Kumkum: Ties of Love and Lies (COMPLETED)

Chapter 19

The sun was setting when Sandhya received Aravind's call.

"She's going somewhere suspicious," Aravind informed her. "Rekha's heading to a secluded location outside the city. This could be our chance."

Sandhya's heart raced. Rekha had been evasive and careful, but this meeting might finally give them answers. "I'm coming with you," she said firmly.

"Are you sure?" Aravind asked. "This could get dangerous."

"I need to know the truth," Sandhya replied, her voice steady.

Sandhya and Arvind followed Rekha's car at a safe distance, the night deepening as they approached a rundown warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Rekha parked her car and entered the building, her posture calm and confident.

Aravind and Sandhya stayed hidden, creeping close enough to see and hear without being noticed. They peeked through a broken window, their eyes widening as they saw Rekha standing face-to-face with Gautham.

Sandhya's breath caught in her throat. Why is Gautham here?

Inside, Gautham's expression was furious, his voice sharp as he spoke. "I warned you about this, Rekha. Sandhya and Pugazh are together now. She's slipping away from me!"

Rekha crossed her arms, unimpressed by his outburst. "And whose fault is that? You couldn't even persuade her that Pugazh was behind Shravani's death."

"I tried!" Gautham snapped. "But she wouldn't listen."

Rekha rolled her eyes. "She wouldn't listen because you're pathetic, Gautham. You let her get too close to Pugazh. Now, they're inseparable. If Pugazh decides to open his mouth about what Ezhil did with that man, we're finished. Both Ezhil and I will end up in jail."

Sandhya froze, her mind reeling. What does Pugazh know? Why didn't he tell me?

Before Rekha could say anything further, Gautham tensed, his eyes scanning the room. "Wait," he said, his voice dropping. "Did you hear that?"

Sandhya and Aravind ducked lower, holding their breath. Rekha's sharp gaze swept the warehouse, but she didn't see them.

"We'll talk later," Gautham said, his voice wary. "I don't trust this place."

Rekha nodded and turned to leave. Sandhya and Aravind stayed perfectly still until both of them had driven away.

Back in Aravind's car, Sandhya felt like her world was crumbling. The weight of betrayal pressed heavily on her chest. Two men she had trusted—Pugazh and Gautham—were keeping secrets about Shravani's death. 

"Are you okay?" Aravind asked gently as he drove.

"No," Sandhya admitted, her voice trembling. "I thought Pugazh didn't know anything, but he lied. He's been hiding something from me this whole time."

Aravind glanced at her, concern etched on his face. "Sandhya, you don't have to handle this alone. We'll figure it out. I'm sure Pugazh has an explanation for this"

"He told me he didn't know anything about this. Why would he lie? Now who am i supposed to trust? If Gautham whom i knew for this long could do this to me, why should I be surprised by Pugazh? I knew him for just a few months." She said with tears in her eyes. 

But Sandhya wasn't sure she could handle it anymore.

When she returned to the Rajasekhar estate, Sandhya couldn't face Pugazh. She didn't want to hear his explanations or confront him—not yet. Instead, she went to Yamuna's room, needing a distraction from the storm of emotions inside her.

"Sandhya anni!" Yamuna exclaimed, delighted to see her. "What's up? Did Pugazh anna kick you out of the room?"

Sandhya forced a smile. "No, I just thought it'd be fun to have a mini sleepover with you."

Yamuna squealed with excitement, immediately pulling out snacks and setting up a movie. "This is going to be so much fun! "

Sandhya settled on the bed, her heart heavy despite Yamuna's energy.

Pugazh noticed Sandhya's absence almost immediately. When he asked the staff, they told him she was in Yamuna's room. Curious and concerned, he knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Yamuna called out cheerfully.

Pugazh entered, his eyes immediately landing on Sandhya. She avoided his gaze, pretending to focus on the movie.

"Yamuna," he said with a smile, "what are you two up to?"

"Movie night!" Yamuna replied, tossing him a pillow. "You should join us, anna. It'll be fun."

Pugazh's gaze flickered to Sandhya, who still refused to look at him. "Alright," he said, sitting on the bed beside her.

As the movie played, Pugazh found himself unable to focus. His eyes kept drifting to Sandhya, who sat stiffly, her attention fixed on the screen. Every time Yamuna wasn't looking, he found excuses to brush his hand against hers or rest his arm near her shoulder.

Sandhya's resolve wavered under his subtle touches, but her anger and heartbreak kept her from softening.

Sensing something was wrong, Pugazh leaned closer and whispered, "Sandhya, are you okay?"

She finally turned to him, her eyes filled with pain. "I'm not ready to hear any more lies from you, Pugazh."

Her words hit him like a blow, and he froze, unsure of how to respond. Sandhya turned back to the movie, ignoring him for the rest of the night.

Pugazh sat beside her, his chest tight with worry. Whatever had caused this rift between them, he knew it wasn't going to be easy to fix.