Page 63 of One Hellish Love

“Where is Kashish now?” Shekhar asked, his voice strained.

“In her room. She went silent after I told her,” Anjali replied, her face etched with worry.

Shekhar sighed heavily, rubbing his temples in frustration. “I figured as much. She was barely holding herself together after the police incident, and now this. I’m torn, Anju. I don’t know who to support anymore—Rudra or Kashish. How can we possibly give both of them peace?”

The tenderness in Shekhar’s voice brought tears to Anjali’s eyes. She was caught in the same struggle. Rudra had to be stopped from leaving, but now that Kashish knew the truth about his feelings, would she let anyone stop him? No, it seemed unlikely.

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Ram Prasad brought Rudra’s bags down the stairs, with Rudra following closely behind. He was ready to leave for Paris, with Jay Mathur standing by to escort him to the airport where his private jet awaited.

Rudra handed an envelope to Jay.

“Give this to Kashish after I’ve boarded my flight.”

Jay nodded, though he didn’t know what the envelope contained.

“Rudra,” Jay began hesitantly, “I still think you should reconsider. We haven’t finished all the formalities for Talaash Boutique.”

“Shekhar Bhai will handle that,” Rudra said firmly.

Jay knew better than to argue further. If Rudra’s family couldn’t change his mind, he certainly couldn’t either. Shekhar and Anjali were waiting in the living room, their faces etched with helplessness. Rudra embraced his brother, the gesture filled with unspoken sorrow.

“Where’s Daadi?” Rudra asked.

“In her room,” Shekhar replied quietly. “She can’t bear to watch you leave.”

Rudra made a move to head upstairs. “I’ll go see her.”

Shekhar stepped in his way, stopping him. “Don’t. If you’re so set on leaving, despite everything, then there’s no point in making it harder on her. Let her be.”

Rudra hesitated, then reluctantly nodded in agreement. He gave Anjali a weak smile and glanced around the house one last time. His heart ached with the silent, desperate wish to seeKashish, to catch one last glimpse of her, but he swallowed the urge and forced himself to turn away.

Shekhar placed a hand on his shoulder. “Take care of yourself, Rudra. And don’t forget you have a family here—one that loves you and will miss you.”

Rudra nodded; his throat too tight to speak. With heavy steps, he walked out of the house toward the waiting car. Shekhar and Anjali exchanged a look of deep disappointment, knowing they were powerless to stop him.

Rudra climbed into the car with Jay. Leaving the mansion felt like leaving behind his very soul. The further the car pulled away, the more his chest constricted, as though the life was slowly draining out of him.

He slipped on his sunglasses, not wanting Jay or Mohan to see the tears that were already threatening to spill. Parting from Kashish—knowing he may never be near her again—felt like a death sentence. He would miss her. Always.

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

Anjali’s words echoed in Kashish’s mind with a haunting persistence.

“Rudra loves you. But he’d never tell you, because he knows how much you despise him. He’s willing to bear your hatred forever, rather than let you know how he really feels. It’s his way of protecting you, but it’s tearing him apart.”

The mere thought of Rudra harboring such emotions for her made Kashish’s skin crawl.He must have lost his mind. How could he eventhinklike that? It explained everything—the way he never fought back against her anger, the way he quietly endured her hatred, always protecting her from men like Uday Khatri. And now, what had he done with Khatri? What about her house? She didn’t want Rudra paying off a loan her father took. It wasn’t his place.

Rising from the bed, Kashish hurried out of the room. She had to put an end to this madness. She had to confront him, make him understand that his feelings were only complicating their already broken lives. Reaching his room, she knocked nervously, but the door was already ajar. She pushed it open, only to find it empty. Her heart sank.He left?

Could he have taken her words so seriously? Did he really care enough to leave everything behind—his family, his home—just because she had told him to?

Suddenly, Anjali’s scream pierced the air from downstairs. Kashish rushed out of the room and down the stairs, her heart thudding in her chest. The commotion seemed to be coming from Daadi’s room.Is Daadi okay?Despite their strained relationship, Kashish felt a flicker of concern. She had never been on good terms with Daadi, who had always resented her, but something felt terribly wrong.

Bursting into the room, Kashish found Daadi on the floor, barely conscious. Shekhar and Anjali were trying to help her up, but the moment Kashish stepped forward, Daadi’s eyes snapped open with fury.

“Stay away from me!” Daadi’s voice was sharp and trembling with anger. “You took my grandson away again. This is allyourfault!”

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