Page 133 of One Hellish Love

Anjali swallowed hard, realizing there would be no saving Kashish this time. Daadi stormed off to her room, set on confronting Kashish with the full force of her anger.

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Jaipur

Rudra sat in his room, absently flipping through television channels. After dinner, Kashish had been downstairs chatting with the maids, so he had decided to unwind with a little TV. He rarely had time to relax like this, so it was a luxury he savored.

His thoughts drifted when he heard a knock at the door. Kashish stepped inside, holding a tablet strip in her hand.

“May I come in?” she asked hesitantly.

Rudra muted the TV and placed the remote aside, a soft smile playing on his lips.

“Always.”

His simple reply made her feel strangely nervous, but she tried to push it aside, stepping further into the room. She held out the tablets to him.

“Dr. Akash prescribed these. You’re supposed to take one every night for a week. They’ll help you sleep better,” she explained, handing him the pills.

But Rudra didn’t take them. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, his gaze locking onto hers with a teasing glint.

“So, you were so much worried about me that you called Dr. Akash?” he teased.

She realized she’d given him an opening to tease her.

“Yes, I did. But honestly, it’s more for my benefit than yours. I don’t want to have to keep checking in on you. So just take it.”

She popped a tablet out of the strip and handed it to him. This time, he didn’t argue. He took the pill and swallowed it with a sip of water.

“I’ve survived without these pills for years, Kashish. You don’t need to concern yourself too much. Nightmares are a part of my life now.”

His tone laced with a quiet pain that tugged at her heart. She couldn’t stand the look on his face, the way he carried his suffering without complaint. She sat down beside him on the bed.

“Your nightmares must have been unbearable in the beginning.”

Rudra’s face darkened with a shadow of the past. “Worse than you could imagine,” he murmured.

Her heart clenched.

“How did you get through it? All those years… so many terrible nights.”

“I survived… but I never knew what could truly ease that pain. Not until last night.”

Her breath hitched.

“Untilyouchose to soothe me,” he added, his eyes locked on hers.

“I… I don’t know what to say,” she stammered.

He leaned closer.

“I’m a sucker for moments like that, Kashish. Where I have you in my arms. Close to me. I don’t think I’ll ever let you go.”

The vulnerability in his voice made her feel both out of place and exactly where she was meant to be.

“And if you leave,” he continued, “I don’t think I’ll ever breathe again.”

That single statement unraveled her. The man sitting beside her was still imprisoned by pain and loss. And if anyone could heal him, it had to be her. She could see it now. Only she could bring him the peace he so desperately needed.

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