Page 84 of One Hellish Love

“Dr. Akash Dixit,” she said, holding up the card.

“Who the hell is that?”

“A psychiatrist. One of the best in the country. It took me hours to find him. I’m booking you an appointment.”

Rudra’s patience snapped. He lunged to snatch the card from her hand, but Kashish quickly stepped back, anticipating his move. She knew he’d either tear the card to pieces or intimidate her into dropping the idea altogether.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure your business schedule isn’t disturbed,” she added casually. “I’ll take care of everything.”

Without waiting for his response, she walked away, heading to her room with a satisfied smile. Rudra stood frozen, his mind reeling. He hated the idea of opening up to anyone, hated the thought of baring his pain and his past to a stranger. This was exactly why he had never sought help from a psychiatrist. He didn’t want sympathy, didn’t want to be fixed. But what rattled him even more was Kashish’s involvement. Why was she doing this? Where had her all-consuming hatred for him gone?

Did she even realize how deeply she was entangling herself in his life? And worse, did she understand that by doing so, she was complicating everything between them even more?

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Kashish sat on the edge of her bed, freshly showered, holding the business card of Dr. Akash Dixit. After days of intense research, she had found his name, and there was no way she was going to let this opportunity slip away. It baffled her that Rudra had kept this secret from his family. Why had he hidden it from them? How would they react if they knew? And what about that woman—the one who had tried to molest him? Was she ever punished? A surge of anger coursed through her. One horrific event had the power to destroy someone’s entire life.

Her eyes remained glued to the card. Even if she managed to get an appointment, would Rudra actually go? What if he refused? She couldn’t take any chances. She had to ensure he met this doctor, that he started getting the help he needed, andall this had to happen before he fled back to Paris. Everything she did these days seemed to revolve around him now, but she couldn’t afford to waste time. She had to act fast. Picking up her phone, she dialed Lavina’s number. After three rings, Lavina answered.

“Hello, Kashish!” Lavina’s voice was light, as usual.

“Hi Lavina. Is this a good time to talk?”

“Of course, go ahead.”

Kashish took a breath. “I don’t really know where to start... okay, here it is. I’m going to book an appointment for Rudra with a psychiatrist. I’m not sure if he’ll go on his own, though, so I was hoping you could accompany him and make sure he actually goes.”

There was silence on the other end for a moment. Lavina was stunned, clearly trying to process what she’d just heard.

“Wait—hold on,” Lavina finally said. “Did you just say you’re making an appointment forRudra? To see apsychiatrist?”

“Yes.” Kashish bit her lip. Was this a terrible idea? Why was Lavina reacting like this?

“I can’t believe it. Did you even talk to him about this? Is he okay with it?”

“Well, I brought it up, but no, he’s not happy. That’s why I need someone to take him there. He won’t go otherwise. You’re the only one who knows about this besides me, so I figured you’d be the best person to help.”

Lavina fell silent again, then spoke with a more serious tone.

“Can I ask you something, Kashish? And I need an honest answer.”

“Go ahead.” Kashish rolled her eyes, already sensing what Lavina was about to ask.

“Why are you taking the lead on this? You hate him, don’t you? Why are you so determined to fix him?”

Kashish’s jaw tightened. “My hatred for him is one thing, Lavina, but this is something else entirely. Plus, I made a promise to Daadi that I’d help him settle down and marry someone. I won’t let all this slip through my fingers. This family has given me a lot, and I owe it to them to repay them before I leave for good.”

Her words seemed to strike a chord with Lavina.Did Kashish even realize what she was doing?Lavina wondered. Perhaps, without knowing it, Kashish had already forgiven Rudra in her heart. Otherwise, why would she be doing so much for him and his family? Lavina decided not to press the matter further.

“It’s a noble cause, Kashish, but be careful. Rudra isn’t the kind of man who just follows where you lead. He’s got walls—he knows how to shut people out.”

“He won’t shut me out,” Kashish replied with an unexpected surge of confidence. Even she was surprised by the certainty in her voice.

“I like that confidence. Alright, consider it done. You book the appointment, and I’ll make sure he goes.”

Relief washed over Kashish. “Thank you, Lavina. I really appreciate this. I’ll send you the details tomorrow once the appointment’s set.”

“Of course. Oh, by the way, tomorrow’s the deadline to submit your Valentine’s gift to Jay. Have you bought anything for your secret Valentine—meaning, Rudra?” Lavina teased.

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