~The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from enemies~

Ananya's POV

It's been one week since the trip and Siddharth literally had me on bed rest. I mean one week is already too much for me to get better. But, Siddharth doesn't think so and to be honest, I am bored out of my mind staying at home all day.

It was just two days ago, I forced him to go to work. He just wants to stay at home and take care of me. I had to convince him for two hours to get him go back to work. He was also worried about Sanjeev disturbing me.

I can't take any chances with you and our baby, he said.

Also, two days ago before he went to work, he introduced me to the guards that have been secretly following me all this days. There were three of them, Jack, Gilbert and Ben. No, that wasn't their original name and they kept it a secret for some reason I didn't know. Their work still the same, they have to follow me everywhere I go, except this time they will be doing it with me knowing.

I thought they were working under an agency but no. The three of them are friends and they started doing this job together. In the time, I was talking to them, I got to know that they will do it either for short term or long term.

"Hey do you mind following me to the mall? I, urmm I have to buy some things," I asked Kavya on phone.

"Anu, today I have to meet an important client. Don't you remember me telling you that I and Harish have to meet the client about the finance problem?" she said.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Sandhya is not at home also. She have a job interview today. I think I have to go alone," I sighed.

"Why don't you ask Siddharth?" she suggested.

"I have to buy birthday present for him, and obviously I cannot bring him along. Tomorrow its Saturday and he will at home. Sunday is his birthday. I can go only today," I groaned.

"I am sorry babe. I think you have to do it alone," she chuckled.

"I guess. Bye. Update me on the meeting later," I said and she laughed.

"I guess you are bored to the point you want to listen about that boring meeting," she said and I laughed. Its true. Being home all day, changing channels to channels is making me go crazy. I can actually go out on the excuse of buying him a present. I quickly hung up on her after telling bye. I freshen up and changed my clothes.

I put on one of Siddharth's hoodie with leggings. It is one of my lazy days. Plus, his hoodies are more comfortable than mine. I think it is one of the hoodie he no longer can fit into.

I took my bag and double checked for my purse and phone. I locked the door of the apartment and went down. I will tell Siddharth after going to the mall, if not he won't let me go. He will probably freak up if I tell him that I am out of the bed and walking in a mall. How do I make him understand that I already had enough rest.

"Hey Jack. I want to go to the mall and don't tell Siddharth until we reach the mall okay?" I said.

"Yes ma'am," he nodded and started his SUV. The three guards are actually very friendly even though they look tough outside. They are one of the few who I became friends with on the first day we met. But, also they do not cross their professional line. They still address me ma'am even after I told them so many times to call me Ananya. I give up after many tries.

It was a 7-seater SUV, so Gilbert sat at the very end, with me in the middle. Jack was driving and Ben was sitting in the passenger seat. It is weird to address Indians with English names but I think they are used to it. They do have family, but doesn't talk much about it. I think they don't even talk much to the clients. The first day when I started talking as if we were long-lost friends, they were shocked.

Soon, we arrive at the shopping mall. Yay, it is really uncomfortable sitting in one position for so long. I kind of have an idea on what to gift him, but I am worried whether it will make him happy or not. I obviously want to buy him something he likes. I just knew after the trip that it is his birthday. I mean, how could I possibly decide what to buy in such a short notice?

But, I knew he liked music. There was this one time, he was telling me he likes to play guitar and piano. He also said he had a guitar, until one day Abhi broke it. Don't even ask how, Abhi literally jumped on it and broke it to the point of no repair. So, I thought I could buy him another guitar. I don't know how good of an idea it is.

I finally made my mind and went to the instrument shop. I went in and searched for the guitar session. I scanned through all the guitars. I don't know much about guitar, so I asked the shopkeeper which one he suggests for me to buy. He pointed to a guitar at the end of the shelf, and explained something about how it works, something I didn't understand a bit. I just know it looked good.

I asked the shopkeeper whether or not I could return it if Siddharth doesn't like it or something. He said I should return before one week. I thanked him and got out of the shop with the guitar in its bag. There is no way I could wrap this without giving away what it is, so I decided to just leave it like that.

I really really hope he likes it.

I felt my stomach growl and I realized I am famished.

"Keep the guitar in the car. Don't tell Siddharth about this. It is his birthday present. I am going to find some food," I said to Jake and hand him the guitar. He walked away with the guitar and Gilbert and Ben stayed with me. I went to the direction of the food court. It was crowded as usual.

I was really impatient to have my food, until I met the familiar pair of blue eyes. It didn't surprise me seeing her here, after all it is a free country. But, when I notice who she was sitting with, I froze.

What is Priya doing with....Sanjeev?

I froze in my place seeing both of them conversing like they knew each other for so long. They looked like they were having pretty serious conversation.

"ANANYA!!!!" Ben's voice brought me out of my shock.

"I've been calling you for so long. What are you thinking about?" Ben asked me, worriedly.

'N-Nothing," I stuttered.

"Are you sure? You are looking pale. Are you not feeling well?" he asked me again. I cringed at his words. Am I looking that bad?

"Yeah I am sure. Let's go home," I said turning away from them. They still haven't notice Sanjeev sitting there.

"But, you said you was hungry, ma'am. I think you should eat something. It's already way past lunch time," Gilbert said and I shook my head.

"I am not really in the mood to eat," I said softly and turned back to see Priya sitting with her head on her hands with no Sanjeev. Where did he go? I looked around the food court but he wasn't around. He was there until a minute ago.

"Wait here. I will be back in a minute," I said and walked away from them.

"Ma'am, Ma'am!!! Ma'am!!! Ananya!!!!" Ben called out behind me and I turned to look at him.

"What?" I snapped. I really want to know what Priya was doing with Sanjeev. She looked like she's about to leave and I didn't have time to explain this guys.

"Guys," I sighed. "Please, I need a moment alone. Stand here. I will stay in your sight, please," I pleaded and his eyes' soften. He slowly nodded and taking that as my cue, I walked in the direction of her.

Here goes nothing.

"Hey," I said, taking a seat in front of her. Her eyes met mine and widened before returning to its normal size.

"What are you doing here?" she asked me, but not in the way she normally talks. She looked tired.

"Listen, I thought to ignore you and walk away. But, I can't help it after seeing you after him," I said and she visibly tensed. This can't be good.

"W-Who," she stutters.

"Sanjeev," I breathed out.

"Wh-What about him? I have to leave," she said and got up from the chair.

"Are you with him in this? In this making-my-life-hell mission?" I asked my biggest fear out. Come on, I am not stupid. He said he wanted me the other day. And, today he was sitting with my so called stepsister who hates me to the core. It's not that difficult to connect the dots. If she wants to get rid off me forever, it will be easier to set me up with a psycho who thinks he loves me.

"Yes," she whispered and collapsed onto her chair. I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding. Not because I was relieve, but because I expected this.

"How?" I asked her tears pooling in my eyes. I tried to blink back it, tried.

"Ananya I am really sorry," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. Wow, this is the first time I saw tears in the eyes. It's normally she will make others aka me, cry.

"I don't need your sorry. Tell me how? What did you offer to do for him?" I asked.

"I knew Sanjeev from my college days. He went to our college. I met him in a party and I liked him, so much. I tried talking to him, but he was in love with another girl. I tried my best to make him notice me, but failed. After that, I finished my college and one day I got to know that the girl he was in love was you. So, I thought I could get close to him using you as an excuse and slowly makes him forget you. So, I said you was my sister and my plan seemed to work. I did get close to him. We would talk a lot and I fell for him harder. One day, he called me fully drunk and said he wanted to meet me. When I went to meet him, he said...he said..." she struggled to complete it.

"Tell me already," I said, tears rolling down.

"He said you've slept with many men before him and that you are a s-slut," she said and I flinched. "I am sorry. You know I hated you that time and after he said that I hated you more, for breaking my man's heart like that. He asked me a favor and I agreed to do it. He wanted me to bring you to a business party and give you the drink that contains d-drugs," she said and my breath got hitched at my throat.

She drugged me?

"And, you agreed?" I asked her

"I am sorry. I didn't know the truth then. I did ask what drug was that, he said it was some kind of drug to make you tell the truth. He said he wanted to know whether you truly loved him or not," she said.

"And, you believed it, didn't you?" I laughed sarcastically. "Of course you did!!!"

"I am sorry," she said.

"Stop fucking apologizing," I yelled making her flinch back. She looked down immediately.

"So, after the party he stopped messaging me and calling me. I wanted to know what happened to him after the party. After a week, I randomly met him at a shop. I thought he would be happy to meet him, but no. He snapped at me saying I was the reason everything went wrong with his plan. I was shocked as to why he is talking like this. When I asked him, he told me his plan was to drug you and make you sleep with him. But, it backfired and you slept with Siddith," she said as if me sleeping with a guy was a normal thing.

"His. Name. Is. Siddharth." I gritted out.

"Yeah, sorry. He said the drug he gave me was to make you h-horny. I really didn't know that. I promise, if I've known that I wouldn't have done that to you," she cried and I find it hard to believe she is really regretting it.

"I asked him why he did that and he said he wanted you to be pregnant with his child and he can easily get you. But, instead you got pregnant with Siddharth's child. He asked me to expose you in front of our family. When I denied to do so, he blackmailed me he will tell our family that I drugged you. He had the video recording of me agreeing to drug you. I had no choice Ananya. I was jealous of you because you got Vikram bhai and Riddhant bhai's attention more than me, but I will never go to the level of making you pregnant. I really didn't know that what he gave me was that kind of drug," she cried and to be honest, I didn't feel any amount of pity to her.

"When I begged you not to tell Vikram bhai that day, the way you acted didn't show any regret Priya. You was hell bent to make my life harder. You remember how I begged you that day? Now Vikram bhai hates me because of that one 'unknown' mistake of yours," I spat.

"No, Sanjeev asked me to make our family hate you. He wanted you to be thrown out of our house, so that he can be the one to help you. He planned after making you stay with him, he will also make you abort the baby. But then he didn't expect you will go stay with Siddharth," she said.

"Oh wow. He told you all his plans?" I laughed.

"I am sorry, I met him today to ask him to give me the recording but he is not giving me the recording as he promised," she cried again and it made me irritated.

"Stop fucking crying. You destroyed my life, you made the only person who loves me, to hate me. I should be the one crying Priya, not you. If our family finds out about this recording, what they will be angry with you for what? A month? It's not the same for me. They hate me now. Vikram bhai, our father everyone hates me now. They think I am slut. Because of who? You!!! What if the man I slept with was not Siddharth? What if it is some pedophile? Or worse, what if he sold me somewhere? Are you that desperate to get rid of me? Did you know how difficult for me when I was thrown out of the house? What would've happen to me if Siddharth didn't offer me a place to stay? I would have been staying in the street. Is that what you want?" I yelled, tears coming out of my eyes beyond my control.

"You've been jealous because Vikram bhai gave his attention to me? I was jealous also Priya, you had a father and mother who loves and adores you. Father thinks that you are the pride of the family. He was ashamed to have me as his daughter. I lost my mother to cancer. Even though, Vikram bhai and Riddhant loves me, they love you also. But that is not the same with father. He only, only loves you and loathes me. But, did I act on my jealousy? I am not that bad Priya. All this time, even if you tried to make my life harder, I still didn't hate you because I thought you will come around after a while. But now? I hate you more than anyone else in this world," I said and stood up.

"And, don't worry. I will not tell our family about this. Father loves you, and thinks you are the perfect daughter while I am the slut. Let it be that way. If only either of us can get a loving family, let it be you. I can't change anything from the past. But one thing!!! Don't ever come in front of me again. I don't even want to see your face anywhere near me," I spat and moved away from her.

"Let's go home," I said to Ben.

"Ananya, are you okay?" Ben asked and I just nodded. I am not, I am not okay. I am dying inside. The one I thought family betrayed me and worked with some other man who wanted me. A creepy man.

I never thought she would hate me this much. I even doubt she did all this without her even knowing. And even if she knows all this before itself, she would probably agreed to do so. How did she even fell in love with a creep?

I want to cry. I want cry out loud, not caring about anyone. To do that, I have to go home.