Page 88 of One Hellish Love

It was now 3:45 p.m. Kashish couldn’t wait any longer. She rushed to the elevator and headed to his cabin, knocking once before stepping inside—only to find the room empty. Panic surged through her as she stepped back into the hallway and spotted Jay.

“Rudra? Where is he?” she asked urgently.

Jay chuckled. “Oh, he left an hour ago for some work.”

“Work?” Kashish frowned. “But I checked his schedule—there was nothing planned for the evening.”

“He’s the CEO, Kashish. Anything can come up at the last minute for him,” Jay replied casually. “I don’t think he’s coming back to the office today.”

Kashish felt a wave of disappointment crash over her.He fled.Rudra Raheja had fled from the plan she’d so meticulously laid out for him. How could he?

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

Back at home, Kashish tossed herself onto the bed, her mind swirling with frustration and defeat. She had tried so hard to get him to the psychiatrist, to make him realize this was for his own good. Why couldn’t he understand that? Didn’t he want to heal? Or was it that he refused to be cured? Her thoughts spiraled. Any woman who wished to share her life with him would want him to overcome his phobias. Couldn’t he see that? Or maybe he was terrified—terrified of opening up, of confronting his horrors.

Dinner that evening was no different. Rudra was absent, and the silence at the table was palpable. Shekhar noticed Kashish listlessly pushing her food around, her eyes repeatedly drifting toward the door.

“Kashish, your food’s getting cold,” Shekhar remarked, his voice gentle.

Kashish nodded, forcing herself to take a small bite.

“Why are you so distracted today? And why do you keep looking at the door?” he asked, suspicion lacing his tone.

“I am waiting for Rudra,” she replied softly, her words heavy with disappointment.

She felt Shekhar and Anjali’s eyes on her, their confusion obvious. They had no idea about Rudra’s phobias or the weight behind her waiting for him. She met their curious gazes and quickly scrambled for an excuse.

“I mean, I needed to discuss some designs with him. You know I’m required to report to him daily. He left early today, so I missed my chance,” she lied, hoping to divert their attention.

Shekhar didn’t buy it. He knew there was more to this than a missed design report. He could see how eager she was for Rudra’s return. Something had shifted between them, and he wasn’t sure what.

“Do you realize something, Kashish?” Shekhar muttered, leaning forward.

Kashish glanced up, curious. “What?”

“You’ve softened towards him,” he said, his voice laced with certainty.

Anjali nodded in agreement.

Kashish sighed, her mind too tired to refute it. “Maybe.”

The truth was, all the rage and resentment she had once carried for Rudra seemed to have faded. And she was surprisingly at peace with it.

Just then, Rudra walked through the door. His exhaustion was etched deeply on his face.

“Ram Prasad, get me some water,” Rudra called out as he slumped onto the couch.

Kashish shot up from her seat, abandoning her half-eaten meal. She had so much pent-up anger to release, and she didn’t care what Shekhar or Anjali thought about her sudden reaction. Fortunately, the living room was far enough from the dining area that they wouldn’t overhear what she had to say.

“You fled on purpose, didn’t you?” she hissed, storming toward him.

Rudra, who had just leaned back and closed his eyes, opened them again, meeting her furious gaze.

“You know what they call people who run away from reality?” she demanded. “Losers.”

Rudra’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching as he stood. Her anger was justified, but he had no intention of explaining himself. He stepped forward, intending to leave, but she blocked his path.

“Stop running from reality, Rudra.”

---