Page 170 of One Hellish Love

“Fine,” he said.

He walked to the kitchen. She waited, wondering what he was doing. The sounds of drawers opening and closing echoed in the tense silence. When he returned, she noticed something different in his bearing - a determination, a resolve that both thrilled and terrified her.

It wasn’t until she saw the blood on his thumb that understanding began to dawn. He had deliberately cut himself, and the realization made her breath catch in her throat. Before she could process what was happening, he reached for her and pressed his bleeding thumb to her forehead, marking her hair partition with his blood. Kashish froze, shock rippling through her body like a current. The warmth of his blood on her skin felt like a brand, marking her in a way that went far deeper than the physical.

“Now you’re my wife,” he said firmly. “And not even law can keep a husband and wife apart.”

Her heart wasn’t just racing now - it was threatening to burst from her chest. What had he done? This ancient ritual, this primal claiming - it shook her to her very core. With trembling fingers, Kashish touched the blood on her forehead, feeling the wetness there, the tangible proof of his desperate action. Tears welled in her eyes.

Why did he have to do this? Why did he always have to make everything so complicated? This wasn’t love, was it? It felt more like desperation, a drastic move to claim her. Yet even as these thoughts swirled in her mind, something deeper stirred - a recognition of the passion behind his gesture, the intensity of his need to keep her in his life.

The sound of movement at the door broke through her tumultuous thoughts. They both turned to see Shekhar and Anjali standing there, completely stupefied. They hadn’t expected Rudra to return, let alone to take such a drastic step.

Rudra looked back at Kashish.

“And now we have witnesses. You don’t need any more excuses to deny this, do you?”

CHAPTER 55

Bedi House

Shekhar and Anjali had only come to help Kashish with her kitchen arrangements, but what they witnessed left them speechless—Rudra was here, asserting his claim over Kashish by symbolically making her his wife.

“Rudra? When did you arrive? And what is all this?” Shekhar asked, still processing the scene.

Rudra shot them a no-nonsense look.

“She needed a reason to stay in Raheja Mansion with me, and I just gave her one.”

Kashish’s throat tightened, tears threatening to spill from her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.

“This is absurd, Rudra. I’m not going to abide by this. Marriage isn’t a joke,” she snapped.

Rudra smirked.

“Marriage is a legal excuse for a man and a woman to stay together, have children, and start a family. That’s what I’ve always wanted from you, Kashish. And you will comply.”

Fury surged through Kashish, and she yelled back, “Just because you put your blood on my forehead doesn’t make me your wife. There are vows, sacred rituals, blessings from the elders—Sindoor, Mangalsutra—these aren’t things you can skip.”

“I can arrange all of that in an instant. The temple isn’t far,” he countered in a challenging tone.

“And the blessings of the elders? How will you manage that?”

Rudra’s lips pressed into a thin line, and for the first time, he faltered. She was talking about Daadi, and he knew very well that his grandmother would never approve of their union.

“I’ll talk to her. I’ll convince her.”

“Maybe you will,” Kashish said bitterly. “But until then, I’m not marrying you.”

That struck a nerve. Rudra’s anger flared. “Two months, Kashish. Two months, and you still haven’t changed? Daadi’s approval is so important to you, but what about my feelings? My needs? I don’t care if we finish the rituals or get her blessings.”

“You don’t care about the rituals, the blessings… then what do you even care about, Rudra?”

“That I love you, dammit!” Rudra shouted, grabbing her forearms, his grip tightening.

The room fell into a deafening silence. Shekhar and Anjali stood frozen, like they were witnessing a storm unravel. The raw intensity between Rudra and Kashish was unlike anything they had ever seen.

Kashish had heard him say those words before, but the way he said it now sent her heart into a freefall. His love was always powerful enough to change the course of their lives. But it wasn’t enough to erase the obstacles standing between them at the moment.

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