CHAPTER 50
Daadi stood frozen, unable to process the sight before her—Rudra, her beloved grandson, forcing a marriage with Kashish. Her mind reeled with disbelief, and fury surged through her as she realized what could have happened if she hadn’t arrived in time. Rudra would have married this woman—the one she held responsible for every ounce of pain Rudra had endured.
Shekhar and Anjali, although aware of some of the underlying tensions, were just as shaken by the boldness of Rudra’s plan. After hearing from Jay that Daadi had gone to Jaipur, Rudra had immediately called Shekhar to dig for more information. Shekhar, unable to hide the truth, had confessed that Daadi had confronted Kashish about Keshav Bedi’s suicide note. Upon Daadi’s return to Delhi, they had both noticed a triumphant shift in her demeanor, as if she had secured a significant victory. Rudra had pieced everything together, realizing that Daadi and Kashish had had a conversation that sealed his fate—one that neither of them would reveal to him.
It all made sense now: Kashish’s nightmares, her persistent refusal to commit to their relationship, her distance. None of them had told him the truth, forcing him to take drastic measures. Tonight, he had orchestrated this confrontation, bringing all the players into one room to expose the reality. But success came with a bitter price—his heart was shattered, knowing Daadi had demanded such a promise from the woman he loved.
Daadi’s gaze met Rudra’s, but she couldn’t hold it. His stare was fierce, brimming with a quiet, lethal rage. And even now, he refused to let Kashish go, still cradling her in his arms despite her trembling protests to be released. Unable to bear the intensity of his anger, Daadi averted her eyes. Finally, Rudra set Kashish down, her legs weak with fear. The secret they had hidden was now out in the open, and Rudra’s fury was about to explode. He turned to Daadi, his every step toward her filled with restrained wrath.
“I get it, Daadi,” Rudra began, his voice cold, “You’ve always had your issues with Kashish. But after finding out about the suicide note, those issues became something you couldn’t bear. Fine. But you knew how much I loved her. You weren’t blind to that.”
Daadi looked up at him, her face hard but conflicted.
“What you call love, Rudra, is just guilt,” she replied. “You’ve been punishing yourself for breaking her family, and that guilt morphed into feelings you mistook for love. And now, Kashish is drowning in her own guilt—guilt for what her father did to you. That’s why she accepted your love. Relationships built on guilt never last. I’m trying to save you both from inevitable heartbreak.”
Her words only deepened the storm brewing inside Rudra.
“Is that what you think of me?” he scowled. “That my love for her is just guilt? You, of all people, should know me better. You’ve watched me suffer through every moment of pain. You’ve seen the devastation, the tears, the emptiness. And you think this is about guilt?” His voice, though controlled, was laced with anguish.
Kashish couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. She felt every shred of his agony as if it were her own. Shekhar and Anjali stood frozen, helpless as they watched their family breaking before their eyes.
“I’ve always wanted the best for you, Rudra.” She tried to reach out to touch his arm, but he stepped back, rejecting her.
“You’ve already taken the best from me. There’s nothing left for you to take.”
Without another word, he turned and stormed out of the terrace. Shekhar tried to stop him, but Rudra wouldn’t listen. His entire world had crumbled. Daadi stood rooted to the spot, staring after him in disbelief. She never imagined her actions would push him this far.
She turned sharply to Shekhar.
“This was your doing, wasn’t it? This is why you insisted on coming to Jaipur, to create this drama? I thought you, as his elder brother, would stand by me in making the right decision for Rudra.”
Shekhar’s eyes flashed with hurt and anger.
“Daadi, don’t you see what you’ve done? You’ve broken him. Rudra never asked for much in life, but when he finally did, you took it from him. Kashish means everything to him, Daadi. He’s only just begun to heal, and now you’ve thrown him back into the darkness. I’m sorry, but I cannot support you in this. You are wrong this time.”
Daadi looked at him in shock, unable to believe her grandsons had both turned against her.
“And you, Kashish,” he then turned to her. “I thought you wanted to heal him. For a while, I believed it was love, but now... you’ve shattered him. I only hope he finds the strength to forgive you.”
Without another word, Daadi walked out, leaving the terrace heavy with silence. Shekhar followed suit, and Anjali, after a hesitant glance at Kashish, trailed behind him.
Kashish stood alone amidst the chaos. Her heart felt like it would burst from the pain, the guilt crushing her. The flames of the holy fire still flickered before her, mocking the sacredness of what could have been a joyful union. She sank to her knees in front of it, covering her face with trembling hands, her sobs breaking the stillness.
What had she done? All she had wanted was to bring Rudra peace, to be the light in his life, but instead, she had plunged him into deeper darkness. She had been foolish to think that hiding the truth would protect him. She should have told him everything—together, they could have fought Daadi’s objections. But now, it was too late. She had destroyed him, perhaps beyond repair.
Rudra hadn’t even looked at her, hadn’t asked her for an explanation. His heartbreak was so deep that he had simply walked away from her without a word. Her tears fell harder. She had to fix this, but how? How could she mend the heart she had broken so cruelly?
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Rudra slammed the bedroom door shut, locking it from the inside as he leaned heavily against it, closing his eyes. Kashish agreeing to such silly promise of leaving him forever bore down on him like a crushing wave. How could she have made such a foolish promise to Daadi? His fists clenched tightly, and with a surge of rage, he punched the wall, the sharp sting grounding him in reality. Her eyes had always been honest—he had seen her love, her sincerity. But then why had she kept this from him? Why had she hidden something so important, something that changed everything?
His thoughts spiraled, recalling the way she had cared for him, coaxed him to take the wheel, given him his medicine each night to soothe his nightmares. Had it all been part of her plan? Was she simply preparing to leave him once she believed he was healed? If that were the case, he would rather remain broken. He didn’t want to be cured if it meant losing her.
Consumed by fury, he yanked open the drawer and grabbed the bottle of medication Dr. Akash had prescribed. Without hesitation, he stormed into the bathroom, dumping the pills into the toilet and flushing them away, the bottle smashing against the floor in his rage. He emerged, his gaze falling on the bed—the same bed he and Kashish had shared, the place where he had dared to hope for a future. That bed was now tainted by her betrayal. He couldn’t bear the memories it held.
His hand found the lighter in the drawer, and without a second thought, he ignited it, tossing it onto the bed. Flames erupted, devouring the sheets and creeping outward. The fire was a reflection of the storm inside him—wild, uncontrollable, consuming. Smoke began to seep through the cracks of the door and windows, triggering the fire alarm. Sprinklers burst into action, dousing the flames, but the damage had already begun.
Shekhar, Anjali, Daadi, and Kashish rushed to his room, panic coursing through them. They were terrified of what Rudra might have done in his anguish. Shekhar kicked the door open, revealing Rudra standing in the middle of the drenched room, surrounded by smoldering ruins. His clothes were soaked, his body trembling from the sheer force of his emotions.
“Rudra!” Shekhar shouted, running to him and pulling him away from the remnants of the fire. Rudra didn’t resist, but his eyes, dark with anger, remained locked on Kashish. She stood frozen, unable to move, her heart pounding with terror at the sight of him. Daadi wept silently, never having seen Rudra in such a state. There were burns on his arms.
“What were you thinking, Rudra? You could have been killed!” Shekhar’s voice cracked with fear and frustration. “I know you’re angry, but this—this is not the way to deal with it!”
But Rudra’s gaze never wavered from Kashish. His eyes were filled with agony and fury that tore at her soul. The thought of what could have happened—of him standing there as the fire consumed him—made her knees weak. She had hurt him far more deeply than she had ever imagined. There was no more hope for reconciliation; she could see that now. The fragile trust they had built was shattered, and Rudra would never forgive her. Never!
Rudra finally broke the tense silence, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.
“We’re leaving for Delhi tonight. All of us.”
Shekhar nodded, understanding the urgency of the situation. Rudra needed to leave this place. Kashish’s breath caught in her throat. She could feel the suffocating intensity of his pain, but she couldn’t find the words to reach him. She had no idea how Rudra planned to explain their sudden departure to the Mehtas, but he was the boss—he would make it work. As for her, she was trapped, caught between her duty to the project and the crushing weight of her responsibility toward him. Yet there was no choice. Rudra had become her only priority, and she would do whatever it took to make amends, even if he never forgave her.
Back in her room, Kashish began to undress, her mind replaying the events on the terrace—the sacred fire, the marriage preparations, the Sindoor, the Mangalsutra, the vows they had nearly taken. His words echoed in her ears: “We are marrying tonight.” How perfect, how right it had all seemed—until her foolish promise had destroyed everything. If only she could turn back time, undo the damage she had caused.
As Shekhar made arrangements for their departure, he glanced back at the remnants of the room Rudra had destroyed. The physical damage could be repaired, but the wounds to Rudra and Kashish’s hearts ran far deeper. And Shekhar knew—those would take far longer to heal, if they ever did at all.
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Few Hours Later…
Rudra sat in the last seat of their chartered plane, isolating himself from the rest of the family. Everyone else sat ahead, silently trying to salvage the remnants of their shattered hearts. Kashish sat beside Anjali, who stayed by her side, offering quiet comfort. Shekhar did the same for Daadi, though the strain was unimaginable. Now, it was up to him and Anjali to guide them through this mess.
At the back, Rudra drowned his anguish in alcohol. Shekhar made several attempts to stop him, but Rudra was deaf to his brother’s pleas. He was too far gone, consumed by the need to numb the pain, to silence the torment that echoed in every corner of his soul. Alcohol felt like the only escape.
After an agonizing hour of flight from Jaipur, they finally landed back at the Raheja Mansion. The silence between them was deafening as they each retreated to their rooms.
“Get some rest, Rudra,” Shekhar urged, though he knew his words were likely meaningless. Rudra, too drunk to comprehend, nodded blankly and shut the door. He locked out the world, cutting off all contact—especially from the one person who had shattered his heart beyond recognition. His Kashish.
In the dimly lit hallway, Kashish approached Shekhar, her face streaked with fresh tears.
“Did he sleep?” she asked, her voice trembling.
Shekhar sighed deeply. “I hope so. He’s been through hell.”
“I’m sorry, Shekhar. I ruined everything.”
“Don’t apologize to me,” he snapped. “He’s the one you’ve broken. The two people he trusted the most tore his heart apart today. How do you think he’s supposed to recover from that?”
Kashish wept harder, guilt swallowing her whole. Shekhar, despite his anger, couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity. Gripping her arms, he softened his tone.
“Make it right. That’s all you can do now.”
She nodded weakly, but Shekhar’s next words chilled her to the bone.
“But let me warn you,” he continued, his eyes darkening with a gravity she hadn’t seen before. “You’ve woken the beast inside him. This time, it won’t be easy to calm him down.”
A shiver ran through Kashish, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. She nodded again, slowly wiping the tears from her face.
“Go and get some rest,” Shekhar urged. “You’ll need all the strength and patience you can muster. You have a battle ahead of you, and it starts tomorrow.”
Kashish turned away, watching Shekhar walk down the hallway. With slow, hesitant steps, she made her way toward her own room, though it felt like a hollow, pointless journey. It was as if she had reached a dead end, with no way out. The man she loved was only a few feet away, but the chasm between them felt infinite. How had she allowed it all to come to this?