Page 44 of One Hellish Love

Luckily, Shekhar and Anjali’s attention shifted toward Rudra as he joined them at the table. Without waiting for anyone, Rudra served himself, his calm, unbothered demeanor making Kashish even more uneasy.

“Rudra, you left the party so suddenly. Sorry, I missed your calls—my phone was on silent,” Shekhar apologized.

So that’s who he was trying to call last night,Kashish realized. It also meant he hadn’t told anyone about what had transpired. Rudra’s piercing gaze met hers before he casually responded to Shekhar.

“I called to tell you the same. I had to leave. There was an emergency,” he said, buttering his toast, never taking his eyes off Kashish. His words held an undercurrent that only she could decipher. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

“An emergency? Is everything okay now?” Shekhar asked, concerned.

“Yes, and let’s hope it doesn’t happen again,” Rudra replied, his gaze still locked on Kashish, as if sending her a silent warning. Her pulse quickened.

“I should get going,” Kashish said, abruptly standing up, her glass of juice barely touched. “I have a lot of work to catch up on.”

“But you haven’t eaten. At least have a sandwich,” Anjali insisted.

“No, thanks, Anju. I’ll grab something on the way.”

“How are you getting to work?” Shekhar asked, ever the protective brother.

“I’ll take a cab, don’t worry,” Kashish replied, quickly grabbing her purse and making a hurried exit.

As she left, Shekhar sighed, watching Rudra’s gaze follow her out. Rudra resumed eating as if nothing had happened.

“We need to sort out Kashish’s transportation,” Rudra remarked. “A fixed cab service would be ideal, something that picks her up and drops her off according to her schedule.”

Shekhar nodded in agreement. He wasn’t surprised by Rudra’s thoughtfulness when it came to Kashish. He waited for him to continue.

“She’ll never accept favors from me, and she won’t let you drive her every day either. But if it’s a service she can pay for from her salary, it won’t bruise her pride.”

“Good idea, Rudra. I’ll talk to her about it today,” Shekhar said, appreciating his brother’s practical solution.

Rudra nodded, satisfied that one issue was on its way to being resolved. But in the back of his mind, he knew there were still many more things he’d have to handle when it came to Kashish Bedi—issues that ran deeper than just transport logistics.

*****************

Raheja Design Office

Kashish stormed over to Sanjay’s desk. He was engrossed in his work, oblivious to her presence until she spoke.

“Did you give me a cocktail last night?” she asked, her voice sharp with accusation.

Sanjay looked up, surprised. “Hey, Kashish! Yeah, I did. Why?”

Her stomach churned with unease. “I don’t drink alcohol,” she admitted, feeling a pang of guilt for not realizing it sooner.

Sanjay’s face fell. “Oh man, I’m really sorry. I had no idea.” He quickly stood up, his tone sincere. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”

Kashish shook her head, waving off his apology. “It’s not entirely your fault. I should have checked before drinking it,” she muttered, disappointment creeping into her voice.

Sanjay nodded in understanding. “So, is that why you vanished from the party? I tried calling you a bunch of times, but no luck.”

“My phone died,” she explained. “I only charged it this morning.”

Before their conversation could go further, Jay Mathur approached them. “Sanjay, Rudra wants to see you in his cabin,” he said before walking away.

Sanjay blinked, looking both surprised and nervous. “Rudra called me? I hope I’m not in trouble. That man gives me chills,” he gulped, wiping the sweat from his brow before hurrying off to Rudra’s cabin.

Kashish stood rooted in place, her thoughts spiraling. Why did Rudra call Sanjay? A sinking feeling settled in her gut. Could it have something to do with the cocktail incident?

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