Page 194 of One Hellish Love

“Good morning,” he greeted them, settling next to Shekhar.

“Good morning. Hungry?” Shekhar asked, picking up on the underlying energy in the room.

“Very.”

Anjali quickly started serving him breakfast, her eyes flickering between Rudra and Shekhar.

“When did Daadi come home last night?” Rudra asked, casually picking up his fork.

“At 2 a.m. Her Satsang must have gone well—she’s never been so content after one of those holy gatherings,” Anjali replied.

Rudra nodded, continuing to eat, but the air suddenly grew tense as Daadi’s voice sliced through the room.

“Where were you last night?”

Shekhar and Anjali tensed, knowing that this was the moment they had feared. They exchanged worried glances, unsure of how Rudra would handle the inevitable confrontation.

Rudra slowed his movements but didn’t stop.

“Good morning, Daadi. I heard your Satsang went well,” he said, trying to steer the conversation in another direction, but it was no use.

“I asked you a question, Rudra. Where were you last night?” She repeated.

Without hesitation, Rudra put down his fork, wiped his lips, and faced her squarely.

“I was with Kashish,” he answered, his voice steady, devoid of any fear or hesitation.

“I thought as much,” she snapped. “I knew she would do something like this to hold on to you, to trap you.”

Rudra stood up. He wiped his lips calmly before turning to face his grandmother again.

“She doesn’t need to do anything, Daadi. Kashish already has me. She knows that I’m hers, and I’ll stand by her for life. Please, change your thinking. She’s not some schemer; she’s the woman I love. She’s your grandson’s choice. There must be something extraordinary about her if I love her this deeply.”

Daadi’s face flushed with fury, but Rudra stood his ground.

“You’re not taking me seriously, Rudra!” she shouted. “All these years, I’ve bent to your wishes, but not this time! I’ve made it clear what I’ll do if you bring her into this house as your wife.”

“I remember exactly what you said,” Rudra replied, shaking his head. “But I’m not going to lose either of you. Neither Kashish nor you, Daadi. That’s my promise.”

He picked up his phone and without another word, walked away, leaving Daadi standing there, her anger slowly turning into confusion. She stared after him, unsure of what he meant. How could he possibly hold on to both Kashish and her? The uncertainty gnawed at her, as Rudra’s footsteps echoed down the hallway, leaving her with more questions than answers.

CHAPTER 61

Kashish stepped out of the cab at the multiplex, where her colleagues waited. Roma spotted her first, waving energetically.

“Kashish, over here!”

Kashish hurried toward the group, plastering a smile on her face.

“Hi, guys. Hope I’m not too late.”

“Not really. We’re just glad you made it.” Roma grinned.

“Me too. Let’s head in.”

Two team members went to buy popcorn and coffee for the group while Kashish checked her phone, disappointed to see no message from Rudra. With a smirk, she typed one herself.

Why no message? Or has the successful implementation of Plan B dulled your interest in your favorite subject—me?

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