Page 37 of One Hellish Love

His insistence left her without a choice. She could only nod in agreement. Dinner with the family meant one thing—she’d have to facehimagain. And she wasn’t sure she was ready for that.

CHAPTER 14

Kashish in the kitchen, crafting Boondi Ladoos, was a sight that stopped Rudra in his tracks as he walked by. He hadn’t known about her fondness for sweets, but seeing her now, expertly rolling the delicate boondis into perfect Ladoos, he was mesmerized. His admiration, however, was cut short when his brother, Shekhar, tapped him on the shoulder, snapping him back to reality.

“She makes boondi ladoos when she’s angry,” Shekhar casually revealed, sharing one of Kashish’s secrets. Rudra hated learning these little details about her from someone else—it stirred a jealousy he couldn’t shake.

Why would Shekhar share that? Rudra kept his eyes fixed on his brother, suspicious of his intentions.

“I thought you should know,” Shekhar said, attempting to make a point.

“And I thought you wouldn’t like me watching her,” Rudra shot back, his tone edged with sarcasm.

“I still don’t,” Shekhar admitted, his voice calm but firm. “But I’m pointing out the obvious, Rudra. You and her are like opposite poles of a magnet. By nature, you should draw each other in, but unfortunately, it’s never going to happen.”

Rudra let out a bitter, sarcastic grin.

“Is it wrong to look at someone if you want to?” he challenged.

Shekhar hesitated, thrown off by his brother’s defiance.

“Yes, it is, if it leads to hope.”

Rudra shrugged but Shekhar wasn’t going to let this go.

“We need to talk about this dangerous path you’re on, Rudra.”

“I’m not interested,” Rudra retorted, his patience fraying.

When he attempted to leave, Shekhar grabbed his arm to stop him.

“I’m trying to help you, before it’s too late.”

“It’s already too late, Bhai,” Rudra snapped, his voice sharper now. “You’re 11 years late.”

He shook off Shekhar’s grip and strode into the drawing room, picking up his phone to make a few calls. Shekhar could only sigh in frustration. This wasn’t working. His brother was walking on a path paved with thorns, and if he didn’t turn back soon, his heart would bleed beyond repair.

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The next morning, as Kashish immersed herself in sketching designs in her cabin, an email notification popped up on her screen—directly from Rudra Raheja.

“Where are we with the deadlines?”

Of course, she remembered his orders from the previous day. As much as she loathed reporting to him, she had no choice as the lead designer. Begrudgingly, she typed back.

“We’re working on them. I’ve scheduled a meeting with the team. All designs will be ready by the end of the day.”

She minimized the email, trying to refocus on her sketches, though her mood had already soured. Communicating withhim? It felt infuriating. Her fingers trembled as she worked, but she pressed on. Another email pinged on her screen.

“Don’t forget to get them approved before you leave.”

Rolling her eyes, Kashish dove back into her sketches. After an hour, she gathered her team, discussed the designs, and selected the final ones. Reluctantly, she headed to Rudra’s cabinto get them approved. To her relief, he wasn’t there. Using the intercom, she called Jay, who informed her that Rudra was in a conference but would return soon. Deciding to wait, she placed the sketches on his desk and, in the process, knocked over a few envelopes.

Kneeling to gather them, one plain brown envelope caught her attention. Unlike the rest, it wasn’t official, and it hadn’t been opened yet. Addressed to Rudra Raheja, it bore a stamp from the Uttam Nagar Post Office—the same area where Kashish had lived with her father. Suspicion gnawed at her. Why would Rudra have a connection to Uttam Nagar? Was he planning something behind her back? Without thinking, she slipped the envelope into one of her files and hastily arranged the others back on the desk.

That’s when she heard his voice.

“What are you doing in my cabin?”

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