Page 145 of One Hellish Love

“I already ate,” he whispered before she could protest further.

Kashish’s eyes darted to the dinner table—only one plate. She flushed, realizing her overprotectiveness had gotten the better of her. She cared too much about him, more than she liked to admit. He knelt before her, his fingers intertwined with hers as he gazed up at her, his expression solemn yet tender.

“Did you take your medicine?” she asked, her fingers automatically shifting to his hair, gently ruffling them.

“Taken,” he assured her, still kneeling at her feet.

She sighed in relief, her worry easing. Yet the way he looked at her, as though he was holding his breath in awe, made her heart race.

“What are you staring at?”

“Just trying to believe you’re finally mine,” he murmured, pulling her hands to his lips. She instinctively tried to pull them back, but he tightened his grip on her wrists, a warning flashing in his gaze. She hesitated, then obeyed, feeling her heart pound in her chest.

Rudra kissed her wrist before pulling away and retrieved a pair of bangles from his pocket. Her breath hitched as she watched him slide the delicate bangles around her wrists, his touch filled with reverence.

“These belonged to my mother,” he said softly.

Kashish blinked in surprise, unsure how to react. He was giving her something so precious, so meaningful. How could she accept such a gift when their relationship was far from permanent?

“You didn’t have to give me these so soon,” she murmured, her voice barely holding back tears.

“I wanted you to have them. My mother’s blessings are with you now. I’m sure, wherever she is, she’s happy… watching over us.”

His quiet words pierced through her defenses. She never realized how deeply she affected him. Receiving such a gift from him—a piece of his past, a piece of his heart—made her chest tighten. She didn’t want to think about the uncertain future between them. All she wanted was to focus on the present, on helping him heal.

He began to serve her food. She had never experienced anything like this before—someone caring for her so deeply. It filled her with a warmth that reached beyond her physical exhaustion.

“Did you finish your work?” Rudra asked, casually feeding her a spoonful of food.

“Yes, I managed to get everything done,” she replied, swallowing slowly as her gaze met his.

When she reached for the spoon, he stopped her, continuing to feed her himself. Her heart swelled as she ate, feeling an odd sense of peace that she hadn’t known existed before.

“You had brought these bangles here?” she asked between bites.

“No, Jay delivered them,” he said, feeding her another spoonful.

“Jay was here? When?”

“When you were overworking,” he teased, smirking as he placed another morsel in her mouth.

Kashish sighed, chewing thoughtfully.

“Oh, I see. Jay has good taste then. I’m sure he even got this saree for me,” she teased, feigning admiration. “I mean, just look at this saree. It’s beautiful. Red must be Jay’s favorite color.”

Rudra’s expression darkened, and she chuckled at his reaction.

“It’smyfavorite color, Kashish Bedi. I was the one who picked it out for you, not him,” he corrected, his tone possessive.

Kashish pouted, enjoying the playful banter.

“I was just teasing.”

“It worked. You made me mad enough,” he warned, a spark of mischief in his eyes.

Kashish held her ear in mock apology, and he quickly grabbed her hand, pulling it away.

“When did you buy it?” she asked.

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