Page 132 of One Hellish Love

As her mind raced, Ram Prasad returned.

“Daadiji, where are the curtains for Kashish Didi’s room?”

“They’re in her closet,” Savitri replied.

“I don’t have the keys, though.”

Savitri recalled that Kashish had handed over the keys to Anjali before leaving for Jaipur. She retrieved them from Anjali’s room and unlocked Kashish’s closet to fetch the curtains. As she pulled out the fresh fabric, something else caught her eye—an envelope tucked beneath the neatly folded clothes. It looked like it had been hidden, but in her haste, she had disturbed it.

Curiosity got the better of her. Knowing it was wrong but unable to resist, Savitri opened the envelope and pulled out the letter inside. As she read its contents, her heart sank, and tears welled up in her eyes.

“Kashish’s father... committed suicide?” she whispered to herself in shock. “That accident wasn’t an accident?”

Her hands trembled at the revelation. All these years, she had blamed fate, cursed the cruel twist of events that had shattered their family. But now she knew that Kashish’s father had taken his own life, dragging them all into a nightmare that had lasted more than a decade.

Savitri stood frozen, staring blankly at the letter in her hands. How was she supposed to process this? How was she supposed to face the pain, the anger, the betrayal? And what did this mean for Kashish and Rudra?

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

Anjali and Shekhar stood in stunned silence, the suicide note from Keshav Bedi clutched in their hands. Daadi had revealed the truth to them after they returned home.

“I… I can’t believe this,” Shekhar murmured. “Kashish’s father planned his own death?”

Daadi’s fury was beyond anything they had ever witnessed. Her eyes blazed with anger, her voice trembling with the weight of years of pain and injustice.

“So that means… Rudra… he’s not entirely responsible for the accident?” Anjali asked.

Daadi said nothing, but her silence was deafening. She was too consumed by the storm raging inside her mind, a fury she could barely control.

“Where did you find this note, Daadi?” Anjali ventured cautiously.

“In Kashish’s closet,” Daadi muttered through clenched teeth.

Shekhar and Anjali exchanged bewildered glances. How could this be? How could Kashish have kept something so monumental hidden? Daadi suddenly shot up from the couch, her face contorted with rage.

“She knew,” Daadi spat. “She knew her father did this—this reckless, selfish thing—and she let my grandson suffer for it!” She nearly shouted, her words shaking with disbelief.

“I don’t think she knew, Daadi,” Shekhar intervened gently, trying to calm her, but Daadi’s anger wasn’t something that could be soothed easily.

“Then how do you explain finding this note hidden in her closet?” Daadi shot back, her voice harsh. “She must have known for years, and she said nothing to us. She kept this from us while my grandson bore the weight of that tragedy. I always had my doubts about Kashish, and now I know. She may have even conspired with her father, for all we know.”

Shekhar stepped forward, trying to reason with her.

“Daadi, we’re jumping to conclusions. We don’t know if Kashish was aware of this. Maybe she’s as shocked as we are.”

But Daadi was beyond reason.

“Innocent or not, Shekhar, I don’t care anymore. I won’t let her stay near Rudra. She’s been lying, and I won’t stand for it. Even Rudra won’t be able to change my mind this time.”

With that, Daadi snatched her phone and dialed a number.

“Book my ticket to Jaipur. The first flight tomorrow morning,” she barked into the phone.

Anjali and Shekhar exchanged worried glances, realizing that Daadi had reached a point of no return.

“Daadi, let me come with you,” Shekhar offered, desperate to mediate before things spiraled further out of control.

“No,” Daadi snapped. “I’m going alone. And if anyone tries to warn Rudra or Kashish about my arrival, they will have to answer to me.”

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