CHAPTER 25
An hour later
Rudra returned to his cabin after an exhausting meeting. His shoulders ached as he loosened his tie and sank into the plush leather chair. Flipping open his laptop, he began skimming through his emails, but one subject line immediately caught his attention. He clicked it open without a second thought.
From: Kashish Bedi To: Rudra Raheja Subject: Gratitude
Mr. Rudra Raheja,
I received the envelope from Jay Mathur today, and I must say I am far from pleased with its contents. My personal life is not your business, and it never will be. However, since you’ve taken it upon yourself to pay off the mortgage on my house, I now owe you that sum.
I can’t repay the entire amount in one go, so I’ll follow an EMI structure, which I’m sure doesn’t interest you. The first installment of ?25,000 has already been transferred to your personal account. It will take me 8 years and 3 months to clear this debt.
Please refrain from offering me any more favors.
Regards, Kashish Bedi.
Rudra shut his eyes. Kashish—paying him back in instalments for the house he had saved from foreclosure? He hadn’t expected her to react this way. How had she even managed to send the first payment? Checking the date, he realized she’d used her salary from a few days ago. She was already sacrificing her future savings for this. This wasn’t what he wanted for her.
Leaning back in his chair, Rudra’s mind raced for a solution. He wanted her to save for herself, not drain her finances repaying him. But after ten minutes of restless thinking, he had no answer. Frustrated, he stood and walked to the glass wall that separated his cabin from hers. Slowly sliding the curtain, he peered into her office. Kashish was there, engrossed in work, surrounded by her team. She looked calm and focused—completely unaware of the storm brewing inside him. Rudra sighed, shutting the curtain again. This back-and-forth between them would never end. He’d have to ignore her email and focus on his business.
***************
Meanwhile, Kashish wrapped up her meeting and immediately checked her inbox. No reply. Did he not read her email? Impossible. Rudra wasn’t one to miss something like this. But why hadn’t he reacted? She didn’t want him to fuss, but she had expected something—some response. Her frustration grew. Why did his silence bother her so much? This was madness. She didn’t want his attention, and yet, when he withdrew it, it unsettled her even more.
Later that evening, their client Tanuja, called for a meeting to congratulate the team. The first set of designs for Talaash Boutique was ready for the market. After the meeting, Rudra entered the conference room, making his way directly to Tanuja, as he hadn’t been able to attend earlier.
“Congratulations, Tanuja,” Rudra said, shaking her hand.
“Thank you, Rudra. Your team has done an exceptional job.”
As Shekhar and Kashish approached to hand Tanuja the presentation, Rudra deliberately avoided looking at Kashish. This was new for her. He either overreacted or had finally decided to keep his distance, just as she had warned him to.
Tanuja smiled and patted Kashish’s shoulder. “Kashish, I’m so thankful for your work. Your designs are absolute masterpieces.”
Kashish smiled proudly but felt a gnawing nervousness, especially with Rudra standing nearby. She knew he must be proud of her, but he gave no indication of it.
“Thank you, Tanuja. It was a privilege to work on your project,” Kashish replied.
“Oh no, dear. You can work wonders anywhere. You can handle anything.”
Kashish caught the underlying message and couldn’t resist poking at Rudra. “Funny, not everyone here seems to think I can handle things on my own.”
Rudra finally turned, meeting her gaze. “I’m not everyone ,” he retorted, his eyes locking with hers in a silent challenge.
While Shekhar was used to their veiled barbs, Tanuja sensed something more—a spark that might ignite into something explosive. Shekhar quickly stepped in.
“Tanuja, we still need your signature on that other agreement. Shall we?” he suggested.
Tanuja agreed, and they left the room. Rudra and Kashish were left alone, their heated stares lingering. He knew why she had taunted him—she felt belittled by his actions, by him paying off her mortgage. But he hadn’t done it to make her feel small. He did it to protect her, to ease her burden.
He turned to leave, hoping to escape the conversation that was surely coming, but Kashish wasn’t ready to let him go.
“You got my email?” she asked, her voice cutting through the silence.
Rudra hesitated, his jaw clenching as he looked at her.
“Get back to work, Miss Bedi.”
His voice was cold, but his emotions were anything but. Kashish’s frustration mounted as he walked away. Why couldn’t he just talk to her and settle the matter? Maybe he didn’t want to discuss personal issues at work. That had to be it. She sighed in exasperation and returned to her cabin, still fuming.
Rudra, on the other hand, felt more in control than he had in a long time. He had been letting his emotions dictate his actions for too long—hurting himself, hurting those who cared for him. But now, he would return to his principles. He had to maintain distance, handle the situation with care. Once the contract ended in two months and he returned to Paris, everything would settle. It had to.
***************
That evening, at home, Anjali couldn’t ignore the restless energy radiating from Kashish since she had returned from work. Something was clearly bothering her. They were both in the kitchen when Anjali decided to address it.
“Did something happen at work today? You seem so tense, Kashish,” Anjali asked, watching her beat the eggs with unnecessary force.
Kashish didn’t pause. “Who do you think is responsible?”
Anjali stayed quiet for a few seconds before cautiously speaking up again. “What did he do now?”
Kashish stopped and looked at her. “He didn’t do anything. And that’s exactly what’s bothering me.”
Anjali let out a sarcastic chuckle.
“I’ll never understand the two of you. When he does something, you hate it. When he doesn’t show any interest, you don’t like that either. So, tell me, Kashish—what do you really want?”
“Husband,” came Rudra’s voice from the doorway.
Both Kashish and Anjali jolted at his sudden intrusion. Rudra stood leaning against the doorframe, his gaze fixed on them. Kashish shot him a sharp, incredulous look. Husband? Did he really say that? Was he playing games?
Rudra, sensing her thoughts, stepped further into the room and looked at Anjali. “Your husband is waiting for you outside. He’s ready to leave.”
Anjali exhaled in relief, smiling at the clarification. Kashish, however, wasn’t convinced. Had he really just meant that, or was there more to his words?
“Oh, right. He hates waiting,” Anjali responded quickly. She hugged Kashish, pulling back with a smile. “We’re invited for dinner at a friend’s place tonight, so we’ll be late. Don’t worry about Daadi, I’ve told Ram Prasad what to serve her.”
Kashish nodded. “Enjoy your dinner.”
“Bye.” Anjali waved, giving Rudra a brief smile before leaving the kitchen.
Rudra made a move to leave too, but Kashish wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip by.
“Can I talk to you for a moment?” she asked, her voice steady but determined.
He paused but didn’t turn. Instead, he waited, unwilling to engage.
“This is home,” she continued. “We need to communicate.”
Rudra raised his head, fixing her with a cold stare.
“I don’t see why we need to communicate.”
Kashish clenched her fists, the calmness slipping away.
“This is exactly what I hate about you.”
“Good,” Rudra replied instantly, his voice sharp. “Because as far as I remember, during our last argument, you made it clear that you wanted to keep hating me—for the sake of your father’s memory. I’m simply helping you maintain that.”
Kashish’s breath hitched, her jaw dropping at his response. Yes, she had said that. She meant it then. But was he intentionally feeding her hate? Purposely ignoring her to fuel her anger? It felt wrong—twisted, even. Her teeth ground together as she spoke again.
“Another favor , huh? I don’t need your favors, and I made that very clear in the email I sent this morning.”
Rudra folded his arms, his gaze steady.
“I received your payment. I’ve already reversed it back to your account. I don’t need your money in installments.”
Kashish’s heart skipped a beat. He reversed the payment? Why? She didn’t want that money back.
“You reversed it? Why would you do that? It’s your money,” she snapped. “Nothing has changed for me since you repaid that loan. First, my house was under the Khatris’ control, and now it might as well belong to you. What I had to pay them, I now owe to you. So, you’d better accept those installments without much argument.”
Rudra remained silent, his patience unwavering. His silence only fanned the flames of her frustration.
“You can’t change my decision,” Kashish insisted, her voice rising.
“Too bad. I already did,” he replied, his voice cool as ever.
Kashish’s temper flared. Why was he doing this to her? Why couldn’t he just accept the payment and end the conversation?
“Why?” she demanded. “Why can’t you just take the money and let this go?”
“I’ve made my decision,” Rudra said firmly, his refusal only heightening her irritation.
“You can’t decide that for me,” Kashish’s voice was nearing a shout now. “If you want to change the terms of repayment, we should discuss it—together. You can’t just decide everything on your own.”
“Lower your voice, Kashish,” Rudra commanded.
Kashish’s throat tightened, and she swallowed nervously. He stared at her, unflinching, his eyes challenging her to continue. So, she wanted to discuss terms? Convince him to take her money? That wasn’t going to happen.
“This is how you want to have a conversation?” Rudra asked, his voice biting. “By yelling? By arguing?”
His words stung, but Kashish held herself back, forcing herself to remain calm. “Fine,” she said, folding her arms across her chest. “I’ll be calm. Let’s discuss how I’ll repay you.”
Rudra shook his head. “I’m not interested in discussing this today. Good night.”
Without another glance, he turned and left the kitchen, leaving Kashish standing there with her jaw clenched in disbelief.
How could he be so infuriatingly stubborn? So arrogant?
***************
Ram Prasad was carefully setting up Daadi’s dinner plate when he paused, turning to Kashish.
“Kashish Didi, should the rice be served on the left or the right of the plate?”
Kashish knew Daadi’s exacting preferences. Without a second thought, she took the spatula from Ram Prasad’s hands and told him to tend to his other duties. He eagerly complied, leaving her to finish plating the food. In a couple of minutes, Kashish had arranged everything meticulously. But when she turned to find Ram Prasad, he was nowhere to be seen. She glanced at the plate. The food would get cold if left too long.
With a sigh, Kashish decided to deliver it herself. She pushed the trolley down the hallway to Daadi’s room. Knocking lightly, she stepped inside. Daadi was sitting on the bed, seemingly lost in thought. But the moment Kashish entered, her demeanor shifted, her expression hardening.
“Where is Ram Prasad?” Daadi asked, her voice sharp.
“He’s busy with some other work,” Kashish replied, setting the trolley beside the bed and preparing to leave when Daadi’s voice stopped her.
“I need your help,” Daadi commanded, her tone brooking no argument.
Kashish paused, taken aback. “Help? From me?” Her brow furrowed in confusion. “What kind of help?”
Daadi’s gaze was piercing as she stood and walked toward her. “This morning, when you suggested that Rudra should get married, I gave it some thought. And I believe you’re right.”
Kashish stiffened, her stomach tightening. Where was this going? She remained silent, waiting for Daadi to continue.
“If Rudra marries, his focus will shift entirely to his wife. That would benefit both of us, wouldn’t it? He’ll stop interfering in your life, and he’ll have someone else to occupy his mind.”
Kashish understood the implication immediately. Yes, she wanted Rudra to stop meddling in her affairs. And clearly, Daadi had her own reasons to want the same. But still... “Even if we agree on that, what exactly do you expect me to do?”
Daadi stepped closer. “You have to convince him.”
Kashish’s eyes widened in disbelief, and annoyance flared in her chest. “What? Why me? You have Shekhar, Anjali, and even yourself. Why should I be the one to convince him?”
“Because we both know that if he listens to anyone, it’s you.”
Kashish’s heart skipped a beat. Listens to her? Considering how Rudra had been acting lately, cold and distant, he wouldn’t even grant her the courtesy of a conversation, let alone listen to her advice. And worse, if Anjali’s suspicions about Rudra’s feelings for her were true, this was a recipe for disaster. How could she, the woman he might harbor feelings for, ask him to marry someone else? It was madness. She had no intention of walking into that mess.
“That’s not going to happen,” Kashish snapped, turning on her heel. “Find someone else to convince him.”
“Kashish, think again.” Daadi’s voice rose, her words laced with desperation. “If I had another option, you would be the last person I’d ask for help with this.”
Kashish didn’t stop, her pulse racing as she closed the door behind her and hurried back to her bedroom. No matter how badly she wanted Rudra out of her life, she wasn’t about to involve herself in convincing him to marry someone else. This was one battle she would never fight. Not in a million years.