CHAPTER 31
After 15 minutes of relentless banging on the door, Rudra finally opened it. Kashish’s heart leaped as she looked up at him. He stood there, exhausted, stress evident in his eyes. He must have taken some sedative to ease whatever had triggered his panic attack.
“Just go back to your room and leave me alone,” he snarled. “Which part of that do you not understand?”
Kashish’s jaw clenched.
“All of it,” she shot back, matching his anger with her own. Rudra gritted his teeth.
“Kashish, listen—”
“No, you listen to me,” she interrupted, pointing a finger at him. His gaze flickered briefly to her hand before locking back on her face. “Stop shutting people out when they try to help you. You need to sort yourself out before it’s too late.”
Rudra’s eyes narrowed.
“I don’t need your wake-up call to get my life together.”
“Oh, you do. You just don’t have the guts to admit it,” she shouted, turning on her heel to leave.
What was the point of trying to help someone who refused to help himself? Was this where her efforts ended? She stopped in the lobby suddenly. With her chest heaving with frustration, she glanced back at his room and found him still standing there, watching her.
“I don’t usually blackmail people, but with you, I seem to make an exception. So, here’s the deal: if you don’t see Dr. Akash Dixit when I reschedule your appointment, I’m leaving this house. And I swear to God, I’ll never come back.” She met his eyes one last time, her jaw tight with determination, before turning and walking away.
Rudra stood frozen, speechless. That was pure blackmail! She had lost her mind if she thought such threats would work on him.
***************
Valentine’s Day
“Happy Valentine’s Day!” Kashish greeted Anjali and Shekhar the next morning, hugging them both. She wore a red churidar, matching the office’s dress code for the day: red for women, black for men.
“Same to you, Kashish,” Anjali chuckled, glancing fondly at her husband.
“So, you two have a party tonight. Does that mean I’ll be spending Valentine’s Day all by myself?” Anjali teased, pouting playfully.
“Aww,” Kashish cooed, smiling.
Shekhar squeezed his wife’s hand. “Don’t worry, Anju. I won’t leave you alone. I won’t be staying long at the party. Once the gifts are exchanged, I’ll be right back. I have something special planned for us.”
Anjali blushed, and Kashish felt a pang of longing. How she wished for someone who’d make her feel the same way. But just as that thought crossed her mind, Rudra descended the stairs. She mentally scoffed. No, that couldn’t be a sign of anything. As he approached, she folded her arms, observing his stoic expression. There was no indication he’d even registered her ultimatum from the night before. He needed someone to keep him in line, that was for sure.
“We should get going,” Rudra said to Shekhar without acknowledging anyone else.
“By the way, Happy Valentine’s Day, Rudra,” Shekhar greeted him warmly.
Rudra offered a hollow smile, not bothering to return the sentiment, before heading toward the door.
Kashish frowned, watching him leave.
“What’s wrong with this man? He’s like a stone,” she muttered.
Anjali chuckled.
“Sometimes I really feel he doesn’t have a heart,” Kashish added, frustrated.
“Oh, he does,” Anjali said with a smirk. “He’s just given it away.”
Kashish narrowed her eyes. Shekhar shifted uncomfortably, sensing where the conversation was headed, but Anjali was too blunt to hold back.
“Most people give part of their heart to the ones they love, but Rudra? He gave his entire heart. And what did he get in return? Nothing. So, what do you expect him to be? Of course, he’s a stone.”
Kashish’s throat tightened.
“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. Could he have 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.
“Wow, those are stunning! Whoever your Secret Valentine is, they must have a crush on you,” one colleague teased.
“Yeah, those look expensive. Was there no budget limit? I don’t think so,” another chimed in.
Kashish’s patience was wearing thin. She needed to find out if Rudra was behind this. If he was, she wasn’t going to let it slide. He knew she’d have to open the gift in front of everyone, setting her up for these exact comments. How could he be so reckless and thoughtless?
“I really need to make an urgent call,” Kashish excused herself, hoping to slip away. But the girls weren’t having it.
“Later! Right now, it’s party time. Come on, we’re all single. Let’s enjoy Valentine’s Day together!”
They dragged her back to the dance floor, leaving her no choice but to sideline her questions for the moment. As the music turned louder and the drinks started flowing, Kashish felt a growing restlessness. Her eyes darted around the room. Shekhar and Lavina were enjoying themselves, but where was Rudra? She wondered if he was probably hiding somewhere, avoiding the dance floor at all costs. He wouldn’t want to be touched, not with his fear of intimacy. It must be depressing for him.
Suddenly, she saw Shekhar pulling Rudra onto the dance floor. Rudra was clearly irritated, arguing with his brother, but Shekhar, unaware of his phobias, kept insisting. Kashish scanned the crowd for Lavina, hoping she could intervene, but Lavina was too busy dancing with Jay.
That’s when, she overheard Dimple, one of the top employees, talking excitedly with a colleague.
“Now that Rudra’s on the dance floor, I’m going to ask him to dance. He can’t say no! It’s like a dream come true for me,” Dimple gushed.
Kashish’s hands clenched into fists. Dimple had no idea what she was about to do. If she touched him, it would send Rudra spiraling. As Dimple strutted toward him, Kashish acted fast, stepping in between them.
“May I have this dance?” she asked Rudra.
Rudra’s brows shot up in surprise. Had he just heard that right? Kashish Bedi was asking him to dance? Dimple fumed, her face darkening with disappointment as Kashish shot her a victorious smile. Dimple backed off, and Kashish turned her attention back to Rudra, letting out a breath of relief.
“Before you yell at me, let me explain—I did this for your own good,” Kashish said hurriedly.
Rudra’s face remained tense.
“I know you don’t want to be here, and I also know the girls here don’t realize you don’t like being touched,” she continued, her voice softening. “I’m just saving you from a situation that could get messy.”
Rudra’s expression shifted slightly. There was something almost vulnerable in his eyes now. Did she realize she was going out of her way to make him feel safe? His features softened, just a little.
“Sheetal tried to touch me that night at the party because you told her to,” he said, his voice sharp but with an undercurrent of pain. “You wanted to humiliate me in front of everyone.”
Kashish winced. She had no defense.
“I didn’t know about your phobia then,” she whispered.
“And now you think you can make it right?” he scoffed. “You don’t have to try and fix things, Kashish.”
The guilt gnawed at her, but his coldness pushed her away.
“Fine,” she muttered, stepping back. “I’ll leave then.”
She had just started to walk away when Rudra noticed Dimple watching them intently, waiting for her chance to approach him. Kashish had no idea and was about to take her next step when Rudra’s hand shot out, grabbing her wrist and spinning her back toward him. Her hands instinctively moved toward his chest, but before they could make contact, he caught her wrists, guiding her arms firmly onto his shoulders. At that moment, she realized he had finally understood her intention—to help him.
Kashish’s palms rested lightly on his shoulders, her gaze locked with his, searching, trying to the emotions behind his otherwise unreadable eyes. They began to sway in time with the music, but the tension between them hung thick in the air. She saw her chance to clear her mind of the nagging doubt that had been plaguing her.
“So, you were my Secret Valentine?” she asked directly.
“I’m not obligated to reveal that. The game’s over. So, get over it.” His voice was flat, dismissive, as if brushing off her curiosity would end the conversation.
But Kashish wasn’t one to let things go so easily. She narrowed her eyes, refusing to back down.
“Those anklets were in my shopping cart. Did you hack my web pages?” she snapped, irritation bubbling beneath her calm demeanor.
Rudra’s jaw tightened.
“I didn’t do that,” he growled.
“Then how did you manage to buy the exact anklets I wanted?” she pressed, unwilling to let him evade her questions.
He remained silent for a moment before sighing, his defenses lowering just a fraction.
“You left the webpage open once on your laptop. I saw it when I came into your cabin. I bought them from my account.”
Kashish was momentarily taken aback, both pleased and furious at his admission. She had expected as much, but hearing it from him only added to the confusion.
“They’re way too expensive,” she retorted.
“Not for me. I can afford it,” he replied coldly.
“I can’t accept them,” she said firmly, shaking her head.
“It’s a gift, Kashish. Already given. You don’t have a say in it now,” Rudra countered, his tone clipped.
Her frustration boiled over, and she stopped dancing altogether.
“I don’t get you, Rudra,” she nearly shouted, her voice rising with her irritation. “You help me—pay off my father’s debts, protect me—but then you go out of your way to yell at me, to push me away. And now this? An expensive gift out of nowhere? What’s going on in your head?”
Though the loud music drowned out her raised voice, the intensity of her words cut through the moment. But Rudra remained impassive.
“You’ll never understand what’s in my head, and frankly, you shouldn’t even try. Focus on your life, your loved ones, and forget the rest—including me and my problems.”
With that, he stepped away, leaving her standing alone on the dance floor. Kashish watched him walk away, anger simmering inside her. That wasn’t the answer she deserved. He was driving her insane, forcing her to figure out everything on her own when all she wanted was a straight answer. Why did it matter so much now? Why was she suddenly desperate to know what he felt?
Before she could make sense of her thoughts, her colleagues surrounded her, pulling her back into the party, dancing and laughing. She tried to join in, but her mind remained elsewhere, replaying every word of their conversation.
After a few more hours, Kashish finally decided to leave. She headed to the parking lot, her phone in hand as she waited for the cab she’d booked. The signal kept dropping, making her pace left and right in frustration as she tried to get a stable connection. She was so lost in walking back and forth, trying to get a better signal to call her cab that she didn’t notice the car coming toward her - its headlights were off, making it almost invisible in the dark. The driver saw her at the last second and honked loudly.
Kashish looked up, frozen in terror as the car hurtled toward her. For a brief moment, she believed this was the end. But just before the car could reach her, a powerful grip yanked her out of its path. She spun, crashing into a strong, familiar chest.
His arms were wrapped around her, holding her tightly as she gasped for breath. She had never felt death so close, and the terror coursed through her veins. But as she inhaled, his familiar scent surrounded her, grounding her in the present. It was the same scent she had noticed when they danced earlier. Her heart pounded wildly as she looked up into the face of her savior—Rudra.
He had saved her. Again .