Page 58 of One Hellish Love

Anjali rushed to Kashish, wrapping her arms around her in an attempt to comfort, but Kashish remained unmoved, cold to everyone around her. Rudra gestured for Anjali to take her to her room, and she obeyed, leading the silent Kashish away.

Shekhar hurried over, his eyes widening in horror as he noticed the blood soaking Rudra’s shirt.

“Rudra, you’re bleeding again. Your stitches have opened!” he exclaimed, quickly ushering him toward his room.

The doctor arrived, re-stitching the wound and bandaging his chest again.

“Mr. Raheja, you need rest. Any more strain on your body, and this will only get worse,” the doctor warned, but Rudra barely acknowledged him, lost in his thoughts.

Grabbing his phone, he dialed his lawyer, Roy.

“Is everything taken care of?” Rudra asked, ignoring Daadi’s protests.

Roy provided a quick update, and Rudra’s face softened slightly. “Good. Keep me posted, and make sure my statement is filed if necessary.”

Hanging up, he turned to Daadi, his eyes blazing with fury. “Why didn’t you wait for me to wake up? Have you seen her? She’s shaking, Daadi. This whole mess has broken her,” he snapped, his voice thick with anger.

Daadi’s face twisted in disbelief. “Haveyouseen yourself, Rudra? You were stabbed, bleeding! And you expect me to worry about her when you were lying there unconscious?” she shot back, her voice cracking with emotion. “She’s just shivering, but you... you were covered in blood, Rudra. I thought I had lost you.”

Rudra’s frustration surged. He turned to Anjali, who had just re-entered the room.

“How is she?” he asked, his voice softer but still tense.

Anjali sighed. “She’s cold, refusing to eat, and won’t talk to anyone. I don’t know what’s going on in her head, but if she doesn’t open up soon, I’m worried about her health.”

Rudra’s chest tightened at the thought of Kashish suffering alone. “Doctor, can you check on her?”

The doctor nodded and quickly went to Kashish’s room with Anjali. They returned a few minutes later, and Anjali’s face was grim. “She’s not letting anyone near her. She won’t even let the doctor examine her.”

Rudra couldn’t take it any longer. Ignoring the protests of his own body, he stood up, his resolve hardening. Without another word, he left the room, heading straight for Kashish.

Daadi’s disapproval was palpable, but Shekhar stepped in, trying to calm her.

“Daadi, you know how stubborn he is. Anything related to Kashish, he won’t rest until it’s resolved. This is between them now. We have to trust him.”

Daadi fumed, but deep down, she knew Shekhar was right. Keeping Rudra away from Kashish might only drive him further away from her, something she couldn’t bear.

Rudra entered Kashish’s room. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, her knees drawn to her chest, her face buried in her arms. Anjali and Shekhar followed him inside, but Rudra stopped them with a glance.

“Leave us alone,” he said, his voice low but commanding.

Shekhar and Anjali exchanged uneasy glances before quietly leaving the room, uncertain if it was the right decision but knowing Rudra’s determination would only worsen if they didn’t.

Kashish sensed his presence but didn’t move. She remained as cold and distant as ever. Rudra swallowed hard, his heart heavy with regret and concern as he stepped closer. He knew breaking through to her wouldn’t be easy, but he had to try. There was too much left unsaid, too much pain that needed to be healed—on both sides.

Rudra stepped toward the bed and sat directly across from her. Her eyes were bloodshot, her breath uneven, and she looked like she had been drowning in her own emotions.

“Did they hurt you?” His voice was low, simmering with barely contained rage.

Kashish moved to get down from the bed, but Rudra gripped her arm and pulled her back.

“You need to talk to me, Kashish,” he growled. “Ignore the family if you want, but you can’t ignore me.”

She yanked her arm free from his hold, her eyes blazing with fury.

“What do you want to hear?” she spat. “How your Daadi framed me? How the police dragged me to the station like a criminal? How they interrogated me relentlessly, every person there looking at me with disgust?” Her voice broke, tears spilling over.

“You know what they said?” she continued, her tone trembling with a bitter edge. “They said I’d been waiting for this moment—waiting my whole life to kill Rudra Raheja. Do you know what it feels like to be accused of something you didn’t do?”

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