Page 204 of One Hellish Love

“That will never happen,” he growled. “You and I... we’re meant to be together.”

“Forever,” Kashish whispered back, meaning it with every fiber of her being. Nothing—no one—could ever change that truth for her, not even Daadi.

They held each other close, the moment stretching in silence until a knock at the door broke them apart. Kashish quicklymoved away, pretending to busy herself with papers as Shekhar stepped in.

“Hey,” Shekhar said, noticing the tension in the room. “Am I interrupting something?”

“No, Bhai, come in,” Rudra replied, regaining his composure as he sat behind his desk.

“Rudra, Daadi called me since your phone was unreachable. She said she’s fixed your dinner meeting with Suman at Raheja Mansion tonight,” Shekhar explained.

Kashish’s amusement at the whole Suman situation was starting to wane. The reality of it—Rudra actually sitting down with another woman, even if it was just to appease Daadi—began to settle in, and it wasn’t as funny anymore. She glanced at Rudra, who caught the shift in her expression and turned back to Shekhar.

“I’ll be there for dinner,” Rudra said evenly.

Shekhar sighed. “Yesterday, when I saw Daadi’s health, I agreed to this whole thing. But, Rudra, this isn’t right. Daadi’s demands won’t stop here. She needs to accept that you and Kashish are a unit, that you can’t be pushed toward someone else like some toy. You’re human. Your feelings can’t be swayed so easily. I don’t understand why she’s so adamant.”

“It might be her age, Bhai,” Rudra replied, trying to justify Daadi’s stubbornness.

“Or her insecurity,” Kashish added quietly, drawing both brothers’ attention.

“Insecurity?” Shekhar asked, curious.

Kashish stepped forward.

“Think about it. Rudra’s love for me is so deep. Daadi fears losing her place in his heart. She wants a woman she can control, someone like Suman, who won’t challenge her or threaten her bond with him. In her eyes, I’m a threat because I share something with Rudra that no one else can.”

She had a point. Both Rudra and Shekhar considered that.

“She’s afraid of losing me,” Rudra muttered, rubbing his temples. “And the fact that we’re planning to live separately only amplified her fears. That’s why she’s pushing for Suman. She can’t bear the idea of losing control.”

Shekhar nodded in agreement.

“It makes sense. I’ve seen how Daadi has always been overly protective of you. This might just be her way of keeping that control.”

“But how did she find out about the other house?” Rudra asked, still perplexed.

“She must have heard it from Mr. Patel, the builder. His team contacted Raheja Mansion when they couldn’t reach you, and that’s how she found out,” Shekhar explained.

Rudra exhaled deeply. “It doesn’t matter, Bhai. I’m still marrying Kashish at the end of next month. Daadi will have to accept it, sooner or later.”

“Good. That’s all I needed to hear,” Shekhar said, smiling as he excused himself to head to a meeting.

After Shekhar left, Rudra noticed the flicker of doubt in Kashish’s eyes. He stepped closer, lifting her chin so their eyes met.

“If you keep looking this worried, I won’t go meet Suman at all,” he said softly.

Kashish shook her head.

“No, don’t do that. I’ll be fine.”

He kissed her forehead tenderly.

“I can’t wait to marry you.”

“Me neither,” she whispered, her heart swelling. “But let’s focus on Daadi for now. Remember what I told you? Relive those moments with your family that you’ve lost.”

Rudra nodded, pulling her close for another kiss.

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