Page 61 of One Hellish Love

“This isn’t about her, Daadi. Stop bringing her into every conversation we have.”

“Why shouldn’t I?” Daadi shot back. “She’s the reason for all of this—your condition, your misery.”

“Is she?” Rudra stepped forward; his rage barely controlled. “She has her reasons to hate me, and I have mine to make sure she’s safe. Don’t twist those reasons.”

At that moment, Shekhar walked in, intending to check on Rudra’s health, but the tension in the room made him pause.

“Look, Shekhar! Now he’s planning to leave the house, even with his wounds still fresh!” Daadi vented.

“I have my reasons, Daadi. Please, don’t interfere,” Rudra’s voice was firm and unyielding.

“Rudra, this isn’t the right time for you to leave,” Shekhar tried to reason. “You need rest. The doctors let you stay home under the condition that you would take care of yourself. You can’t leave now. What’s so urgent in Paris? If it’s that important, I’ll go in your place.”

But nothing Shekhar said could change his decision. Rudra zipped up his bag and made a quick call to Jay.

“Tell the pilot to have the jet ready by 8 p.m. I’ll be there.”

Daadi broke down in tears and left the room, devastated. Shekhar, feeling helpless, placed a hand on Rudra’s shoulder.

“I know this is about Kashish,” he said quietly. “But what has Daadi done to deserve this? For 11 years, she’s waited for you to return, to take your place in the family. You can’t just crush her hopes like this, Rudra. Please reconsider. If not for me, then for her.”

Shekhar gave him one last look before leaving. Rudra shut his eyes and took a deep breath, overwhelmed by everyone’s expectations. Kashish wanted him to leave; his family wanted him to stay. He was being torn apart by their conflicting needs.

In all the chaos, he realized he had forgotten something crucial—Uday Khatri.

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

Rudra had the mortgage papers of Kashish’s house thoroughly examined. They bore Keshav Bedi’s signature and were authentic, which meant the loan had to be repaid to Uday Khatri—interest included—to retrieve the house’s ownership. Rudra had already instructed his lawyer, Roy, to draft a contract that would ensure the Khatris would never contact either Kashish Bedi or the Rahejas once the debt was cleared.

He knew the only way to finalize this was to meet Uday personally, with Roy by his side. He quickly threw on a T-shirt over his track pants and left his room. Luckily, neither Daadi nor Shekhar noticed him leave, and with Anjali having taken Kashish to the temple to lift her spirits, the timing was perfect. Sliding into the car, he instructed Mohan to drive him to Uttam Nagar, where the deal would be closed.

When they arrived, Mohan opened the passenger door, and Roy hurried over, falling into step beside Rudra as they made their way towards Khatri's office.

“Sir, the agreement is ready,” Roy informed him. “And as per your instructions, I’ve made sure Kashish Bedi’s involvement is unnecessary in the signing of these documents.”

Rudra nodded curtly; his pace unbroken.

“Let me remind you, Sir,” Roy continued, his voice cautious, “the property’s value doesn’t justify the amount you’re paying to the Khatris. This is a substantial loss for you.”

Rudra cast a sharp glance at his lawyer, the message clear—this wasn’t about financial gain. All that mattered was securing Kashish’s house. As they reached the office, Uday greeted them eagerly, impatient to get his hands on the money. Roy presented the contract, and Uday, acting on behalf of his father, signed without hesitation. The Khatris had never cared about the Bedi property—they were only interested in the money.

With the agreement signed and the house papers handed over, Roy passed the briefcase of cash to Uday, who grinned as he opened it, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

“Raheja Sahab, you truly have a big heart,” Uday smirked. “You’re willing to take such a loss for one girl? I must say, I’m impressed. What is it about her that we never saw? Maybe I should meet her myself and find out,” he joked, laughing with his guards.

But Rudra wasn’t laughing. His temper flared as he seized Uday by the collar and slammed him against the wall.

“I told you the other day. Forget meeting her,” Rudra growled, his voice ice-cold. “If you even speak her name again, it'll be the last thing you'll ever speak.”

Uday’s confidence crumbled under Rudra’s glare, his bravado shrinking. He nodded shakily. Roy, swallowing his own nervousness, cleared his throat, trying to regain control of the situation. Rudra released Uday’s collar, fixing him with one last warning look before turning and walking out with the Bedi house papers in hand.

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

At the temple, Kashish was deep in prayer. Anjali had brought her here in hopes of easing her troubled mind, but nothing seemed to work. No matter how hard she tried to focus on the prayer, her thoughts kept circling back to everything that had happened. Would Rudra leaving the house truly make things better? Would the family ever be at peace if he was gone? And yet, Daadi needed him, Shekhar wanted his brother close. Was she being selfish for pushing him away?

As Kashish opened her eyes, she noticed Anjali on the phone in the corner of the temple, looking worried. When the call ended, Kashish approached her.

“What happened, Anju?”

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