. Spare me the tragic backstory of your halwa. I don’t want to hear it.”
“Well, fine,” she said, grabbing a water bottle and turning to leave.
“Listen, Tanya.”
She paused.
“I don’t know what’s going on between you and Saurav, but let me make one thing clear. Saurav is no longer your ex—he is my husband now. So I’d be really grateful if you keep some distance from him.”
Tanya turned to face me, and that’s when I saw a victorious smile on her pretty face.
“I wish I could stay away from your husband,” she said lightly, “but he was the one who wanted me here until he leaves for duty. So unfortunately, I’ll be staying as long as your husband wants.”
I gripped the spoon in my hand, glaring at her, but it only seemed to delight her even more.
She eyed me up and down.
“Saurav hates the color pink.”
I looked down at my saree, then back at her. She was smiling again because I was wearing pink.
"You know what..."
"Wow! I could smell how delicious that halwa is," Saurav’s father stepped in before I could finish my sentence. I sighed and let the words die on my tongue. "I can’t wait to eat it," Mr. Chauhan said with the same fatherly smile.
"You wanna taste it?" I asked, almost shoving the spoon toward him.
"Nope," he chuckled, "I’ll not only taste it but eat the whole pot." He winked, and I laughed nervously, clutching the spoon tighter.
"Whole pot?!" Tanya’s voice floated back from the doorway. "Careful, Uncle, you might need Kavya to roll you out of the kitchen afterward."