Page 109 of One Hellish Love

“Rudra...?”

“Yes, he brought you back, Kashish. He even called the doctor to check on you and stayed by your side for two hours until I made him rest,” Anjali explained. “He’s been so worried.”

Kashish’s breath hitched. He had read that letter—the letter that proved he was innocent. Yet, he said nothing to his family. He didn’t demand justice, didn’t reveal the truth. How could he stay silent? How could he still care for her, knowing everything? This only intensified her guilt, crushing her under the realization that she didn’t deserve the kindness this family had shown her.

“I’ll get your dinner, alright? You need to eat,” Anjali said, standing up to leave.

“No, Anju. I can’t. I’m not hungry,” Kashish muttered, her voice hollow.

Anjali frowned. “But—”

“Please. I just... need to be alone tonight. Please,” Kashish pleaded.

After a moment, Anjali relented with a sigh.

“Alright, but don’t overthink. Rest, okay? If you need anything, just call me.”

Kashish nodded absently as Anjali left the room. As soon as the door clicked shut, she curled into herself, clutching the pillow tightly. Tears streamed down her face once more. How could she ever face the Rahejas again, knowing the truth? Every second in this house would be a haunting reminder of her father’s selfishness, a reminder that this family would have been so much happier if not for him. And Rudra... how could she ever meet his gaze again?

The guilt, the pain, the overwhelming sorrow—it was too much. Kashish knew her life here would never be the same again.

CHAPTER 37

“Is she awake?” Rudra asked Anjali, who had just come down from Kashish’s room.

“Yes, but she wants to be alone for a while. She even refused to eat,” Anjali replied, her concern evident.

Rudra clenched his fists, feeling helpless.

“She’ll fall sick if she doesn’t eat,” he muttered under his breath.

Anjali smiled softly, moved by how deeply he cared for Kashish.

“Even if we forced her to eat, it wouldn’t help right now. She needs time, Rudra. By morning, she’ll be better. I’ll make her favorite aloo poori tomorrow—she won’t be able to say no to that.”

Rudra nodded, though his gaze lingered on the empty lobby. Today had been a whirlwind of emotions, unraveling layers of their pasts, exposing wounds both old and new. He had opened up to Kashish about his darkest memory, and together they had unearthed a painful truth—her father’s decision that had not only claimed his life but shattered Rudra’s as well.

Kashish had always seen her father as a hero, a figure who could do no wrong. But learning that he had orchestrated his own death to secure her future, even if it meant destroying someone else’s, was something that would torment her deeply. Rudra knew her inside out—the way she thought, her innerbattles—and he understood what her next move might be. He had to stop her from acting on it, no matter the cost.

Rudra retreated to his room, collapsing onto the bed. Sleep was out of the question. His mind whirled back to the night of the accident, the rain pouring relentlessly as he took his brother’s car keys and drove through the storm. He rarely let himself relive that night, but now he forced himself to. He remembered the road, empty and slick with rain. The headlights cut through the darkness, and then, out of nowhere, a blinding flash of light from the other side of the road. He’d been momentarily blinded, and in those fleeting seconds, Kashish’s father had chosen that exact moment to leap in front of his car.

Rudra shuddered, his body trembling at the memory. The chaotic aftermath flooded his mind—the crowd, the wailing sirens. That one night had rewritten his entire life. He had been punished, torn away from his family. And now, after all these years, he knew he had been framed, manipulated by a desperate man trying to ensure his daughter’s future.

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

Kashish woke up with a jolt the next morning. The remnants of a nightmare clung to her mind leading to a nightmare where he saw her father, strangling Rudra and forcing him into a coffin. She pressed a hand to her head, trying to steady her thoughts, and reached for the glass of water on the bedside table. Her stomach churned from hunger, but she had no desire to eat.

A knock sounded at the door, and she groggily called for whoever it was to come in. Expecting Anjali, she was surprised to see Ram Prasad wheeling in a breakfast trolley.

“Kashish Didi, your breakfast,” Ram Prasad said warmly.

“Who sent this?” Kashish asked softly, already knowing the answer.

“Me,” Rudra’s voice echoed from the doorway.

Kashish’s heart sank as she turned to face him. The moment Ram Prasad left, Rudra entered the room calmly. He walked over to the trolley, opening the lid to reveal a plate of aloo poori.

“Anjali Bhabhi made your favorite. You should eat,” he said, extending the plate toward her.

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