Page 49 of One Hellish Love

Seeing that Rudra wasn’t going to budge, Uday relented.

“Fine, let’s cut to the chase. I want my money.”

“What money?” Rudra asked, his voice steady.

“The money that Keshav Bedi borrowed from my father,” Uday replied.

The revelation hit Rudra like a punch to the gut. Keshav Bedi borrowed money?

“What proof do you have that Keshav Bedi took this loan?” Rudra pressed, his instincts telling him this wasn’t a simple extortion attempt.

“We’ve got a signed agreement from him. He borrowed 60 lakhs for a one-year period. Before he could repay, he died. Now, we want that money back. If you don’t pay, we’ll go straight to Kashish. And in our line of work, we have ways of getting what we want from women,” Uday’s tone turned threatening.

The moment those words left Uday’s mouth, Rudra’s blood boiled. He grabbed Uday by the collar, his eyes flashing with fury.

“Don’t you dare lay a finger on her,” Rudra snarled through gritted teeth. “Forget about your money. If you even try to go near her, I’ll make sure you won’t be standing long enough to threaten anyone again.”

Uday struggled to shrug off Rudra’s grip but failed.

“Save that rage for someone else, Raheja. You think we don’t know what happened that night? You’re the reason Keshav is dead. You killed him. You owe us.”

At those words, Rudra’s hold weakened. That night. The one he spent years trying to forget but could never escape. Uday saw the momentary falter and shoved Rudra’s hands off his collar, straightening his jacket.

“How did you even loan him such a large amount? What security did you have that the Bedis could repay you?” Rudra asked, determined to get more answers.

“Keshav put his house up as collateral. We could sell it to recover the loan, but it’s old, and no buyer’s going to pay enough to cover the full debt. That’s why we haven’t gone down that road yet.”

Shock rippled through Rudra. Why had Kashish’s father borrowed such a hefty sum? What did he use it for? If the money wasn’t spent, then where was it?

Uday’s voice broke Rudra’s thoughts. “Look, Raheja. We don’t care about your family or your problems. Just pay what’s owed, and we’ll disappear. We’ve been trying to settle this for years, but your family keeps brushing us off.”

Rudra stiffened. For years? He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Who in my family have you been in contact with?” Rudra asked, his suspicion growing.

“We’ve been talking to Savitri Raheja. She’s the one who’s been dodging us for years. That’s why we came to you this time,” Uday replied.

Rudra’s world tilted. Daadi knows? She knew about the debt and never mentioned it. Why hadn’t she settled it?

“When will we get our money?” Uday’s voice cut through his thoughts, growing impatient.

“Not so fast, Uday. First, I want to see the papers Keshav Bedi signed. I’ll have them verified. And once they’re clear, you’ll get your money. But you’ll also sign a legal agreement ensuring you and your people would stay away from Kashish Bedi. I won’t tolerate any more threats,” Rudra’s voice was firm, laced with authority.

Uday blinked, momentarily caught off guard by Rudra’s business-like approach. No wonder he wasn’t going to leave any loose ends.

“Fine. Where and when do I bring the agreement?” Uday asked, his tone more respectful now.

Rudra pulled out his sunglasses and slid them over his eyes. “My people will contact you,” he said coolly as he turned to walk away.

“Contact me? But you don’t have my number, or any of my details,” Uday pointed out, a smirk creeping onto his face.

Rudra paused, turning back to face him with a sharp grin. “If people like me can be easily tracked, don’t think we can’t trace people like you just as easily.”

Uday’s smirk faded, and he nodded, impressed. With that, he walked off, leaving Rudra standing in the dusty street of Uttam Nagar, his thoughts now torn between his family’s secret and the woman he was desperate to protect.

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

An hour later Rudra stormed into Daadi’s room without a word. She had just finished reading a mythological text and was placing the book back in the closet when she noticed his presence.

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