Page 93 of One Hellish Love

“Then how did you manage to buy the exact anklets I wanted?” she pressed, unwilling to let him evade her questions.

He remained silent for a moment before sighing, his defenses lowering just a fraction.

“You left the webpage open once on your laptop. I saw it when I came into your cabin. I bought them from my account.”

Kashish was momentarily taken aback, both pleased and furious at his admission. She had expected as much, but hearing it from him only added to the confusion.

“They’re way too expensive,” she retorted.

“Not for me. I can afford it,” he replied coldly.

“I can’t accept them,” she said firmly, shaking her head.

“It’s a gift, Kashish. Already given. You don’t have a say in it now,” Rudra countered, his tone clipped.

Her frustration boiled over, and she stopped dancing altogether.

“I don’t get you, Rudra,” she nearly shouted, her voice rising with her irritation. “You help me—pay off my father’s debts, protect me—but then you go out of your way to yell at me, to push me away. And now this? An expensive gift out of nowhere? What’s going on in your head?”

Though the loud music drowned out her raised voice, the intensity of her words cut through the moment. But Rudra remained impassive.

“You’ll never understand what’s in my head, and frankly, you shouldn’t even try. Focus on your life, your loved ones, and forget the rest—including me and my problems.”

With that, he stepped away, leaving her standing alone on the dance floor. Kashish watched him walk away, anger simmering inside her. That wasn’t the answer she deserved. He was driving her insane, forcing her to figure out everything on her own when all she wanted was a straight answer. Why did it matter so much now? Why was she suddenly desperate to know what he felt?

Before she could make sense of her thoughts, her colleagues surrounded her, pulling her back into the party, dancing and laughing. She tried to join in, but her mind remained elsewhere, replaying every word of their conversation.

After a few more hours, Kashish finally decided to leave. She headed to the parking lot, her phone in hand as she waited for the cab she’d booked. The signal kept dropping, making her pace left and right in frustration as she tried to get a stable connection. She was so lost in walking back and forth, trying to get a better signal to call her cab that she didn’t notice the car coming toward her - its headlights were off, making it almost invisible in the dark. The driver saw her at the last second and honked loudly.

Kashish looked up, frozen in terror as the car hurtled toward her. For a brief moment, she believed this was the end. But just before the car could reach her, a powerful grip yanked her out of its path. She spun, crashing into a strong, familiar chest.

His arms were wrapped around her, holding her tightly as she gasped for breath. She had never felt death so close, and the terror coursed through her veins. But as she inhaled, his familiar scent surrounded her, grounding her in the present. It was the same scent she had noticed when they danced earlier. Her heartpounded wildly as she looked up into the face of her savior—Rudra.

He had saved her.Again.

CHAPTER 32

Fear rippled through Rudra’s body as the reality of what could have happened sank in. If he hadn’t pulled Kashish out of the path of that speeding car in time, she could have been gone, and with her, his entire world would have shattered into pieces. He felt her shallow breaths against his chest, almost in sync with the frantic beating of his own heart. She was still clinging to him, and for a few brief moments, he could swear their hearts beat as one.

Kashish, still trembling from the near-death experience, was also attuned to that strange connection. She had never believed in something as fantastical as two hearts beating in unison. This feeling, this closeness, was alien to her. She knew who had saved her, but what truly startled her was not his rescue—it was the fact that Rudra, a man who recoiled from any physical closeness, was holding her like this. The fear and panic in him had made him forget his usual aversion to touch.

Slowly, she lifted her chin to meet his dark, intense eyes. But before she could say anything, he pushed her away, his face tight with fury.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he roared. “You didn’t see that car speeding toward you?”

He stepped forward, grabbing her arms again, yanking her closer. His grip was tight, desperate.

“What if that car had hit you? What if I had lost you?” he shouted again, his voice laced with a raw vulnerability she had never seen before.

This transformation stunned her. Rudra’s fear of losing her was laid bare. She could hear Anjali’s words echoing in her mind:“He loves you, Kashish. He loves you, but he’ll never tell you.”

Kashish tried to free herself from his hold but couldn’t. Finally, she steadied herself and asked the one question that burned in her mind.

“So what? If that car had hit me, if you’d lost me tonight, so what? Why would it matter to you?” she spat.

“Itdoesmatter to me, dammit because I love you, dammit! I can’t lose you... not now... not ever!”

His words hit her like a tidal wave. Kashish stood frozen, utterly speechless. Fireworks exploded in the sky above them, a reminder of the Valentine’s Day celebrations still happening around the city. But here, beneath the glowing bursts of light, she had just received the most unexpected and shocking confession from the one man she had never thought could fall in love with her. The fireworks illuminated their faces, while she stared at him, unable to believe what she had just heard.

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