CHAPTER 51
Raheja Mansion
The night was nothing short of torment for Savitri Raheja. She tossed and turned, unsettled by the thought that her beloved grandson would never trust her again. She had acted out of love for Rudra, but he wouldn’t see it that way. In her mind, Kashish was just a temporary responsibility, not someone who could truly belong in their family. Rudra deserved better—someone more worthy, someone who could care for him completely.
At dawn, she was the first to rise. Feeling parched, she made her way to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. But what she saw there shocked her—Kashish, standing at the stove, making breakfast.
“What are you doing here?”
Kashish didn’t reply. She kept working, flipping pancakes with determined focus. This had been her routine in Jaipur—cooking for Rudra every morning—and despite his anger now, she couldn’t abandon it. Daadi’s eyes widened in fury as she realized what Kashish was preparing.
“These games won’t work anymore, Kashish. Stop wasting your time. Rudra knows about your promise now. You can’t trap him again.”
But Kashish remained silent, her hands steady as she cooked. Daadi’s frustration boiled over. How could this girl be so indifferent, so stubborn? Storming forward, Daadi snatched the spatula from her hand.
“I said stop!” Daadi shouted. “Are you out of your mind?”
Kashish finally looked at her, but there was no submission in her gaze.
“I was out of my mind when I made that promise to you. I won’t make that mistake again.”
Daadi stared at her in disbelief.
“What do you mean by that?”
Kashish grabbed the spatula back from her hand.
“I’m not leaving Rudra. Not for you, not for anyone,” she declared. “He is my life. And I won’t throw it away just because someone else thinks I don’t belong here.”
Daadi was visibly shaken, disturbed by both Kashish’s words and the intensity with which she spoke.
“Watch your words,” Daadi warned.
“I should have watched my actions earlier,” she retorted. “Maybe then Rudra wouldn’t be so hurt right now.”
“And what about what your father did to him?” Daadi seethed.
“I haven’t forgotten that either and I’m deeply sorry for it. But neither Rudra nor I are going to let my father’s deeds destroy what we have.”
“You’ve lost your senses.”
“No, Daadi,” Kashish said softly, her eyes flashing with a quiet strength. “I’ve finally found them. I know what I’m doing now. And if you can’t accept me as Rudra’s partner, so be it. But I won’t hurt him any more than I already have. And I won’t let anyone else hurt him, either.”
Her words were like a boundary being drawn—a challenge that Daadi hadn’t expected. She was speechless, stunned by Kashish’s courage, by the fire in her that refused to be extinguished. Daadi had never imagined this girl would defy her so openly, so fiercely.
Kashish finished the pancakes and carried them to the dining table. As she stepped out of the kitchen, she froze—Rudra stood there. He looked at her, his expression hard and unreadable. Kashish’s heart sank as she realized he hadn’t come for her, but for Shekhar, who was just a few feet away.
“I’ve scheduled a meeting in an hour. Don’t be late,” Rudra told Shekhar curtly.
“What’s it about?” Shekhar asked.
“You’ll know soon enough,” Rudra replied coldly before turning to leave. Kashish moved quickly to block his path.
“Breakfast is ready,” she whispered, her tone laced with desperation.
Rudra glanced at her, his gaze icy, before walking out without another word. The tray of pancakes trembled in her hands. He hadn’t eaten. She had made them for him, hoping he might at least share a meal with her, but his indifference cut deep. Shekhar, noticing her distress, stepped closer.
“Don’t worry,” he assured her. “I’ll make sure he eats something at work. Go get ready—we’ll leave together.”
Kashish nodded as she rushed back to her room. Rudra’s coldness was suffocating. He had never treated her like this before. Even when she despised him, he had found ways to stay close, to protect her. Now, she felt the crushing absence of his affection, and it tore her apart. She wasn’t used to his indifference— she was used to his love.
*****************
Raheja Office
Rudra stormed into the Raheja office, Jay trailing close behind. Inside the conference room, Shekhar and the board members were already seated, waiting for him. Kashish wasn’t here, as only the top executives were called for this urgent meeting.
“Apologies for the short notice, gentlemen,” Rudra began, taking his seat at the head of the table. “But I have some important announcements to make.”
Shekhar listened, tension coiling tight in his chest. He knew his brother too well—Rudra made drastic decisions when he was hurt or angry, and today, Shekhar was certain they were about to witness one.
“As you all know,” Rudra continued. “I came here for a specific project, which is now nearing completion. The Mehta project is also progressing smoothly in Jaipur. Given that, I’ve decided to return to Paris.”
Shekhar clenched his fists under the table. Of course. He had predicted this. Rudra’s escape. The board members, equally startled, exchanged uneasy glances.
“But Rudra,” Mr. Khanna spoke up, clearly alarmed, “we still have critical projects lined up that need your direct involvement.”
“I’m not quitting, Mr. Khanna,” Rudra said, his tone sharp but controlled. “I’ll continue to support the company, but remotely. I’ll be available by phone and video conferences. Nothing will fall behind; I give you my word.”
Shekhar remained silent, watching his younger brother with unreadable eyes. He knew this was about more than just work. There was a storm brewing inside Rudra, and it had little to do with the company’s operations.
“Jay has prepared all the necessary paperwork to transition my responsibilities. I’ll sign them before I leave,” Rudra added, leaning back in his chair as if to end the conversation.
The board members, though reluctant, seemed to accept his decision. Soon, the meeting concluded, and one by one, the executives left the room, leaving Shekhar and Rudra alone. Shekhar stood last, a heavy silence falling between them.
“So, you’re running away,” Shekhar finally said, his voice laced with disappointment.
Rudra didn’t meet his gaze, staring somewhere far beyond the room’s walls.
“I’m protecting myself from being humiliated any further by those I thought were my own.”
“I understand your anger,” Shekhar replied. “But running isn’t the solution, Rudra. Where’s that fighter I knew when you were a teenager? The one who didn’t back down so easily?”
Rudra shot up from his seat, fury flashing in his eyes.
“I’m not a teenager anymore! I’ve been forced to grow up too damn fast. And I’m done fighting with the people who should have had my back. If they don’t want me, I’m not going to beg to stay in their lives.”
Shekhar sighed heavily, sensing the depth of his brother’s pain.
“She made a mistake. Forgive her.”
Rudra’s jaw tightened.
“Forgiveness doesn’t erase the kind of hurt I’m carrying right now.”
“Then punish her,” Shekhar shot back, his voice harder now. “But don’t leave like this. If you walk away, neither of you will find peace. And I know you, Rudra—you want Kashish to be happy. Don’t give her a reason to live with regret for the rest of her life.”
With that, Shekhar turned and left the room, leaving Rudra standing there, his emotions unraveling. He felt cold, disconnected, but most of all, lost. Kashish had torn him apart this time—so deeply that no punishment, no act of revenge, would bring them back to where they once were. Not anytime soon.
*****************
“What? How... how can he decide that?” Kashish screamed, her voice breaking, after Shekhar told her about Rudra’s decision to leave for Paris.
“I had a feeling he’d pull something like this,” Shekhar sighed, “but I didn’t expect it to be this soon.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill. The mere thought of Rudra leaving tore her apart from the inside.
“He can’t do this to me,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
“He’s not just punishing you, Kashish... He’s punishing himself too. If we don’t stop him now, it might be too late,” Shekhar warned, his words laced with urgency.
Kashish’s heart clenched painfully.
“I won’t let him go... I can’t let him go.”
Without waiting another second, she bolted out of Shekhar’s office and raced toward Rudra’s room. She barged in, her heart pounding. He was there, seated at his desk, calmly working as if nothing in the world could disturb him. His eyes briefly flickered up to her, then back to his laptop, dismissing her presence.
“You can’t do this,” she pleaded.
He didn’t respond and continued to type on the laptop as if she hadn’t spoken.
“Don’t do this to me, Rudra... Please, say something. At least look at me,” she begged, her eyes wide with pain.
Rudra slammed the laptop shut and pushed himself to his feet, storming over to her in a flash. His hands gripped her forearms as he pinned her to the wall, his dark eyes burning with fury.
“Ssh,” he hissed. “Stop shouting, Miss Kashish Bedi. This is my office, not your boyfriend’s bedroom.”
Her eyes widened in shock. How could he say that? He noticed her confusion and decided to twist the knife deeper.
“Why are you looking at me like that? You’re the one who demoted me from your ‘boyfriend’ to just your ‘boss.’ Or did you forget that little detail?”
Kashish’s heart dropped. Her gaze fell to the floor, unable to meet his. But Rudra wasn’t done. He grabbed her chin roughly, forcing her to look up at him.
“Don’t try to hide from this, Kashish. You made everything between us crystal clear yesterday. We know exactly where we stand now. So why are you upset? Isn’t this what you wanted? To see me living without you? Now that I’m doing just that, why can’t you handle it?”
“Because I can’t,” she shouted, her voice cracking with raw emotion.
Rudra’s grip on her tightened as his brows furrowed in frustration.
“Then where was this realization when you made that ridiculous promise to Daadi?” he snapped.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she could no longer hold them back.
“Were you lying to me then, Kashish, or are you lying to me now?”
Her sobs turned harder, and though it killed him to see her like this, Rudra couldn’t stop his anger from spilling out.
“I gave you my heart, placed it right at your feet, and you didn’t hesitate to crush it. I never expected this from you. If you couldn’t understand my feelings, fine... but don’t mock them.”
His intercom buzzed. He exhaled sharply, releasing her and picking up the phone.
“What?” he barked into the receiver.
It was Jay. “Sir, Mr. Saxena is waiting for you in the conference room.”
Rudra clenched his jaw.
“I’ll be there.”
He hung up and glanced back at Kashish one last time. She was still sobbing, her face a mess of tears. Without a word, he reached for a tissue and handed it to her.
“There’s no point crying now. These tears won’t undo what’s been done. You brought this on us. Now you have to live with the consequences.”
He turned to leave, but she grabbed his arm, desperate.
“Don’t... don’t leave me,” she begged.
Rudra paused, swallowing hard. He didn’t turn around as he spoke, his voice low and hollow.
“You planned to leave me, Kashish, long before you even confessed your feelings. You left me... I didn’t leave you.”
When she still didn’t wipe her tears, he took her wrist gently and pressed the tissue into her hand, forcing her to use it.
“I know you’re hurt,” she sniffled, her voice barely audible.
“You think you understand my pain?” He stared down at her. “Trust me, Kashish, you’re nowhere close to feeling what I’m going through at this moment. Because of you.”
He handed her the tissue again, then walked out of the room, leaving her shattered and lost.