Page 108 of One Hellish Love

This house is mortgaged to the Khatris. I borrowed money against it, hoping to secure your future, but I invested in abogus company. The money is gone, Kashish, and I have no way to fix this. I’ve failed you in every way. The only choice left to ensure you have a future is to take my own life. I will stage my death as an accident, forcing myself in front of a speeding car. At least this way, there will be some compensation, a shelter for you—something I can leave behind.

By the time you read this, you might already have the secure life I dreamed of giving you. You may hate me for this decision, Kashish, but I couldn’t see another way. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for you. Please, don’t hate me. I love you, baby, and I’ll pray that you find all the happiness in the world.

Your Paapa’

The paper slipped from Rudra’s hands as he finished reading. Darkness crept into his mind, disbelief crashing over him like a wave. Kashish’s father had orchestrated the very accident that destroyed his life, his family’s life. If it hadn’t been his car, it would’ve been someone else’s. Her father had committed suicide? The truth suffocated him, anger, betrayal, and disgust boiling beneath the surface. This man, whom Kashish had held in such high regard, had selfishly condemned him to a life of guilt and punishment. Rudra’s breath hitched as he stared at Kashish, her frail body trembling, her face a canvas of anguish and disbelief.

“Kashish… look at me,” he demanded.

But she couldn’t. More tears flowed from her eyes, her heart breaking knowing the truth she never wanted to face. All these years, she had blamed the wrong person, fought against an innocent man. Rudra Raheja wasn’t fully responsible for her father’s death. It was her father who had twisted Rudra’s fate, a young boy whose life was ruined by a crime he hadn’t really committed. How could she ever live with this knowledge? She was now indebted to the Rahejas for life—these people who had given her a home, a fortune, a family she didn’t deserve.

“Kashish, talk to me, dammit!” Rudra growled. He couldn’t bear her silence. She needed to speak, to release her pain before it swallowed her whole.

But Kashish felt as though she was standing on the edge of an abyss, with darkness creeping in from all sides. Her vision blurred, her body weakened by the emotional storm raging inside her. The room spun, and before she could even process the depth of her heartbreak, she collapsed. The last thing she remembered was Rudra’s panicked voice shouting for Mohan as he scooped her into his arms, carrying her away from the house that held too many ghosts of a past she no longer recognized.

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

Kashish’s eyes snapped open, her chest heaving, drenched in sweat. The room was pitch dark, but something felt off. This wasn’t Raheja Mansion. She quickly realized it was her childhood home, the place where she had spent her most innocent days. The faint sound of clinking cutlery echoed from the kitchen, making her body tense. She had no strength left, yet she dragged herself out of bed, her feet heavy as she followed the noise.

Standing in the kitchen doorway, she froze seeing her father, Keshav Bedi, before the stove, cooking as if nothing had changed. He looked the same as she remembered, but his face carried the weight of time and worry. His shoulders were hunched, and his hair had grayed, but a familiar, comforting smile crossed his lips when he saw her.

“You’re awake. Look what I’ve made for you—Aloo Poori, your favorite,” he said, lifting the lid of a pot.

Tears welled up in Kashish’s eyes, and for a fleeting moment, she felt the warmth of being his little girl again. Without thinking, she rushed forward and hugged him tightly, the familiar scent of home enveloping her.

“I missed you, Paapa,” she whispered.

“I missed you too, Kashish.” He kissed her on the top of her head before gently pulling away.

As she stepped back, her gaze drifted to his forehead. The painful truth of his illness hit her, and the memory of his letter resurfaced, filling her heart with anger and disbelief.

“You killed yourself?” Her voice trembled with rage.

Keshav looked down, guilt etched into his features. “I was dying anyway, Kashish. I thought... I thought I could secure a future for you—something I couldn’t do while I was alive.”

“But you destroyed another family, Paapa!” Her voice cracked, thick with fury. “Your decision ruined Rudra’s life. He spent two years suffering in juvenile home for something he didn’t do on purpose! He was molested there, humiliated, and even now, his family bears the weight of a broken soul. He lives among them, but he’s isolated... because of you!”

Keshav’s mouth opened, but no words came out. The shame on his face deepened as he struggled to justify his choices. “I didn’t see it that way... I only thought about your future, Kashish.”

“You built my future on the ruins of someone else’s happiness!” she screamed, her voice shaking with grief. “I’ll never forgive you for this, Paapa. You were selfish! You were selfish!”

Suddenly, Kashish jolted awake, her body jerking upright in bed. The room around her spun as the words,“You were selfish, Paapa... you were selfish,”echoed from her lips. Her face was drenched in sweat, her heart pounding violently in her chest. This wasn’t her childhood home. She was back at Raheja Mansion.

Anjali rushed into the room, her arms wrapping around Kashish to steady her.

“Kashish, calm down,” she whispered gently, trying to soothe her.

Her body continued to tremble as she turned to Anjali and broke down in her arms. Anjali held her close.

“If you needed to go to Uttam Nagar, why didn’t you tell Shekhar or me? We could have gone with you,” Anjali said softly, pulling back to look at Kashish’s tear-streaked face.

Kashish shook her head, guilt weighing her down like an anchor.

“I didn’t want to drag anyone with me... that house holds too many memories.”

“That’s exactly why we didn’t want you to go alone. But thank God Rudra found you and brought you home,” Anjali said, brushing her hand gently over Kashish’s hair.

The mention of Rudra made Kashish’s heart twist painfully. How could he still be so caring after reading that letter? Didn’t he tell anyone? Why was Anjali acting as if nothing had changed? She mustered the courage to ask, her voice weak and uncertain.

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