Page 240 of One Hellish Love

He recited the lines, his voice deep and resonant.

Meri har subah teri ek tasveer se shuru hoti hai,

Jaise chaand ki roshni se raat mahakti hai.

Teri khamoshi bhi mere dil ki zubaan ban gayi hai,

Tere bina har ehsaas adhoora sa lagta hai.

(Every morning of mine begins with a glimpse of you,

Like the night blooms with the light of the moon.

Even your silence has become the voice of my heart,

Without you, every feeling feels incomplete.)

Kashish’s eyes gleamed with unshed tears as she clapped.

“Brilliant. I didn’t know you loved me this much.”

“There are no limits to how much I love you, Kashish. It’s infinite. And it will stay that way… forever,” he promised, leaning in to touch his forehead to hers.

EPILOGUE

The honeymoon came to an end after four blissful days, and Rudra and Kashish returned to India. A week had passed since their return, and Kashish took the initiative to schedule another counselling session with Doctor Akshay, this time a joint one for both of them. Rudra seemed far more confident now, his fear slowly loosening its grip, thanks to the Krav Maga self-defence training. It had helped him manage his phobia, easing it to a point where it no longer paralyzed him. Kashish couldn’t hide her pride and relief. She knew the day wasn’t far when he would be completely free of it.

One bright afternoon, Kashish was waiting at home for Rudra. His meeting had gone longer than expected, delaying his return. As she flipped through their honeymoon photo album, reliving the beautiful memories, the doorbell rang. Assuming it was Rudra, she hurried to open it, but her heart skipped a beat when she saw who it was.

“Daadi?” Kashish stepped back.

Daadi stood at the door, her face stern and unreadable.

“Is Rudra home?”

“No, not yet… but he’ll be back any moment,” Kashish replied, unsure of Daadi’s intentions.

Daadi nodded and stepped inside.

“I’m not here to see him today.”

“I… I don’t understand,” she stammered.

Daadi’s expression remained unchanged.

“I came to talk to you, Kashish.”

Kashish’s body tensed. Was this a confrontation? Another challenge? Her mind raced with possibilities.

“Me? About what?”

Daadi raised an eyebrow.

“Will you stand there and question me, or invite me in properly?”

“Oh, sorry,” Kashish stuttered, stepping aside. “Please, come in.”

She guided Daadi to the living room and offered her some water, instructing the maid to prepare tea. But Daadi gestured for Kashish to sit beside her on the couch, her eyes never leaving Kashish.

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