Page 59 of One Hellish Love

Rudra’s mind flashed back to his own torment 11 years ago, the same accusations he had faced. The only difference? Hehadcaused that tragedy. But Kashish? She was innocent. She didn’t stab him, not even by accident.

“But do you know what’s even more surprising?” Her voice softened, trembling as she looked away, unable to meet his eyes. “When everything was turning against me, all I could think about was howyoumust have felt 11 years ago after that accident.”

Her words hit him like a punch to the gut, knocking the breath out of him. Kashish took a shaky breath, her tone quieter, more reflective.

“Shekhar kept telling me for years that you didn’t mean it, that it was a tragic accident, but nothing changed my opinion of you. I only ever saw you as my father’s murderer. But now...” Her voice faltered, her gaze finally lifting to meet his.

“This one incident... it changed everything, Rudra. It twisted everything I thought I knew.”

Rudra was speechless, her confession unraveling him in ways he hadn’t expected.

“All I could think about while they questioned me were your last words. I should’ve been fighting to defend myself, to proveI didn’t stab you, but instead, I kept imagining the 16-year-old Rudra Raheja, being treated worse than me all those years ago.”

Rudra flinched. He didn’t want to relive those dark memories, but Kashish kept going, her emotions spilling over.

“You lost your family’s trust, your dignity, you were… you weremolested, Rudra!” She almost choked on the word, her voice cracking with a mixture of anger and disbelief. “All of that haunted me, even though I wasn’t responsible for any of it.”

“For the first time in my life, I felt something for you that wasn’t hatred. I felt pity, and I hate it.” She clutched his collar, her eyes wild with fury.

“When did you start controlling my mind like this?” she shouted, her voice breaking. “Since when?”

Rudra couldn’t find the words. He didn’t know what to make of her feelings—anger, confusion, and pity all intertwined, fighting for dominance.

“But this has to stop,” she snapped, her voice hardening. “I can’t let myself feel sorry for you. If I forgive you, I’ll be betraying my father’s memory, and I’ll never do that.Never.”

Rudra’s heart sank, her words slicing through him like a blade. She would never forgive him? The ground seemed to shift beneath him as he realized just how deeply her hatred ran.

“If I stay here,” she continued, her voice trembling, “I’ll start softening toward you, and I can’t let that happen. I’m leaving, Rudra. I can’t stay under the same roof as you, or I’ll lose the one thing that keeps me going—my hatred for you.”

Kashish hurried to the closet, yanking her clothes out and throwing them on the bed. Rudra watched, horrified, as she began packing with desperate determination. She was leaving because she was terrified her hatred would dissolve if she stayed near him. His presence was no longer fueling her anger—it was weakening her resolve.

Without thinking, Rudra stormed toward her, spinning her around with a forceful grip. She tried to struggle, but his hold was too strong.

Her tear-filled eyes met his furious gaze.

“The only person who should leave this house isme, not you,” he snarled, his voice tight with emotion. “I’ll leave tomorrow so that you can hold on to your hatred for me. If that’s what brings peace to your father’s soul, then so be it.”

Anger flared in her eyes again.

“This is your home, your family,” she retorted. “I won’t be the reason you’re isolated from them. And stop making decisions for me! I know what I need to do, and I know where I need to go.”

“The court has ordered you to stay here until you turn 25. You can’t disobey those orders,” Rudra countered. “But I’ll leave. Tomorrow morning, I’ll be gone.”

He didn’t want to go. The very thought of leaving her made his chest tighten painfully. Kashish had always been his reason to keep going, even if she didn’t know it. He had lived for the day when she might forgive him, but now he knew that day would never come. And if staying meant causing her more pain, then he would sacrifice his own heart to give her peace.

He released her, his heart breaking with every step as he walked out of the room, leaving her crumpled on the floor, surrounded by the clothes she had intended to pack. Kashish sobbed, her mind torn between anger, guilt, and confusion. Why had he agreed so easily to leave? Why had he bound her with the court’s orders, trapping her here while he walked away? Was she truly being selfish by asking him to leave his own family?

Meanwhile, Rudra locked himself in his room, leaning against the door. He couldn’t afford to be weak now. He had to stay strong, for her. He had promised himself that he would solve every problem in her life, and he would keep that promise, even if it meant doing so from afar. She would never know thesacrifices he would make for her—but he would always be there, in the shadows, watching over her, even if it meant fading from her world forever.

CHAPTER 22

Next Day

Shekhar entered Kashish’s bedroom and found her sitting on the bed, staring blankly into space. He walked over and sat beside her.

“You haven’t eaten since yesterday. Please, drink this,” he urged, offering her a glass of orange juice.

Kashish shook her head, refusing.

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