Page 156 of One Hellish Love

Rudra hadn’t even looked at her, hadn’t asked her for an explanation. His heartbreak was so deep that he had simply walked away from her without a word. Her tears fell harder. She had to fix this, but how? How could she mend the heart she had broken so cruelly?

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Rudra slammed the bedroom door shut, locking it from the inside as he leaned heavily against it, closing his eyes. Kashish agreeing to such silly promise of leaving him forever bore down on him like a crushing wave. How could she have made such a foolish promise to Daadi? His fists clenched tightly, and with a surge of rage, he punched the wall, the sharp sting grounding him in reality. Her eyes had always been honest—he had seen her love, her sincerity. But then why had she kept this from him? Why had she hidden something so important, something that changed everything?

His thoughts spiraled, recalling the way she had cared for him, coaxed him to take the wheel, given him his medicine each night to soothe his nightmares. Had it all been part of her plan? Was she simply preparing to leave him once she believed he was healed? If that were the case, he would rather remain broken. He didn’t want to be cured if it meant losing her.

Consumed by fury, he yanked open the drawer and grabbed the bottle of medication Dr. Akash had prescribed. Without hesitation, he stormed into the bathroom, dumping the pills into the toilet and flushing them away, the bottle smashing against the floor in his rage. He emerged, his gaze falling on the bed—the same bed he and Kashish had shared, the place where he had dared to hope for a future. That bed was now tainted by her betrayal. He couldn’t bear the memories it held.

His hand found the lighter in the drawer, and without a second thought, he ignited it, tossing it onto the bed. Flames erupted, devouring the sheets and creeping outward. The fire was a reflection of the storm inside him—wild, uncontrollable, consuming. Smoke began to seep through the cracks of the door and windows, triggering the fire alarm. Sprinklers burst into action, dousing the flames, but the damage had already begun.

Shekhar, Anjali, Daadi, and Kashish rushed to his room, panic coursing through them. They were terrified of what Rudra might have done in his anguish. Shekhar kicked the door open, revealing Rudra standing in the middle of the drenched room, surrounded by smoldering ruins. His clothes were soaked, his body trembling from the sheer force of his emotions.

“Rudra!” Shekhar shouted, running to him and pulling him away from the remnants of the fire. Rudra didn’t resist, but his eyes, dark with anger, remained locked on Kashish. She stood frozen, unable to move, her heart pounding with terror at the sight of him. Daadi wept silently, never having seen Rudra in such a state. There were burns on his arms.

“What were you thinking, Rudra? You could have been killed!” Shekhar’s voice cracked with fear and frustration. “I know you’re angry, but this—this is not the way to deal with it!”

But Rudra’s gaze never wavered from Kashish. His eyes were filled with agony and fury that tore at her soul. The thought of what could have happened—of him standing there as the fireconsumed him—made her knees weak. She had hurt him far more deeply than she had ever imagined. There was no more hope for reconciliation; she could see that now. The fragile trust they had built was shattered, and Rudra would never forgive her. Never!

Rudra finally broke the tense silence, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.

“We’re leaving for Delhi tonight. All of us.”

Shekhar nodded, understanding the urgency of the situation. Rudra needed to leave this place. Kashish’s breath caught in her throat. She could feel the suffocating intensity of his pain, but she couldn’t find the words to reach him. She had no idea how Rudra planned to explain their sudden departure to the Mehtas, but he was the boss—he would make it work. As for her, she was trapped, caught between her duty to the project and the crushing weight of her responsibility toward him. Yet there was no choice. Rudra had become her only priority, and she would do whatever it took to make amends, even if he never forgave her.

Back in her room, Kashish began to undress, her mind replaying the events on the terrace—the sacred fire, the marriage preparations, the Sindoor, the Mangalsutra, the vows they had nearly taken. His words echoed in her ears:“We are marrying tonight.”How perfect, how right it had all seemed—until her foolish promise had destroyed everything. If only she could turn back time, undo the damage she had caused.

As Shekhar made arrangements for their departure, he glanced back at the remnants of the room Rudra had destroyed. The physical damage could be repaired, but the wounds to Rudra and Kashish’s hearts ran far deeper. And Shekhar knew—those would take far longer to heal, if they ever did at all.

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Few Hours Later…

Rudra sat in the last seat of their chartered plane, isolating himself from the rest of the family. Everyone else sat ahead, silently trying to salvage the remnants of their shattered hearts. Kashish sat beside Anjali, who stayed by her side, offering quiet comfort. Shekhar did the same for Daadi, though the strain was unimaginable. Now, it was up to him and Anjali to guide them through this mess.

At the back, Rudra drowned his anguish in alcohol. Shekhar made several attempts to stop him, but Rudra was deaf to his brother’s pleas. He was too far gone, consumed by the need to numb the pain, to silence the torment that echoed in every corner of his soul. Alcohol felt like the only escape.

After an agonizing hour of flight from Jaipur, they finally landed back at the Raheja Mansion. The silence between them was deafening as they each retreated to their rooms.

“Get some rest, Rudra,” Shekhar urged, though he knew his words were likely meaningless. Rudra, too drunk to comprehend, nodded blankly and shut the door. He locked out the world, cutting off all contact—especially from the one person who had shattered his heart beyond recognition.His Kashish.

In the dimly lit hallway, Kashish approached Shekhar, her face streaked with fresh tears.

“Did he sleep?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Shekhar sighed deeply. “I hope so. He’s been through hell.”

“I’m sorry, Shekhar. I ruined everything.”

“Don’t apologize to me,” he snapped. “He’s the one you’ve broken. The two people he trusted the most tore his heart apart today. How do you think he’s supposed to recover from that?”

Kashish wept harder, guilt swallowing her whole. Shekhar, despite his anger, couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity. Gripping her arms, he softened his tone.

“Make it right. That’s all you can do now.”

She nodded weakly, but Shekhar’s next words chilled her to the bone.

“But let me warn you,” he continued, his eyes darkening with a gravity she hadn’t seen before. “You’ve woken the beast inside him. This time, it won’t be easy to calm him down.”

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