CHAPTER 38
Kashish felt like her heart had been kicked, pounding harder and faster than ever. He wanted more ? What the hell was that supposed to mean? For a moment, she couldn’t speak, the words stuck in her throat. Rudra was watching her intently, reading every flicker of surprise, confusion, and fear on her face. She was the only woman who made him feel both invincible and vulnerable at the same time. But that note from her father had crushed her spirit, stealing the sharpness from her eyes, now clouded with guilt and self-loathing. He wanted to be her strength, to help her accept the bitter truth and move forward—if only she would let him in, if only she’d give him a chance to make her happy again.
Finally, she met his gaze.
“Nothing is ever going to change between us, Rudra. Did you hear that?”
Her words pierced through him, but he masked his disappointment with a smirk, folding his arms casually.
“My ears heard it, not my heart.”
A strange warmth fluttered in her stomach. She knew if she let this conversation continue, it would lead her down a dangerous path. She needed to shut it down. Quickly, she turned back to her desk, fumbling with the scattered sketches.
“I have work to do, so please excuse me,” she mumbled.
Rudra, amused by her attempt to escape, let out a soft chuckle. He could see her retreating from the conversation, trying to protect herself. But he wasn’t letting her off that easily.
“Take all the time you need to run from me, Kashish. But no matter how far you go, you’ll always end up beside me. The sooner you accept that, the sooner we can all be at peace.”
Kashish clenched her jaw, her frustration mounting.
“We were never meant to be together. The sooner you realize that, the sooner we can be at peace.”
Without waiting for a response, she abandoned the sketches, leaving them scattered across the table as she stormed out of the room. She needed something—anything—to clear her mind, and a strong cup of coffee seemed like the only remedy. Rudra watched her leave, his gaze lingering on her retreating form. She wasn’t going to give in easily, but that only made him more determined.
******************
Kashish unwillingly arrived at the Taj, where Ruchi had arranged dinner for them. She made sure to come with Shekhar and Anjali, not Rudra. The more she kept her distance from him, the better it would be for everyone. As she reached the table, she noticed Daadi and Ruchi already waiting. Ruchi didn’t bother to smile at her, instantly making her feel out of place.
“Where is Rudra? Why isn’t he here yet?” Daadi asked.
“Daadi, he had a meeting, but I’ve made sure he left the office. He’ll be here soon,” Shekhar replied.
Everyone settled at the table, and Kashish took the vacant seat beside Daadi. Shekhar and Anjali were deeply engaged in conversation with Ruchi, providing Kashish the perfect moment to reveal the truth about her father’s letter to Daadi. She knew she couldn’t leave this family without first clearing Rudra’s name. But then, she hesitated. Would this confession ruin the dinner Ruchi had arranged? Her fingers fidgeted, and Daadi noticed.
“I had so many hopes for you, Kashish. But lately, I don’t know what’s keeping you so distracted. You haven’t even thought about Rudra and Ruchi’s match. I had to step in and take care of things myself,” Daadi said sharply.
Kashish’s heart sank.
“You had to step in? What do you mean…what are you planning?”
“You’ll see once Rudra arrives,” Daadi replied with a cryptic smile.
An uneasy feeling settled over Kashish. Whatever Daadi and Ruchi were planning, she knew it wouldn’t sit well with Rudra. He was already close to making it clear to Ruchi that he wasn’t interested. If they pushed him further tonight, things could spiral out of control.
“Daadi, please, just tell me what you two are up to,” Kashish urged.
“Why? So you can ruin things again?” Daadi snapped. “Ruchi told me how you didn’t let her and Rudra talk the other day. You deliberately interrupted them. What is it you want, Kashish? Do you even want this match to work?”
Daadi’s frustration was understandable, but her words stung. Kashish opened her mouth to reply when Rudra appeared out of nowhere and took a seat on the opposite side of Daadi. He had overheard enough of the conversation.
“Well, Kashish?” Rudra asked. “Answer to Daadi. Do you really want me and Ruchi together?”
Daadi was startled by his sudden intrusion, but Kashish was even more unnerved. She shot him a glare, trying to brush off his question.
“I was talking to Daadi,” she reminded him coldly.
“I know. And I’m asking the same thing. Do you think Ruchi is right for me?” Rudra pressed, his eyes locked on hers.
Daadi sat awkwardly between their silent battle of wills. She could sense something deeper going on but was too afraid to figure it out. Rudra’s questions seemed to be aimed at drawing something out of Kashish. But before she could retort, Ruchi’s excited voice cut through the tension.
“Rudra,” Ruchi beamed. “I’m so glad you made it!”
Rudra flashed her a half-hearted smile.
“What’s this dinner about?” he asked coolly.
Ruchi blushed, glancing at Daadi, who subtly signaled for her to stay quiet.
“Let’s order first. I’m sure everyone’s hungry,” Ruchi suggested.
Shekhar called over the manager, and the orders were placed. As the food arrived, everyone dug in. Kashish tried to focus on eating, but her mind was racing. She reached for the bottle of tomato sauce, only for her fingers to brush against Rudra’s at the exact same time. Their timing was uncanny. Startled, she quickly withdrew her hand, but so did Rudra. They both let go of the bottle simultaneously. Daadi, sitting between them, watched their awkward exchange closely.
Kashish, seeing that Rudra had backed off, reached for the sauce again. But this time, Rudra’s hand came down over hers, gripping the bottle along with her. Kashish shot him a furious glare, but Rudra only smirked back. Daadi, watching intently, put down her fork, her suspicions deepening. What was happening between them? Rudra’s teasing grip, Kashish’s nervousness—something wasn’t right.
Kashish again tried to pull her hand away discreetly. Sensing her tension, Rudra finally released her hand, but the moment lingered. Daadi was now more convinced than ever that something was brewing between the two. But what disturbed her more was Kashish’s response—or lack thereof. The Kashish she knew would have reacted more aggressively. Why was she holding back? Daadi’s thoughts returned to her plans with Ruchi. After seeing Rudra’s gestures tonight, she feared things could unravel if she wasn’t careful.
Once everyone finished their desserts, Ruchi cleared her throat and stood up.
“Okay, now for the main reason we’re here,” Ruchi announced, a nervous excitement in her voice.
Daadi shifted uncomfortably, trying to intervene.
“Ruchi, maybe we should talk later—”
“Daadi, please. I don’t want to wait anymore,” Ruchi insisted.
Rudra leaned back in his chair, sensing the same unease, while Shekhar and Anjali exchanged confused glances.
“You’ve all been wondering why I arranged this dinner, right?” Ruchi began, pulling a small velvet box from her purse. She opened it, revealing a ring.
Rudra’s face darkened, his mind racing as he tried to piece together what was happening. Anjali and Shekhar quickly recognized the ring.
“Shekhar,” Anjali whispered, “that’s your mother’s ring, isn’t it?”
Shekhar nodded, his confusion deepening.
“Yes, but why does Ruchi have it?”
Ruchi’s cheeks flushed as she held up the ring.
“This ring belonged to Rudra’s mother,” she explained, beaming. “Daadi gave it to me today for a special reason.”
Rudra stiffened as he guessed where this was going.
“Daadi said that this ring is meant for the woman Rudra will marry,” Ruchi continued, smiling shyly. “It’s clear why Daadi invited me here tonight. She wants Rudra and me to consider each other seriously.”
Ruchi’s words hung in the air like a bomb waiting to explode. Rudra clenched his fists, while Kashish felt an overwhelming sense of absurdity. Why was Daadi in such a hurry? Rudra and Ruchi hadn’t even had a proper conversation, yet Daadi had already given Ruchi his mother’s ring? It made no sense.
“Rudra,” Ruchi approached his chair with an eager smile. “I know we haven’t spoken much, but I also know how much you respect your Daadi. If she thinks I’m the one for you, surely, you’ll consider her decision.”
Rudra’s jaw tightened, but Ruchi, naive as ever, failed to notice the tension radiating from him.
“I believe this ring will create the magic we need,” she continued, holding out the ring. “I want you to put it on my finger, so that every time we see it, we’ll be reminded of what your Daadi—and perhaps even your mother—wanted. They want me to be your bride.”
Kashish’s eyes widened in disbelief. This was beyond foolish. Rudra turned to Daadi, who now looked completely uncertain, her earlier confidence shattered. She had witnessed the intense connection between Rudra and Kashish moments ago, and now, she feared her decision had been a grave mistake. But before she could intervene, Rudra stood. The entire table followed suit, anxious to see what he would do next.
Shekhar watched nervously, aware of how his brother’s temper could flare. Kashish felt her heart pound in dread. Without uttering a single word, Rudra took the ring from Ruchi’s hand. Her face lit up with a hopeful smile, but it quickly faded as he turned toward Kashish, who stood just a few feet away.
“This is my mother’s ring,” Rudra declared, his voice steady. “And if Daadi kept it for me to give to the woman I’m meant to marry, I won’t break that wish. If this ring is supposed to work its magic, then I’ll waste no time in making her wear it.”
In one swift motion, Rudra grabbed Kashish’s left hand and slid the ring onto her finger.
The room froze. Daadi covered her mouth in shock. Shekhar’s eyes widened, stunned by his brother’s audacity. Anjali looked as though she might faint from the sheer disbelief of this scene. Ruchi who was humiliated, stared in disbelief at the insult Rudra had just delivered, not just to her, but to the entire family. Rage and pain twisted her features as she grabbed her purse and stormed out even though Daadi weakly attempted to stop her.
“Marry me, Kashish,” Rudra proposed.
Kashish stared at him, horrified. Was he even in his right mind? She had spent so long avoiding his advances, convincing herself that he would never dare to voice such feelings in front of his family. She thought she had time to help him heal from their complicated past, but she had clearly been wrong. Every hesitation, every refusal to correct his advances had led to this catastrophic moment.
Her eyes dropped to the ring glinting on her finger, and in an instant, she yanked it off.
“You’ve crossed all limits today, Rudra,” she yelled, slamming the ring onto the table before rushing out.
Rudra stood there, swallowing hard as he picked up the ring again. Shekhar gave his brother a sympathetic pat on the back, while Anjali hurried after Kashish, hoping to calm her down.
“Rudra, what the hell just happened?” Shekhar asked, stunned. “You proposed to her? And in front of Ruchi?”
Rudra didn’t respond. With the ring still in his hand, he stormed out, leaving Shekhar and Daadi behind in confusion. Shekhar called after him, but Rudra didn’t bother to stop. Daadi turned to Shekhar, her face filled with regret.
“This is all my fault,” Daadi said, her voice breaking. “I never should’ve given that ring to Ruchi. She must be heartbroken.”
“Daadi, please don’t blame yourself,” Shekhar tried to comfort her. “But we do need to fix this. You rushed things with Ruchi without consulting anyone. This was bound to happen.”
“But how could Rudra even consider Kashish?” Daadi muttered, clearly shaken.
Shekhar didn’t flinch at her question, and that only worsened Daadi’s suspicions. Her voice grew sharp.
“You knew, didn’t you?” she asked, her eyes narrowing. “You knew Rudra had feelings for Kashish?”
Shekhar sighed, realizing there was no hiding the truth anymore. “Rudra mentioned it to me once,” he admitted.
“And you didn’t tell me? How could you keep this from me, Shekhar?”
“I was afraid, Daadi. You’ve never liked Kashish, and I knew this would upset you. I couldn’t risk it,” Shekhar explained. “I didn’t know how you’d react.”
Daadi’s anger flared as she rose from her chair. “If I had known, this disaster could have been avoided. I must speak to Ruchi. I can’t let her leave like this, feeling humiliated and hurt.”
Shekhar nodded and quickly settled the bill before following Daadi out of the restaurant.
Meanwhile, outside, Anjali had tried calling Kashish, but there was no answer. Shekhar and Daadi joined her by the entrance.
“Anju, where’s Kashish?” Shekhar asked, concern lacing his voice.
“She left in a cab before I could stop her,” Anjali replied, looking troubled.
“And Rudra?” Daadi asked, her voice heavy with worry.
“He left too. Mohan drove him,” Anjali said quietly.
Shekhar sighed deeply. “Let’s get home. We need to sort this out.”
He hurried to bring the car around, and together, they headed back to Raheja Mansion, the weight of the evening pressing heavily on them all.
***************
Kashish was back home, though every fiber of her being screamed not to step into this house again. She had to, at least to gather her belongings. The events at the hotel had given her the perfect excuse to walk away—for good. She couldn’t stay here, not after what happened. She grabbed a bag from her closet and started tossing her clothes inside. Her tears flowed freely, but she didn’t bother to wipe them away. Rudra’s intentions had crossed a line she could never forgive. Whatever he wanted from her was simply not possible—not in this lifetime.
“Kashish? What are you doing?” Anjali asked, rushing into the room.
“I’m leaving, Anju,” Kashish replied, her voice raw. “Please don’t try to stop me this time.”
“Leaving? Where will you go?” Anjali’s voice trembled, but Kashish didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Words would only break her further.
She stuffed her clothes into the bag and zipped it up. Before she could make it out the door, Anjali stepped in front of her, trying to block her way.
“Kashish, you can’t do this. I know Rudra’s proposal blindsided you, but…”
Kashish raised her hand, silencing her.
“Anju, what happened tonight is beyond anything I can tolerate. If I stay here, things will spiral out of control. I have to leave before it’s too late. Please, just let me go.”
She gently pushed Anjali aside and walked out, dragging her bag behind her, determined to never look back.