Page 116 of One Hellish Love

“I can’t stay here any longer,” she muttered, gently pushing him aside as she made her way toward the door.

Once again, Daadi’s voice rang out.

“You cannot leave this house! These are the court orders, Kashish. Until you turn 25, you’re bound to this family. How many times do I need to remind you of that?”

Kashish didn’t waver. Her mind raced back to the moment he had proposed to her at the hotel with his mother’s ring.The absurdity of the situation hit her all over again. How could he possibly think a marriage between them would work after everything that had happened? She gripped her bags and continued toward the exit.

“Don’t stop her, Daadi. Let her go.” Rudra’s voice cut through the tension suddenly.

Everyone turned toward the door to where Rudra stood. It wasn’t his presence but his words that shocked everyone.

“Rudra, what are you saying? The court has strict orders. If she leaves, we might be held responsible. The court won’t understand that it was her choice,” Daadi protested.

“I don’t care what the court thinks,” Rudra replied coldly. “In fact, I’ve already called the court personnel and told them Kashish wants to leave the family. They’ll be here soon. They need to know what’s happening—that I’m pressuring her for marriage, which she’s obviously against.”

Kashish’s jaw dropped. Was he serious? He was willing to risk his dignity and the family’s reputation to force her into staying? This was nothing short of emotional blackmail. She glared at him, furious, but he only stood there, calm, pushing her further into a corner.

“Let them charge me for troubling and bothering her. I don’t care what happens to me after that,” he added deliberately.

His words stung, but the family members began to realize what he was doing, including Kashish. She knew if she left now, this would spiral into something far worse.

That’s when two court officers entered the house, standing beside Rudra.

“Miss Kashish Bedi?” one of the officers asked.

Kashish’s grip on her bag loosened.

“We received information that you plan to leave this house. Are you aware of the court orders?” the second officer questioned, holding up the document.

Kashish swallowed hard, but before she could respond, Shekhar stepped forward.

“Uh, officers, I think there’s been some misunderstanding,” Shekhar began to explain.

“Bhai, please,” Rudra interrupted. “These officers are here to hear from Kashish herself. She’s old enough to make her own decisions. If she’s uncomfortable in this house because of me, then she should be allowed to say so, and the court can take appropriate action.Against me!”

Kashish gritted her teeth, glaring at Rudra knowing how he was manipulating everything. This had to stop. She had to take control of this chaotic situation.

“Officer,” she began, steadying her voice. “As Shekhar said, there’s been a misunderstanding. I’m not leaving this house permanently. I work for Raheja Designs, and there’s some business outside the city that requires my presence.”

Rudra smirked at her clever reply. She had managed to defuse the situation with a lie.

“Are you sure, Miss Bedi? You don’t need to be afraid. If you’re uncomfortable here, you can tell us,” the officer persisted.

“I’m fine, Officer. I apologize for the confusion,” she assured them, offering a forced smile.

After exchanging a few words, the officers decided to leave, sensing nothing was amiss. Anjali moved closer to Kashish, mouthing a silent ‘thank you’ for saving their family from unnecessary scrutiny.

But Kashish marched toward Rudra, who had been standing there indifferent with his hands into his pockets.

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” she spat. “You think you can blackmail me into staying in this house? Three more months, Rudra, and you can’t do a damn thing to stop me from walking out of your life forever.”

“You’re living in a fantasy, Kashish. Remember when I told you that you were lucky, I hadn’t taken my feelings for you seriously? Well, now I have. Do whatever you want. I’m never letting you go.”

His words sent a chill through the room, not just to Kashish, but to everyone standing there. It was clear that something far deeper had been brewing between them—something Kashish didn’t want to acknowledge, and something Rudra refused to let her escape from.

Kashish felt trapped, powerless, as every pair of eyes in the room stared back at her. But she wasn’t about to back down.

“You knew I would never want to hurt you again. You used that against me, didn’t you?” she accused, her voice filled with rage.

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