05-05-2026, 02:24 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-05-2026, 02:24 AM by adams_masala. Edited 1 time in total. Edited 1 time in total.)
Chapter 84: This house is not for sale!
The Italian-style villa glowed in the afternoon sun. Terracotta roof tiles, soaring arched windows framed by pink bougainvillea, manicured olive groves, and a sparkling infinity pool that seemed to spill straight into the Silicon Valley hills. Inside, marble floors gleamed under crystal chandeliers and exposed dark beams.
Selvam, Ashok, and Vanitha walked up the stone path.
“Remind me why we’re doing this?” Ashok asked, checking his watch. “I’ve got an investor call at four.”
“Property investment,” Selvam said calmly. “Real estate beats the tech market right now.”
Ashok raised an eyebrow. “Tara and Mohan just had a baby. You really think they’ll sell?”
“We’re just making conversation,” Selvam replied.
Vanitha kept her eyes on the villa. “It’s beautiful. I’ve admired it for years.”
They reached the top step. Selvam rang the bell.
The carved wooden door swung open. Tara stood there in a sheer emerald chiffon saree dbangd dangerously low on her hips. A thin gold waist chain sparkled against her bare midriff. The deep-cleavage choli clung to her heavy breasts; two dark wet patches marked where milk had leaked, the fabric translucent over her erect nipples.
“Come in, come in,” Tara said, flashing a wide smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “So good to see you.”
Mohan appeared behind her, rumpled linen shirt, genuine but tired smile. “Vanitha, Ashok... great to see you. And you must be Selvam. Welcome.”
They stepped into the marble entryway. The crystal chandelier scattered rainbows across the floor.
“It’s even more stunning inside,” Vanitha said.
Tara’s gaze swept over Vanitha... taking in her simple salwar, her younger face, her tighter figure. A flicker of jealousy sharpened her smile.
“You look lovely as always, Vanitha,” Tara said sweetly. “That color really suits you.”
“Thank you,” Vanitha replied, keeping her tone light. “Emerald’s always been your color.”
Mohan gestured inside. “Come through. Drink?”
“I’m good,” Ashok said. “Dad’s got a thing for Italian architecture. Mind if we take a quick tour?”
“No trouble at all,” Tara said. Her hips swayed as she led them through the house, the sheer saree whispering against her thighs.
They moved from the sunlit kitchen with its Italian marble counters to the teak dining table, then the living room with its stone fireplace. Tara’s pallu slipped once, revealing more of her damp cleavage. She didn’t fix it right away.
“The master suite is upstairs,” Tara said at the foot of the curved staircase. “Four bedrooms, each with its own bath. The smallest is the nursery now.”
They climbed. Tara stayed close to Selvam, her arm brushing his as she pointed out details.
“The infinity pool was Mohan’s idea,” she said, resting her hand on Selvam’s forearm a moment too long. “He saw one in Bali and just had to have it.”
“It’s spectacular,” Selvam said, voice warm. He glanced at Vanitha across the room. Their eyes locked for a beat... heat, promise, shared secret.
Vanitha felt Tara watching them. The other woman’s smile stayed perfect, but her eyes narrowed.
They circled back to the entryway. Sunlight poured through the tall windows.
Selvam stopped in the center of the marble floor. “It’s exactly what I hoped for,” he said. “Craftsmanship, views, location. You’ve created something special.”
Mohan puffed up a little. “Thank you. It was Tara’s vision.”
Selvam didn’t hesitate. “I want to buy it. Cash. Whatever you’re asking. Right now.”
Mohan blinked. “I... what?”
“Cash,” Selvam repeated. “No financing. No contingencies. Name your price.”
Silence stretched for two heartbeats.
Tara’s jaw tightened, but her influencer smile never faltered. “That’s… very generous, Selvam. But this home isn’t for sale.”
Mohan shifted. “We hadn’t even considered... ”
“We just finished the renovations,” Tara cut in, voice sweet but edged with steel. “Aryan’s settled in the nursery. This is our home.”
Vanitha’s nails pressed into her palm. She kept her face calm.
“I understand,” Selvam said evenly. He held Tara’s gaze. “It was worth asking.”
Ashok jumped in. “The neighborhood has other options. The Rodriguez place on the hill... ”
“The Rodriguez place is lovely,” Tara agreed, but her eyes stayed on Vanitha. She took in the younger woman’s smooth skin, her smaller waist, her effortless beauty. The jealousy burned brighter.
She wants to be me, Vanitha realized. Younger. Cuter. Hotter.
Tara’s smile sharpened. “Some things just aren’t meant to be, I suppose.”
“Or some people don’t try hard enough,” Vanitha answered lightly, meeting her stare. “The right soil, the right care... most things thrive if you want them badly enough.”
Tara’s eyes flashed. She clutched her pallu tighter, the wet spots on her choli darkening. “Maybe you’re right.”
Mohan cleared his throat. “Drinks? It’s after five. We could celebrate new neighbors, potential business... ”
“Dad’s not just looking at property,” Ashok interrupted, hand on Selvam’s shoulder. “He sold the app this morning. Two hundred million. Cash.”
Mohan’s eyebrows shot up. “Two hundred... ”
Tara’s gaze flicked to Selvam again, reassessing... wealth, power, the confident way he stood in her marble entryway. Her fingers brushed her own waist chain.
“Well,” she said slowly, “that certainly changes things.” She turned to Mohan. “Maybe we should talk about this properly later.”
“Of course,” Selvam replied, calm. “The offer stands. Take all the time you need.”
Ashok checked his watch. “We should head out. That investor call.”
They walked to the door together. At the threshold Selvam’s hand brushed the small of Vanitha’s back... light, warm, invisible to the others.
“Thank you for the tour,” Selvam said.
“Our pleasure,” Tara replied, eyes locked on his. “Really.”
The door clicked shut behind them.
They started down the stone path. The afternoon sun warmed their shoulders.
“Well,” Ashok said, “that was unexpected.”
Selvam’s fingers brushed Vanitha’s for half a second. “Not entirely. These things take time.”
Vanitha glanced back at the villa. Terracotta roof gleaming, olive trees casting long shadows. “Some things are worth waiting for.”
Selvam’s dark eyes met hers. “They are.”
Behind them the villa stood bathed in golden light, not theirs yet... but the day was young, and Selvam had never been a man who gave up on what he wanted.
The Italian-style villa glowed in the afternoon sun. Terracotta roof tiles, soaring arched windows framed by pink bougainvillea, manicured olive groves, and a sparkling infinity pool that seemed to spill straight into the Silicon Valley hills. Inside, marble floors gleamed under crystal chandeliers and exposed dark beams.
Selvam, Ashok, and Vanitha walked up the stone path.
“Remind me why we’re doing this?” Ashok asked, checking his watch. “I’ve got an investor call at four.”
“Property investment,” Selvam said calmly. “Real estate beats the tech market right now.”
Ashok raised an eyebrow. “Tara and Mohan just had a baby. You really think they’ll sell?”
“We’re just making conversation,” Selvam replied.
Vanitha kept her eyes on the villa. “It’s beautiful. I’ve admired it for years.”
They reached the top step. Selvam rang the bell.
The carved wooden door swung open. Tara stood there in a sheer emerald chiffon saree dbangd dangerously low on her hips. A thin gold waist chain sparkled against her bare midriff. The deep-cleavage choli clung to her heavy breasts; two dark wet patches marked where milk had leaked, the fabric translucent over her erect nipples.
“Come in, come in,” Tara said, flashing a wide smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “So good to see you.”
Mohan appeared behind her, rumpled linen shirt, genuine but tired smile. “Vanitha, Ashok... great to see you. And you must be Selvam. Welcome.”
They stepped into the marble entryway. The crystal chandelier scattered rainbows across the floor.
“It’s even more stunning inside,” Vanitha said.
Tara’s gaze swept over Vanitha... taking in her simple salwar, her younger face, her tighter figure. A flicker of jealousy sharpened her smile.
“You look lovely as always, Vanitha,” Tara said sweetly. “That color really suits you.”
“Thank you,” Vanitha replied, keeping her tone light. “Emerald’s always been your color.”
Mohan gestured inside. “Come through. Drink?”
“I’m good,” Ashok said. “Dad’s got a thing for Italian architecture. Mind if we take a quick tour?”
“No trouble at all,” Tara said. Her hips swayed as she led them through the house, the sheer saree whispering against her thighs.
They moved from the sunlit kitchen with its Italian marble counters to the teak dining table, then the living room with its stone fireplace. Tara’s pallu slipped once, revealing more of her damp cleavage. She didn’t fix it right away.
“The master suite is upstairs,” Tara said at the foot of the curved staircase. “Four bedrooms, each with its own bath. The smallest is the nursery now.”
They climbed. Tara stayed close to Selvam, her arm brushing his as she pointed out details.
“The infinity pool was Mohan’s idea,” she said, resting her hand on Selvam’s forearm a moment too long. “He saw one in Bali and just had to have it.”
“It’s spectacular,” Selvam said, voice warm. He glanced at Vanitha across the room. Their eyes locked for a beat... heat, promise, shared secret.
Vanitha felt Tara watching them. The other woman’s smile stayed perfect, but her eyes narrowed.
They circled back to the entryway. Sunlight poured through the tall windows.
Selvam stopped in the center of the marble floor. “It’s exactly what I hoped for,” he said. “Craftsmanship, views, location. You’ve created something special.”
Mohan puffed up a little. “Thank you. It was Tara’s vision.”
Selvam didn’t hesitate. “I want to buy it. Cash. Whatever you’re asking. Right now.”
Mohan blinked. “I... what?”
“Cash,” Selvam repeated. “No financing. No contingencies. Name your price.”
Silence stretched for two heartbeats.
Tara’s jaw tightened, but her influencer smile never faltered. “That’s… very generous, Selvam. But this home isn’t for sale.”
Mohan shifted. “We hadn’t even considered... ”
“We just finished the renovations,” Tara cut in, voice sweet but edged with steel. “Aryan’s settled in the nursery. This is our home.”
Vanitha’s nails pressed into her palm. She kept her face calm.
“I understand,” Selvam said evenly. He held Tara’s gaze. “It was worth asking.”
Ashok jumped in. “The neighborhood has other options. The Rodriguez place on the hill... ”
“The Rodriguez place is lovely,” Tara agreed, but her eyes stayed on Vanitha. She took in the younger woman’s smooth skin, her smaller waist, her effortless beauty. The jealousy burned brighter.
She wants to be me, Vanitha realized. Younger. Cuter. Hotter.
Tara’s smile sharpened. “Some things just aren’t meant to be, I suppose.”
“Or some people don’t try hard enough,” Vanitha answered lightly, meeting her stare. “The right soil, the right care... most things thrive if you want them badly enough.”
Tara’s eyes flashed. She clutched her pallu tighter, the wet spots on her choli darkening. “Maybe you’re right.”
Mohan cleared his throat. “Drinks? It’s after five. We could celebrate new neighbors, potential business... ”
“Dad’s not just looking at property,” Ashok interrupted, hand on Selvam’s shoulder. “He sold the app this morning. Two hundred million. Cash.”
Mohan’s eyebrows shot up. “Two hundred... ”
Tara’s gaze flicked to Selvam again, reassessing... wealth, power, the confident way he stood in her marble entryway. Her fingers brushed her own waist chain.
“Well,” she said slowly, “that certainly changes things.” She turned to Mohan. “Maybe we should talk about this properly later.”
“Of course,” Selvam replied, calm. “The offer stands. Take all the time you need.”
Ashok checked his watch. “We should head out. That investor call.”
They walked to the door together. At the threshold Selvam’s hand brushed the small of Vanitha’s back... light, warm, invisible to the others.
“Thank you for the tour,” Selvam said.
“Our pleasure,” Tara replied, eyes locked on his. “Really.”
The door clicked shut behind them.
They started down the stone path. The afternoon sun warmed their shoulders.
“Well,” Ashok said, “that was unexpected.”
Selvam’s fingers brushed Vanitha’s for half a second. “Not entirely. These things take time.”
Vanitha glanced back at the villa. Terracotta roof gleaming, olive trees casting long shadows. “Some things are worth waiting for.”
Selvam’s dark eyes met hers. “They are.”
Behind them the villa stood bathed in golden light, not theirs yet... but the day was young, and Selvam had never been a man who gave up on what he wanted.
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