Page 91 of One Hellish Love

“Anju, what are you trying to do? Brainwash me?” Kashish snapped. “He shows no sign of liking me like that. I’d know if he did.”

“That’s because he’s good at hiding it,” Anjali replied, her voice matter-of-fact.

Before Kashish could respond, Shekhar stepped in.

“Alright, enough of that. We’re running late. I’ll see you tonight, Anju,” Shekhar said, kissing his wife’s cheek before ushering Kashish out of the house. As they walked toward the car, he could sense Kashish had taken Anjali’s words to heart.

“Don’t think too much about what she said. She could be wrong,” Shekhar advised gently.

And what if it was true?Kashish wondered. Was Rudra really hiding his feelings all this time, and she just hadn’t noticed?

“Kashish, why don’t you join us in the car today? We need to wrap up early anyway,” Shekhar suggested.

Kashish agreed. As they approached the car, she noticed Rudra already seated in the back. When he saw them coming, he got out and moved to the front seat next to Mohan. Kashish’s irritation spiked. Was he deliberately trying to avoid her because she was intruding too much into his personal life?

They climbed into the car, and Rudra remained silent, either looking out the window or engrossed in a phone call. Shekhar chatted with Kashish, but her thoughts were elsewhere—wondering how much truth lay in Anjali’s words and what Rudra was trying so hard to hide.

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

Kashish was in her cabin when she received a call from Veeru Kaaka, her father’s old friend, who she had run into at the store recently. She quickly answered.

“Kashish?”

“Yes, Kaaka. It’s me. How come you’re calling?”

“Nothing much, your Kaaki wanted to invite you over for a meal. If you’re free, that is,” Veeru Kaaka replied warmly.

Kashish’s lips curved into a smile.

“I’d love to come, Kaaka. But there’s a party at work today. How about I come over tomorrow for dinner, if that’s okay?” she offered.

“No problem. I’ll let my wife know. There’s also something I need to give you. It belonged to your father, and he wanted you to have it.”

Her smile faded. A sudden heaviness settled over her.

“What is it, Kaaka?” she asked, her voice growing quiet.

“You’ll find out when you come tomorrow,” he replied.

Kashish hung up, her mind swirling with thoughts. What could it be? Why did her father entrust something to Veeru Kaaka? Did he somehow know he wasn’t going to be around much longer? The pressure in her head built as she massaged her temples, trying to shake the thoughts away. Perhaps she was overthinking. She would find out tomorrow. Today, she had work to focus on—and the party afterward.

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

As the office hours wound down, everyone buzzed with excitement, preparing to head to the hotel where the Valentine’s party was being held. Kashish left with her team and soon arrived at the venue. The atmosphere was lively, with everyone crowding around Jay and a few other leads who were ready to distribute the gifts that their Secret Valentines had chosen. Rudra and Shekhar stood nearby, though while Shekhar appeared excited, Rudra remained indifferent, his eyes fixated on Lavina, who was likely discussing business with him as usual.

“Rudra, this one’s yours,” Jay called out, passing a gift to him.

Rudra accepted it with a faint smile, but his gaze immediately shifted to Kashish. She felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her as he received the present she had chosen for him. Trying to blend in, she collected her own gift from Jay—a small, beautifully wrapped box. Her Secret Valentine had clearly put thought into the presentation. As everyone started unwrapping their gifts, Kashish couldn’t help but keep her eyes on Rudra. He tore open his wrapping and revealed a crisp white shirt—his favorite wardrobe staple. His lips curled into a smile, and then, for a brief moment, he locked eyes with Kashish, as if silently thanking her, though no words were exchanged.

She quickly turned her attention to her own gift, unwrapping it only to find herself utterly stunned. Inside was a pair of exquisite silver anklets—the very ones she had added to her cart recently on a shopping site but had never purchased because they were too expensive.

No regular employee could afford to buy something like this. Couldhehave gifted her these? Her heart raced as she glanced around, searching for Rudra, but he was nowhere to be seen. Where had he gone? She spotted him stepping outside, speaking on his phone.

Just as she moved to follow him, her team members intercepted her.

“Kashish, where are you off to? The party’s here! Show us what you got!” one of them teased.

Sighing in frustration, she reluctantly stopped and showed them the anklets.

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