Page 155 of One Hellish Love

“Then tell me.” He slowed his pace slightly but didn’t stop.

“Daadi doesn’t like me,” she blurted out, desperate to make him understand.

“That will change once we’re married,” he replied without missing a beat.

“No, it won’t,” Kashish cried. “I made a promise to Daadi… I promised her I would leave you once you were healed. She asked me to leave you forever, and I agreed.”

Rudra stopped abruptly. Kashish looked up at him, her heart pounding in her chest, terrified of his reaction. His face paled, but instead of dropping her or lashing out, he turned slowly, his gaze fixed on something ahead of them.

Kashish followed his line of sight and gasped. Daadi, Shekhar, and Anjali stood at the entrance, watching them in shock.

Her heart sank. Rudra knew. He had known all along. This was the punishment, the sin he had been hinting at.He had planned this.

CHAPTER 50

Daadi stood frozen, unable to process the sight before her—Rudra, her beloved grandson, forcing a marriage with Kashish. Her mind reeled with disbelief, and fury surged through her as she realized what could have happened if she hadn’t arrived in time. Rudra would have married this woman—the one she held responsible for every ounce of pain Rudra had endured.

Shekhar and Anjali, although aware of some of the underlying tensions, were just as shaken by the boldness of Rudra’s plan. After hearing from Jay that Daadi had gone to Jaipur, Rudra had immediately called Shekhar to dig for more information. Shekhar, unable to hide the truth, had confessed that Daadi had confronted Kashish about Keshav Bedi’s suicide note. Upon Daadi’s return to Delhi, they had both noticed a triumphant shift in her demeanor, as if she had secured a significant victory. Rudra had pieced everything together, realizing that Daadi and Kashish had had a conversation that sealed his fate—one that neither of them would reveal to him.

It all made sense now: Kashish’s nightmares, her persistent refusal to commit to their relationship, her distance. None of them had told him the truth, forcing him to take drastic measures. Tonight, he had orchestrated this confrontation, bringing all the players into one room to expose the reality. But success came with a bitter price—his heart was shattered, knowing Daadi had demanded such a promise from the woman he loved.

Daadi’s gaze met Rudra’s, but she couldn’t hold it. His stare was fierce, brimming with a quiet, lethal rage. And even now, he refused to let Kashish go, still cradling her in his arms despite her trembling protests to be released. Unable to bear the intensity of his anger, Daadi averted her eyes. Finally, Rudra set Kashish down, her legs weak with fear. The secret they had hidden was now out in the open, and Rudra’s fury was about to explode. He turned to Daadi, his every step toward her filled with restrained wrath.

“I get it, Daadi,” Rudra began, his voice cold, “You’ve always had your issues with Kashish. But after finding out about the suicide note, those issues became something you couldn’t bear. Fine. But you knew how much I loved her. You weren’t blind to that.”

Daadi looked up at him, her face hard but conflicted.

“What you call love, Rudra, is just guilt,” she replied. “You’ve been punishing yourself for breaking her family, and that guilt morphed into feelings you mistook for love. And now, Kashish is drowning in her own guilt—guilt for what her father did to you. That’s why she accepted your love. Relationships built on guilt never last. I’m trying to save you both from inevitable heartbreak.”

Her words only deepened the storm brewing inside Rudra.

“Is that what you think of me?” he scowled. “That my love for her is just guilt? You, of all people, should know me better. You’ve watched me suffer through every moment of pain. You’ve seen the devastation, the tears, the emptiness. And you think this is about guilt?” His voice, though controlled, was laced with anguish.

Kashish couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. She felt every shred of his agony as if it were her own. Shekhar and Anjali stood frozen, helpless as they watched their family breaking before their eyes.

“I’ve always wanted the best for you, Rudra.” She tried to reach out to touch his arm, but he stepped back, rejecting her.

“You’ve already taken the best from me. There’s nothing left for you to take.”

Without another word, he turned and stormed out of the terrace. Shekhar tried to stop him, but Rudra wouldn’t listen. His entire world had crumbled. Daadi stood rooted to the spot, staring after him in disbelief. She never imagined her actions would push him this far.

She turned sharply to Shekhar.

“This was your doing, wasn’t it? This is why you insisted on coming to Jaipur, to create this drama? I thought you, as his elder brother, would stand by me in making the right decision for Rudra.”

Shekhar’s eyes flashed with hurt and anger.

“Daadi, don’t you see what you’ve done? You’ve broken him. Rudra never asked for much in life, but when he finally did, you took it from him. Kashish means everything to him, Daadi. He’s only just begun to heal, and now you’ve thrown him back into the darkness. I’m sorry, but I cannot support you in this. You are wrong this time.”

Daadi looked at him in shock, unable to believe her grandsons had both turned against her.

“And you, Kashish,” he then turned to her. “I thought you wanted to heal him. For a while, I believed it was love, but now... you’ve shattered him. I only hope he finds the strength to forgive you.”

Without another word, Daadi walked out, leaving the terrace heavy with silence. Shekhar followed suit, and Anjali, after a hesitant glance at Kashish, trailed behind him.

Kashish stood alone amidst the chaos. Her heart felt like it would burst from the pain, the guilt crushing her. The flames of the holy fire still flickered before her, mocking the sacrednessof what could have been a joyful union. She sank to her knees in front of it, covering her face with trembling hands, her sobs breaking the stillness.

What had she done? All she had wanted was to bring Rudra peace, to be the light in his life, but instead, she had plunged him into deeper darkness. She had been foolish to think that hiding the truth would protect him. She should have told him everything—together, they could have fought Daadi’s objections. But now, it was too late. She had destroyed him, perhaps beyond repair.

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