Page 157 of One Hellish Love

A shiver ran through Kashish, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. She nodded again, slowly wiping the tears from her face.

“Go and get some rest,” Shekhar urged. “You’ll need all the strength and patience you can muster. You have a battle ahead of you, and it starts tomorrow.”

Kashish turned away, watching Shekhar walk down the hallway. With slow, hesitant steps, she made her way toward her own room, though it felt like a hollow, pointless journey. It was as if she had reached a dead end, with no way out. The man she loved was only a few feet away, but the chasm between them felt infinite. How had she allowed it all to come to this?

CHAPTER 51

Raheja Mansion

The night was nothing short of torment for Savitri Raheja. She tossed and turned, unsettled by the thought that her beloved grandson would never trust her again. She had acted out of love for Rudra, but he wouldn’t see it that way. In her mind, Kashish was just a temporary responsibility, not someone who could truly belong in their family. Rudra deserved better—someone more worthy, someone who could care for him completely.

At dawn, she was the first to rise. Feeling parched, she made her way to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. But what she saw there shocked her—Kashish, standing at the stove, making breakfast.

“What are you doing here?”

Kashish didn’t reply. She kept working, flipping pancakes with determined focus. This had been her routine in Jaipur—cooking for Rudra every morning—and despite his anger now, she couldn’t abandon it. Daadi’s eyes widened in fury as she realized what Kashish was preparing.

“These games won’t work anymore, Kashish. Stop wasting your time. Rudra knows about your promise now. You can’t trap him again.”

But Kashish remained silent, her hands steady as she cooked. Daadi’s frustration boiled over. How could this girl be so indifferent, so stubborn? Storming forward, Daadi snatched the spatula from her hand.

“I said stop!” Daadi shouted. “Are you out of your mind?”

Kashish finally looked at her, but there was no submission in her gaze.

“I was out of my mind when I made that promise to you. I won’t make that mistake again.”

Daadi stared at her in disbelief.

“What do you mean by that?”

Kashish grabbed the spatula back from her hand.

“I’m not leaving Rudra. Not for you, not for anyone,” she declared. “He is my life. And I won’t throw it away just because someone else thinks I don’t belong here.”

Daadi was visibly shaken, disturbed by both Kashish’s words and the intensity with which she spoke.

“Watch your words,” Daadi warned.

“I should have watched my actions earlier,” she retorted. “Maybe then Rudra wouldn’t be so hurt right now.”

“And what about what your father did to him?” Daadi seethed.

“I haven’t forgotten that either and I’m deeply sorry for it. But neither Rudra nor I are going to let my father’s deeds destroy what we have.”

“You’ve lost your senses.”

“No, Daadi,” Kashish said softly, her eyes flashing with a quiet strength. “I’ve finally found them. I know what I’m doing now. And if you can’t accept me as Rudra’s partner, so be it. But I won’t hurt him any more than I already have. And I won’t let anyone else hurt him, either.”

Her words were like a boundary being drawn—a challenge that Daadi hadn’t expected. She was speechless, stunned by Kashish’s courage, by the fire in her that refused to be extinguished. Daadi had never imagined this girl would defy her so openly, so fiercely.

Kashish finished the pancakes and carried them to the dining table. As she stepped out of the kitchen, she froze—Rudra stood there. He looked at her, his expression hard and unreadable. Kashish’s heart sank as she realized he hadn’t come for her, but for Shekhar, who was just a few feet away.

“I’ve scheduled a meeting in an hour. Don’t be late,” Rudra told Shekhar curtly.

“What’s it about?” Shekhar asked.

“You’ll know soon enough,” Rudra replied coldly before turning to leave. Kashish moved quickly to block his path.

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