Faking Smiles

09.

She was observing the fight from behind the pillar unable to hold back her glee, she knew Shivaay would be devastated by the end of it. And it would only make it easier to manipulate him.

Tia's patience was at the end. She had thought she had been successful.

Shivaay was falling for her words. No matter how much he denied, she could see it clearly, how his confidence fell, little by little, day by day, how she enjoyed it. She just wished it was sooner.

She had met him at one of the events launched by his company, from what she could remember that it was over a year after he had broken up with Mallika, after four years of relationship. He looked lonely.

Lonely. An easy target.

At that time it was only an attraction for her, but when she got used to the luxury that came with being his girlfriend she couldn't back away. But from what she could see that his family interfered in his life a lot. And he listened to them blindly.

He was always the emotionally vulnerable one in the relationship, and she knew how to.play her cards. But she knew she had to isolate him if she wanted to control him, because the love for his family kept him grounded, at first her instigation led to fights, then slowly he started ignoring those and avoided such talks with her.

At one point she feared that he might break up with her, but he didn't. It wasn't until the night she had managed to get him drunk, he spilled out his vulnerabilities. That he was afraid to be alone.

And that just fuelled her game. And she started noticing how Shivaay tried to defend himself, trying to assure himself that what she had been saying was wrong. He had become defensive, so she managed to break his guard down.

And lately his family has been way more cooperative, the more they neglected him the more it added to her advantage. But now the misunderstandings were cleaing out. She had to do something.

She has been wrong, he still holds pride over himself. That she got to know when he asked her to get out of the car, she was afraid that she might have pushed him to the edge.

So, when Om called hed yesterday that Shivaay was sick she hurried her way to the mansion. This was her chance for redemption, well at least in his eyes.

That's why she was here to play nice, she had to win his heart again. To break him completely, so that he thinks she is all he has. And the rest will follow. She has to wait a little longer. A few more lies and a few more manipulations.

You can't get away so easily.

I had put up with you for so long, and I can't let you go when I am so close to achieve what I had started.

You will just have me. And me only.

And you will say it yourself, I will make you.

The things I do for you, Shivaay.

She walked away smiling, hearing the brothers arguing had she stayed there a little she would have seen how it ended.

.

"Shivaay?" He hummed as he looked over the laptop, he had stayed at home only on one condition, that he could work from home.

Om was looking at him worriedly.

"Can I ask you something?" Shivaay hummed again before turning back to the screen.

"Is there anything troubling you?" Shivaay paused and looked up once again towards his brother, with a frown visible on his face.

Shivaay looked around as if he was searching for the right words before, "Of course." He paused and looked at Om carefully, "Is there a particular reason that you are asking?"

"Yes. But if there's anything, you can share. I know we are not on the best terms and we don't understand each other like we used to, but we can try." Om spoke sincerely.

Shivaay smiled at him, "I am fine, Om. Don't worry about much." He breezed turning back to the laptop screen.

"What did you mean by that your mental health was not best at that time?" Om spoke and Shivaay froze. He hadn't noticed what he had spoken out in the flow of words.

"It was nothing Om. You are just overanalyzing the words. I must have spoken something in flow. You misunderstood the whole ordeal." But he just arched an eyebrow.

"Really, Shivaay?" He asked, his tone remained challenging and I knew he wasn't going to let go of the topic anytime soon.

"Really, Om. Everything's fine. And if it wasn't you would have been the first one to know." Shivaay assured him but he didn't look convinced with the answer.

"Alright, what's going on between you and Tia though?" He was looking at the direction of the door where Tia had left through a few minutes ago much to Shivaay's relief, he had been trying to avoid her presence ever since the mornings.

"What?" Shivaay asked.

"Why were you avoiding her?" Om pressed.

"We had a fight." Om arched an eyebrow at that, "Don't ask, Mallika had joined us on apparent date night and she got pissed. I don't see the problem, Mallika was there with her fiance and he didn't have any problem. And I told her that she was overreacting and it all blew off."

Om nodded sympathetically.

"I have been actually thinking of breaking up." Shivaay admitted quietly. His brother looked surprised at the prospect.

"Why?" He asked. "I mean, it's your decision. But don't you love her?" Om asked.

And Shivaay shook his head. "Love, is a big word, Om. What Tia and I have, could be described as infatuation, attraction but not love."

"Plus, I think it's time we part our ways. We both aren't happy in the relationship." He spoke softly and Om looked surprised at that.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" He asked.

"It was a matter between us. Why bother anyone else." Shivaay spoke, Om remained quiet for a moment. "You know, Rudra will be happiest with the news. He never liked her. He just tolerated her for your sake."

Shivaay chuckled.

"I just don't want to hurt her. I mean yesterday she said something and I have been rethinking the decision." Om listened to his words carefully.

"Well, you know I am not an expert in this field but I'd suggest you should listen to yourself, I mean, if you are not happy in the relationship, then what's the point?" Om tried to reason. Shivaay turned back to his with a hum.

"This has been the most peaceful conversation we had in a while." Shivaay chuckled but Om couldn't bring himself to laugh along with him. The words only made him feel guilty. It felt so easy.