Page 123 of One Hellish Love

A sudden jolt from the landing gear woke Kashish from her slumber. Groggy, she rubbed her eyes and looked down, realizing Rudra’s coat was wrapped around her. She quickly removed it and handed it back to him.

Disembarking from the plane, she joined the rest of the team as they made their way to the cars waiting for them. Rudra, walking behind her with the client’s manager, Vimal, struck up a conversation.

“How far is the residence from here, Vimal?” Rudra inquired.

“About half an hour, sir. Everything’s been arranged—cooks, maids, cleaning staff, all ready for your stay,” Vimal replied.

“Good. I’ll need a driver as well.”

Vimal quickly nodded. “Of course, sir. A driver will be assigned to you. He’ll take you wherever you need to go.”

Rudra nodded, pleased. As they approached the cars, Rudra spotted Kashish about to board one of the vehicles with the rest of the team. In a swift motion, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back, forcing her to stop.

“We’re taking the other car,” Rudra declared firmly.

Kashish’s heart raced as she noticed the curious glances from her colleagues. They hesitated for a moment but eventually continued boarding their vehicle.

“I’m going with my team,” she muttered, keeping her voice low not wanting to create a scene. “I don’t want to come with you.”

“Stop fussing, Kashish,” he replied sternly. “I’m just following the court orders. Whenever you’re out of town, a member of the Raheja family has to accompany you. That means you won’t be staying with the team—you’ll be with me, and that includes your travel arrangements.”

A wave of helplessness washed over her. It was as if she had no escape, no matter how hard she tried to avoid him. Resigned, she watched as a sleek, posh car pulled up in front of them.Rudra opened the door for her, waiting. With a deep breath, Kashish reluctantly got in, followed closely by Rudra. Vimal, their client’s manager, took the front seat with the driver to guide them to the bungalow.

Kashish remained silent during the drive, while Vimal continued discussing plans and details with Rudra. Despite the beautiful surroundings they were driving through, all Kashish could think about was the unease of spending time alone with him in that rented house.

The bungalow was indeed breathtaking. As they arrived, Kashish’s restlessness grew tenfold at the realization that she’d be staying there alone with Rudra for weeks adding to her growing anxiety. She wished Shekhar or Anjali could be there with her, to give her some solace. Inside, Vimal showed Rudra around, pointing out the amenities, while Kashish stayed back in the living room, dialing Anjali’s number to distract herself.

When Anjali answered, Kashish wasted no time in venting her frustrations. She explained how Rudra had upgraded her seat, insisted on sitting beside her, and had now even arranged for them to stay in the same bungalow.

Anjali couldn’t help but laugh heartily, cutting off Kashish’s complaints.

“Anju, what’s so funny?” Kashish asked, her annoyance growing.

“Sorry, Kashish,” Anjali said between giggles. “But I’m really impressed by Rudra. Honestly, I had a completely different impression of him. I thought he was just stubborn and introverted, but clearly, he’s not what he seems. He’s so considerate. You should be grateful that someone cares this much about your comfort.”

Kashish’s temper flared. “Stop praising him! I don’t need his comfort, and I certainly don’t needhimaround me.”

“Are you sure about that?” Anjali teased. “I’ve seen you softening toward him lately.”

Kashish paused, recalling the reasons behind her softening attitude—Rudra’s pain, and the guilt that had shifted from his shoulders to hers. The tables had indeed turned.

“Kashish? Are you still there?” Anjali’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Yeah, I’m here. I’m just tired, Anju. I’ll call you tomorrow. Give my regards to Shekhar,” Kashish said, her voice softer now.

“Alright. Good night, and best of luck with the new project!”

After ending the call, Kashish turned to see Vimal saying his goodbyes to Rudra. She didn’t wait for Rudra to return his attention to her and quickly headed upstairs to find a room.

She stepped into a spacious bedroom, elegantly furnished and opening up to a terrace with a two-seater swing. The room was beautiful, exactly the kind of space that could bring some peace to her troubled mind. Kashish smiled to herself—she had found the perfect room. If she stayed here, there were still two other bedrooms left for Rudra to choose from.

Sitting on the swing, she let her thoughts wander. It was her first time being away from Raheja Mansion for such an extended period. How would these two to three months pass with Rudra constantly around her?

As her thoughts drifted, a gust of wind brushed against her face, and suddenly, she felt his presence. She looked toward the terrace door and found Rudra standing there, watching her from afar. How long had he been standing there?

Rudra snapped out of his reverie and stepped forward.

“Dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes,” he informed her.

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