CHAPTER 41
Delhi-Jaipur Flight
“You’ve been upgraded to Business Class, ma’am,” the flight attendant informed Kashish with a bright smile. Kashish, startled by the news, frowned in confusion.
“Upgraded? There must be a mistake.”
“No mistake at all, ma’am. We’ve already confirmed it. Let me show you to your seat.”
Still perplexed, Kashish followed the flight attendant to the spacious Business Class cabin, where she was guided to a plush window seat. She hesitated for a moment before putting her luggage in the overhead compartment and taking her seat. There was only one person she could think of who would arrange something like this. Quickly, she pulled out her phone and typed a message to him.
‘Stop pampering me with luxury and comfort.’
She sent the message to Rudra, waiting for a response, but none came. She had come to know from her team today that he too was flying to Jaipur for a few days, but when he was arriving was still a mystery. And she really hoped his travel was only for a couple of days and he didn’t plan to stay for the entire duration of two months in Jaipur with the team. Turning her phone into flight mode she stared out the window. Passengers were still boarding, and the seat beside her was empty. With a sigh, she decided to close her eyes and try to get some rest during the flight.
But moments later, she felt the seat next to her being occupied. Feeling a sudden shift in the air, she opened her eyes, only to be shocked by the man sitting beside her.
“You?” she gasped, her voice louder than she intended. Rudra instantly pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her.
“Behave. We’re in public,” he whispered, smirking at her reaction.
She pushed his hand away, her eyes blazing with irritation.
“What happened to your private jet? Why are you flying with us?” she demanded, not bothering to hide her annoyance.
Rudra leaned back, fastening his seatbelt with a calm grin.
“I gave my pilot the day off. Do you have a problem with that?”
“Yes, I do. You upgraded my seat.”
He chuckled. “Not for your comfort, Miss Bedi. For mine.”
His grin widened, fueling her irritation further. Kashish, now thoroughly exasperated, tried to stand up, but Rudra grabbed her hand, pulling her back into her seat.
“We’re on a business trip,” he said coolly. “I wanted to discuss work with you, hence the upgrade.”
She glared at him, knowing full well that ‘work’ had nothing to do with it. As the plane began to taxi to the runway, Kashish was stuck, unable to escape.
“Seatbelt,” Rudra reminded her with a knowing smirk.
Frustrated, she leaned forward, fighting with her seatbelt. It was stuck, and she was getting more frustrated by the second.
“What an upgrade,” she muttered under her breath.
Rudra almost laughed, then reached over to help. As soon as his hands touched the belt, Kashish froze. Their eyes met, and she saw he was already watching her with a soft look in his eyes.
While he worked on fixing the belt, his fingers accidentally brushed against her waist. Kashish felt her skin tingle where he’d touched her. She wished she hadn’t worn a crop top with her palazzo pants.
She closed her eyes tight, only opening them when Rudra finally moved away, the seatbelt properly fastened.
The plane began its ascent, and Kashish resolutely turned her head toward the window, determined not to engage with him.
“I didn’t know you had owl eyes… peering into the darkness like that,” Rudra teased her yet again.
Kashish realized the sky outside was pitch black—there was nothing to see. Biting her lip in frustration, she fought the urge to respond. His gaze lingered on her as she unconsciously bit the corner of her lip, a gesture that stirred something within him that he couldn’t quite control. She noticed the shift in his expression and immediately looked away to soothe her racing heart. How would she survive this trip with him?
Minutes later the cabin crew came by, offering meals. Kashish sipped her drink, silently fuming, while Rudra finished his in silence. Kashish realized she had forgotten to pack her shawl as the cabin grew colder as they continued their journey. Shivering, she rubbed her arms for warmth, but the chill persisted. Rudra noticed her discomfort.
“Take this,” he offered, holding out his coat.
“No, thanks,” she snapped, determined to endure the cold rather than accept his help.
Rudra knew better. Stubbornness was one of their shared traits, but she wouldn’t last long in this temperature. Without saying another word, he placed the coat on his lap and waited. Soon, as predicted, Kashish fell asleep, her lips trembling from the cold. Gently, without waking her, Rudra draped his coat over her. Her lips stopped quivering, and he watched her for a few moments, satisfied that she was warm now. He shut his eyes too, grateful for this rare moment of peace with her so close by.
A sudden jolt from the landing gear woke Kashish from her slumber. Groggy, she rubbed her eyes and looked down, realizing Rudra’s coat was wrapped around her. She quickly removed it and handed it back to him.
Disembarking from the plane, she joined the rest of the team as they made their way to the cars waiting for them. Rudra, walking behind her with the client’s manager, Vimal, struck up a conversation.
“How far is the residence from here, Vimal?” Rudra inquired.
“About half an hour, sir. Everything’s been arranged—cooks, maids, cleaning staff, all ready for your stay,” Vimal replied.
“Good. I’ll need a driver as well.”
Vimal quickly nodded. “Of course, sir. A driver will be assigned to you. He’ll take you wherever you need to go.”
Rudra nodded, pleased. As they approached the cars, Rudra spotted Kashish about to board one of the vehicles with the rest of the team. In a swift motion, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back, forcing her to stop.
“We’re taking the other car,” Rudra declared firmly.
Kashish’s heart raced as she noticed the curious glances from her colleagues. They hesitated for a moment but eventually continued boarding their vehicle.
“I’m going with my team,” she muttered, keeping her voice low not wanting to create a scene. “I don’t want to come with you.”
“Stop fussing, Kashish,” he replied sternly. “I’m just following the court orders. Whenever you’re out of town, a member of the Raheja family has to accompany you. That means you won’t be staying with the team—you’ll be with me, and that includes your travel arrangements.”
A wave of helplessness washed over her. It was as if she had no escape, no matter how hard she tried to avoid him. Resigned, she watched as a sleek, posh car pulled up in front of them. Rudra opened the door for her, waiting. With a deep breath, Kashish reluctantly got in, followed closely by Rudra. Vimal, their client’s manager, took the front seat with the driver to guide them to the bungalow.
Kashish remained silent during the drive, while Vimal continued discussing plans and details with Rudra. Despite the beautiful surroundings they were driving through, all Kashish could think about was the unease of spending time alone with him in that rented house.
The bungalow was indeed breathtaking. As they arrived, Kashish’s restlessness grew tenfold at the realization that she’d be staying there alone with Rudra for weeks adding to her growing anxiety. She wished Shekhar or Anjali could be there with her, to give her some solace. Inside, Vimal showed Rudra around, pointing out the amenities, while Kashish stayed back in the living room, dialing Anjali’s number to distract herself.
When Anjali answered, Kashish wasted no time in venting her frustrations. She explained how Rudra had upgraded her seat, insisted on sitting beside her, and had now even arranged for them to stay in the same bungalow.
Anjali couldn’t help but laugh heartily, cutting off Kashish’s complaints.
“Anju, what’s so funny?” Kashish asked, her annoyance growing.
“Sorry, Kashish,” Anjali said between giggles. “But I’m really impressed by Rudra. Honestly, I had a completely different impression of him. I thought he was just stubborn and introverted, but clearly, he’s not what he seems. He’s so considerate. You should be grateful that someone cares this much about your comfort.”
Kashish’s temper flared. “Stop praising him! I don’t need his comfort, and I certainly don’t need him around me.”
“Are you sure about that?” Anjali teased. “I’ve seen you softening toward him lately.”
Kashish paused, recalling the reasons behind her softening attitude—Rudra’s pain, and the guilt that had shifted from his shoulders to hers. The tables had indeed turned.
“Kashish? Are you still there?” Anjali’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
“Yeah, I’m here. I’m just tired, Anju. I’ll call you tomorrow. Give my regards to Shekhar,” Kashish said, her voice softer now.
“Alright. Good night, and best of luck with the new project!”
After ending the call, Kashish turned to see Vimal saying his goodbyes to Rudra. She didn’t wait for Rudra to return his attention to her and quickly headed upstairs to find a room.
She stepped into a spacious bedroom, elegantly furnished and opening up to a terrace with a two-seater swing. The room was beautiful, exactly the kind of space that could bring some peace to her troubled mind. Kashish smiled to herself—she had found the perfect room. If she stayed here, there were still two other bedrooms left for Rudra to choose from.
Sitting on the swing, she let her thoughts wander. It was her first time being away from Raheja Mansion for such an extended period. How would these two to three months pass with Rudra constantly around her?
As her thoughts drifted, a gust of wind brushed against her face, and suddenly, she felt his presence. She looked toward the terrace door and found Rudra standing there, watching her from afar. How long had he been standing there?
Rudra snapped out of his reverie and stepped forward.
“Dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes,” he informed her.
She nodded, keeping her distance.
“Looks like you’ve already chosen your room,” he remarked casually, glancing around.
She smiled faintly, admiring the room once more. “I really liked it.”
Rudra chuckled. “Strange. Our choices match. I just had the maid shift my things here.”
Kashish froze. “What? Oh... I’ll take another room, then.”
“Don’t,” he said, his voice soft but firm. “You deserve to stay here.”
“I just realized I don’t like the color of this room, so thanks, but I’ll find another,” she said quickly, walking past him.
He watched her go, knowing she was doing it on purpose—refusing to take anything he claimed. She would reject anything he pointed out, no matter how much she liked it. He needed to change that.
Kashish chose another bedroom on the ground floor, closer to the kitchen. After freshening up, she walked to the dining area, where the maids were setting the table. Rudra was on a call with Daadi.
“Daadi, you know you can visit anytime. No one’s stopping you from seeing me,” he said, his eyes briefly meeting Kashish’s before she looked away. She began serving herself while the maids tended to Rudra, who was still on the call.
“I’ll eat on time, Daadi, don’t worry. There are people here looking after me,” he said, throwing a knowing glance at Kashish. She ignored him, focusing on her food.
Moments later, she began to cough violently, and Rudra was immediately at her side, panicking. He held a glass of water to her lips. She took it without protest, gulping the water down.
“Eat slowly, dammit. What’s the rush?” He scolded, gently caressing her hair, trying to soothe her.
Kashish finally caught her breath and pushed his hand away.
“I don’t need you telling me what to do. And keep your distance from me. I don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea.”
He glared at the maids, who had rushed over to help, and they quickly retreated to their tasks. Rudra turned his gaze back to her.
“You don’t want a lot of things,” he said quietly, “but that doesn’t mean they won’t happen.”
Kashish stared at him, incredulous. He was unbelievable. Since she had finished eating, Kashish stood up to leave when he grabbed her wrist.
“You shouldn’t let someone eat alone,” Rudra said.
Kashish just stared at him.
“Stay with me while I finish,” he asked.
For some reason, she did. As she sat there again, she couldn’t stop admiring how he ate which she’d never paid attention before. He was careful about what he chose - not many carbs, mostly protein. And he ate every single bite on his plate, leaving nothing behind.
She wondered where he’d learned to eat like that. Was it from his time in the juvenile home? He had once told her about starving there, and she couldn’t help but wonder how deeply those memories still haunted him.
As he wiped his mouth and finished his meal, he gave her a small, satisfied smile. They both stood up from the table, and Rudra walked with her to her room.
“It’s been a hectic day for you,” he said softly. “But before you sleep, think about my proposal.”
Kashish rolled her eyes. “That will be the last thing on my mind.”
Rudra stepped closer, his presence overwhelming her. She backed into the wall behind her, heart racing.
“That’s exactly right,” he murmured, his voice low. “Me... and everything related to me should be the last thing on your mind.”
“Urgh! Stop over dreaming,” she snapped.
“I’m not dreaming. Why do you think I assigned you to this project? Why do you think I dropped all my other important matters to follow you here? Why do you think we’re not staying in a hotel with the team?”
Kashish felt a knot tightening in her stomach. His eyes gleamed with mischief, as if he had something far greater planned than she could imagine.
“Why?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
“Because I want you all for myself,” he replied, his tone filled with certainty. “I want you to think about us. You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted, Kashish, and I want to be the only man who puts the world at your feet.”
Tears welled in her eyes as she absorbed his words. Any woman would have melted under such a declaration, but not her. Their past loomed like an insurmountable wall between them. Rudra’s jaw clenched as he gently wiped away a tear that had escaped down her cheek.
The way his fingers lingered on her face, the depth in his eyes—it was almost too much. Kashish felt her body relax under his touch, the tension draining away. He opened the door to her room and stepped back, giving her space.
“Good night,” he said softly.
She glanced at him once more before stepping inside. This man was weaving a spell around her, and if it continued, she feared it wouldn’t take long before she reconsidered his proposal.