Page 141 of One Hellish Love

The next morning, Rudra came downstairs for breakfast and found Kashish setting the table, looking vibrant and happy. He, on the other hand, had barely slept. The excitement from Kashish’s indirect confession about her feelings had kept him awake all night. He’d spent those hours imagining a future with her, something he’d only dreamed of until now.

“Good morning,” she greeted him with a smile, pulling out a chair for him.

Rudra felt a little awkward.

“I should be the one doing that,” he muttered, gently guiding her to sit down beside him.

As he lifted the lid of the dish in front of him, expecting his usual pancakes, he was surprised to find something different. He glanced at her, confused. For weeks, she had preparedhis favorite breakfast. Now that things were changing between them, she’d broken that routine?

“Where are my pancakes?” he asked, still puzzled.

Kashish began serving him puffy dosas instead.

“What’s with you and pancakes? Why are you so obsessed with them?”

Rudra hesitated, but then decided to tell her. If anyone deserved to know his past, it was her.

“Pancakes were the last dish my mother made for me.”

Her heart sank. Now she understood why they meant so much to him.

“Oh…” she faltered for a moment, unsure how to respond. “I just thought a little change would spice up your mornings. So… I made dosas.”

Rudra couldn’t help but admire her thoughtfulness. His life had indeed been stuck in a monotonous routine for years. She was trying to change that. He took a bite of the dosa and instantly loved it.

“It’s delicious,” he admitted.

Kashish’s face lit up.

“Try it with these chutneys,” she said, offering him tomato and coconut chutneys.

Rudra ate eagerly, appreciating the care she put into everything she did. Kashish, on the other hand, couldn’t take her eyes off him. She marveled at how much he enjoyed his food, how simple pleasures could still light up his face. Watching him now, she reaffirmed her vow to hold the strings of his happiness in her hands. Whatever it took, she would make sure he was always smiling.

Her phone beeped, breaking her reverie. She glanced at the screen, her heart sinking. It was a message from Savitri Raheja, reminding her of the promise she had made and urging her notto delay in fulfilling it. Daadi was so eager to remove her from Rudra’s life. If only it were that simple!

CHAPTER 47

Jaipur Residence

Rudra, who had been stealing glances at her, initially ignored her distraction. But when he noticed her fingers trembling as she typed on her phone, he couldn’t resist. Kashish hurriedly deleted the message after replying to Savitri, cautioning her not to send such direct texts, as they could land both of them in trouble if Rudra ever saw them.

“Whose message was that?” he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Kashish set her phone down and forced a smile.

“No one’s,” she lied, trying to continue eating as if nothing had happened.

“I just saw you responding to some message. Why are you lying? What are you hiding?” His frustration was evident.

Kashish’s heart raced. No one could read her better than Rudra.

“Why would I hide anything from you, Rudra? Yes, I got a message, but it was just a promotional one from some shopping store. I deleted it. That’s all.”

“You’re still lying,” he snapped, his eyes narrowing.

Kashish took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay patient. If she lost control now, she would only confirm his suspicions.

“Don’t you trust me?” she asked, even though the words felt hollow, knowing full well that she was keeping something from him.

---