Page 218 of One Hellish Love

“You need to apply Mehndi on your hands too,” she declared, her lips curving into a sly smile.

Rudra recoiled slightly.

“Never.”

Since childhood, he had always hated the smell of Mehndi. Whenever his mother used to apply it during special occasions, he’d run out of the house to avoid it. The scent was too overpowering for him.

“I can’t stand the smell. It’s too strong,” he replied, crossing his arms.

Kashish’s jaw dropped in mock horror.

“Really? Well, that makes it the perfect punishment then.”

“Kashish, come on. Just show me your hands,” Rudra said, reaching for her.

But she pulled back, keeping them firmly behind her.

“Not until you take your punishment,” she teased.

Rudra’s patience snapped.

“That’s it,” he growled, swiftly bending down and lifting her over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

“Rudra, what are you doing? Put me down!” Kashish squealed, her embarrassment growing as he carried her toward the bedroom.

Once inside, he gently placed her down, only for her to gasp in horror.

“Look what you’ve done!” she said, showing him her slightly smudged Mehndi. Fortunately, the design wasn’t completely ruined, but some parts had definitely suffered.

Rudra’s face fell with guilt. He stepped closer, gently grabbing her wrists.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, pressing soft kisses to each palm, as if trying to make up for the damage.

Kashish’s anger melted at his sincere regret. Suddenly, an idea struck Rudra.

“Wait here.” He disappeared from the room.

Moments later, he returned with a Mehndi cone in hand. He sat beside her, placed her hand on his lap, and began carefully redrawing the parts he had smudged.

She watched in awe as he concentrated on the design, his hands moving skillfully despite his earlier complaints about the smell.

“You should shave,” she teased, touching his rough stubble. “It’s prickly.”

“Ssh… let me focus,” he grumbled playfully, though his lips twitched in amusement.

Kashish couldn’t stop smiling as she gazed at him, her heart swelling with love. It was impossible to focus on her Mehndi when all she could do was admire the man sitting next to her.

A few minutes later, Rudra finished and held her hand up for inspection.

“How’s that?”

She gasped in surprise. The design was perfect—more beautiful than before. But what really caught her attention was the prominent “R” he had carefully embedded in the pattern.

“Impressive,” she whispered, her voice full of admiration.

Rudra leaned closer, lifting her chin with his fingers.

“Happy now?”

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