Page 140 of One Hellish Love

Rudra listened as she gently took his hand, sending warmth up his arm.

“There’s always been something between us, Rudra,” she continued. “From the moment we first crossed paths outside that courtroom, there was rage, anger—then frustration, and even revenge when you came back into my life after 11 years. But as the truth came out, that anger turned into guilt, and my feelings for you shifted. Unlike you, my emotions have never been steady. I don’t even know what they are now. But I can’t ignore them anymore. I need to figure this out… what we have between us.”

Rudra felt like the world had tilted beneath him. Was this really happening? He tightened his grip on her fingers.

“Tell me this isn’t a dream.”

Kashish glanced at him. “It’s a new beginning—the only way we can finally escape the pain we’ve been carrying all these years.”

Rudra exhaled, closing his eyes. The moment was so pure, so sacred. He wanted to savor it forever, but just then, they heard footsteps approaching. Kashish was the first to notice and tugged his hand.

“We should go,” she whispered.

Rudra nodded reluctantly. He didn’t want to leave this perfect moment, but he followed her out to where the other guests were gathering for dinner. Kashish mingled with the other women again, while Rudra found himself with the men. But his mind never left her.

He stole a glance at Kashish from across the room. She looked calm but he could see beneath that. She had made a choice—one that would change both their lives. And it wasn’t just out of guilt for her father’s actions. There was somethingdeeper driving her, something powerful she was trying to understand.

Rudra smiled to himself. Whatever the future held, tonight had given him something precious:hope. Kashish was willing to stand by his side, and for the first time in years, Rudra felt like he was ready to live again.

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When they returned home, Kashish could easily read the desire in Rudra’s eyes to stay with her a little longer, to talk, to hold on to the moment they had shared. But reality intruded—he had a video conference with his US client, a meeting he couldn’t skip or delay. She urged him to go, to handle his work. Reluctantly, he accepted her decision and headed to his room.

Kashish freshened up and climbed into bed only to notice Shekhar’s missed call and decided to call him back.

“Kashish? What happened? Are you okay?” Shekhar’s questions spilled out in a rush.

“Shekhar, relax. I’m fine.”

Shekhar sighed, but his tone remained anxious.

“I need to know what happened. Daadi is back in Delhi, acting like everything is normal. I tried asking her, but she just said it was all taken care of. What does that mean?”

Kashish hesitated to even tell Shekhar about the promise Daadi had extracted from her. It would only cause more pain, and the last thing she wanted was to deepen the Raheja family’s wounds.

“I had a long conversation with her,” Kashish explained. “In the end, she understood.”

“Understood what?” he pressed, sounding unconvinced.

“That her beloved grandson can only be happy with me by his side,” she replied as tears welled up in her eyes. The image of the day she would have to walk away from Rudra, as promised, haunted her.

“Kashish, I’m really surprised Daadi came around,” Shekhar said, still doubtful. “But what’s next? What are your plans?”

She wiped her tears.

“My only goal now is to heal Rudra, to give him the happiness he deserves. Nothing and no one will come between us until I’ve done that.”

Shekhar was silent for a moment, absorbing her words

“Are you sure? This isn’t something you can take lightly. Rudra’s been through hell. If you’re serious about giving him a brighter future, you have to be committed. Temporary happiness won’t be enough for him.”

His words hit her hard.

“I know,” she whispered, barely able to speak.

During the confrontation with Daadi, she hadn’t fully grasped the consequences of her vow. Yes, she could pull Rudra out of his pain, but once she left, his grief would be unbearable. She couldn’t hurt him like that, not after everything he had already endured.

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