CHAPTER 55
Bedi House
Shekhar and Anjali had only come to help Kashish with her kitchen arrangements, but what they witnessed left them speechless—Rudra was here, asserting his claim over Kashish by symbolically making her his wife.
“Rudra? When did you arrive? And what is all this?” Shekhar asked, still processing the scene.
Rudra shot them a no-nonsense look.
“She needed a reason to stay in Raheja Mansion with me, and I just gave her one.”
Kashish’s throat tightened, tears threatening to spill from her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.
“This is absurd, Rudra. I’m not going to abide by this. Marriage isn’t a joke,” she snapped.
Rudra smirked.
“Marriage is a legal excuse for a man and a woman to stay together, have children, and start a family. That’s what I’ve always wanted from you, Kashish. And you will comply.”
Fury surged through Kashish, and she yelled back, “Just because you put your blood on my forehead doesn’t make me your wife. There are vows, sacred rituals, blessings from the elders—Sindoor, Mangalsutra—these aren’t things you can skip.”
“I can arrange all of that in an instant. The temple isn’t far,” he countered in a challenging tone.
“And the blessings of the elders? How will you manage that?”
Rudra’s lips pressed into a thin line, and for the first time, he faltered. She was talking about Daadi, and he knew very well that his grandmother would never approve of their union.
“I’ll talk to her. I’ll convince her.”
“Maybe you will,” Kashish said bitterly. “But until then, I’m not marrying you.”
That struck a nerve. Rudra’s anger flared. “Two months, Kashish. Two months, and you still haven’t changed? Daadi’s approval is so important to you, but what about my feelings? My needs? I don’t care if we finish the rituals or get her blessings.”
“You don’t care about the rituals, the blessings… then what do you even care about, Rudra?”
“That I love you, dammit!” Rudra shouted, grabbing her forearms, his grip tightening.
The room fell into a deafening silence. Shekhar and Anjali stood frozen, like they were witnessing a storm unravel. The raw intensity between Rudra and Kashish was unlike anything they had ever seen.
Kashish had heard him say those words before, but the way he said it now sent her heart into a freefall. His love was always powerful enough to change the course of their lives. But it wasn’t enough to erase the obstacles standing between them at the moment.
“I know you love me,” she murmured as Rudra’s grip on her arms loosened. “But can you bear to watch Daadi turn her back on me every single day? Can you endure my tears when she blames me for taking you away from her? Daadi has been your pillar all these years. She’s protected you, loved you, fought for your innocence when the world turned against you. Are you really willing to break her heart for me? Will we ever find happiness under the same roof when the head of the family is against our relationship?”
Kashish’s words struck him deep, but he didn’t want to admit it.
“Fine,” Rudra growled. “If you won’t come back to Raheja Mansion, I’ll stay here with you.”
Kashish let out a sarcastic laugh.
“Why would you add another burden on my conscience? I can’t tear you away from your family.”
Rudra’s frustration grew.
“You won’t come with me, and you won’t let me stay here. How are we supposed to make this work?”
“We’ll figure it out like we did for the past two months. At least we’re in the same city. We’re only a few kilometers apart. We can endure this, Rudra—until Daadi accepts me on her own terms, without pressure.”
Anjali and Shekhar exchanged worried glances. They didn’t agree with Kashish’s plan, and neither did Rudra.
“Kashish,” Shekhar interjected, “we know Daadi well. It could take years for her to change her mind. Are you both really going to wait that long for her approval? It’s a terrible idea.”
Kashish lowered her gaze, unsure of how to make them understand her reasoning. But Rudra sensed her hesitation and decided to put an end to the conversation.
“Two more months,” he declared firmly. “If Daadi doesn’t accept you by then, you’re marrying me with all the rituals and coming back to Raheja Mansion. I’m not waiting any longer.”
Kashish knew two months wasn’t enough time to change Daadi’s heart, but what other choice did she have? She couldn’t live without Rudra either. They would have to make a decision once the deadline arrived.
“Okay,” she whispered.
Anjali beamed with excitement, gripping Shekhar’s hand.
“I can’t wait for these two months to be over,” Anjali said, her smile wide.
“Neither can I,” Rudra muttered possessively, his gaze still locked on Kashish, who looked away, trying to steady her emotions. The bold move he had made today—marking her forehead with his blood—would hang between them for the next two months like an unspoken vow.
Shekhar glanced at his wife, understanding her silent cue.
“Well then, I guess Kashish doesn’t need our help with the kitchen anymore. We’ll head back. Rudra, you can come home later. We’ll let Daadi know you’re back.”
Rudra nodded, forcing a weak smile. Anjali hugged Kashish tightly, whispering something in her ear that made Kashish blush. Then, with a wave, she and Shekhar left the house.
Kashish stood there, utterly nervous. She had so many things to say.
“At least offer me a glass of water,” Rudra teased, breaking the silence.
Kashish headed to the kitchen, with Rudra following close behind. She filled a glass and turned, startled to find him standing so close. In her panic, she dropped the glass, spilling water on his clothes.
“I… I’m sorry,” she stammered, kneeling down to pick up the glass. Her hands trembled as she spoke. “I’ll get a towel to clean this.”
She hurried to the bedroom to fetch a towel, and Rudra followed her there too. She was flustered—meeting him after such a long time, and now dealing with the shock of everything that had just happened. She fetched a cloth and began wiping his sleeves, trying to calm her shaking hands.
Rudra stopped her, gently taking the cloth from her trembling hand and setting it aside. His intense gaze then locked onto her as his fingers brushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, his thumb grazing her cheek.
“Just relax,” he whispered. “I know it’s hard after being apart for so long.”
Kashish’s heart hammered against her ribs like a caged bird seeking freedom. The space between them crackled with tension, with all the words left unsaid during their separation.
His eyes, those deep pools that had always seen right through her defenses, searched her face hungrily.
“Let me look at you, feel you… to remind myself that we’re together again,” he added.
She met his gaze, feeling stripped bare under his scrutiny. Silent. Vulnerable. The wall she had built during their time apart was crumbling, brick by emotional brick. When his hands cupped her face, they felt like fire against her skin. They were familiar yet foreign - the hands that had both held her and pushed her away.
The soft kiss he placed on her cheek sent shockwaves through her body. Suddenly her heart clenched painfully in her chest. He had left her, hadn’t he? Put her through the torment of separation, of wondering if his love had been real or just another cruel joke of fate. And now here he was, telling her with every breath, every touch, that he had missed her?
As his lips brushed her other cheek, Kashish gripped her dress tightly, her knuckles turning white with the effort to keep from reaching for him. Her body screamed to touch him, to believe this was real, that he was here. But her mind raced with doubts. What about his Haphephobia? Was it truly gone, or was it lurking beneath the surface, ready to tear them apart again?
She felt his breath on her lips now as he inched closer. Just as his lips were about to meet hers, just as she could almost taste him, something inside her snapped.
With trembling hands, she pushed him gently away. Rudra’s expression shifted from desire to confusion to hurt. The pain in his eyes made her want to take it all back, to throw herself into his arms and forget everything else.
But she couldn’t. She wouldn’t.
Kashish gasped for breath, trying to steady herself even as her emotions spiralled out of control.
“You left me here… to punish me,” she began.
Rudra visibly flinched, swallowing hard as her rejection cut deeper than he had expected. She could see him struggling to maintain his composure, to find the right words.
“So, now you’re punishing me in return?” he asked, and she could hear the hope in his voice - hope that she would deny it, that she would close the distance between them again.
“You have no idea what I went through, how I survived without you,” she whispered bitterly. “So, yes. This is my way of revenge.”
She turned and walked out of the bedroom, leaving Rudra standing in disappointment. He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair before following her out into the living room. She was lifting bags of groceries. Without asking, he reached out to help.
“I can manage,” she muttered, but he ignored her.
“I’m sure you can, but a little help won’t diminish your capabilities,” he said calmly, carrying the bags to the kitchen.
She followed him into the kitchen.
“You’ve traveled a long way,” she said after a pause. “I don’t want you working or stressing yourself. I’ll order us dinner unless… you’d prefer to eat at Raheja Mansion.”
Rudra smiled at her suggestion, his gaze softening.
“I’ll eat with my wife.”
“Half-wife,” she corrected him. “We are yet to marry ritually.”
Rudra couldn’t come back with a response to that. Wife or half-wife, she was his. Without another word, Kashish quickly ordered their meal. She knew his preferences now—his likes and dislikes, down to the smallest details. While waiting for the food to arrive, Rudra helped her store the groceries.
“This isn’t what I imagined us doing when we saw each other again after all this time,” he said, glancing at her as she set the table.
“Not everything goes as planned, Mr. Raheja,” she replied curtly and was about to leave to bring the other stuff when he held her hand and pulled her to him.
“You’ve forgotten how to smile,” he observed.
“I smile,” she countered. “Didn’t your sources tell you that?”
“I meant the real smile,” he corrected, “not the one you force for others.”
His words struck her deeply. Rudra saw right through her, as he always had.
“How could you expect me to smile without you? You left me with no choice. You told me to love you unconditionally, like you loved me. That’s what I’ve been trying to do, every day. But I lost myself in the process. I lost my smile.”
Rudra was overwhelmed. His chest tightened with regret.
“I put too much pressure on you, didn’t I? That was never my intention,” he admitted quietly.
Before either of them could say more, the doorbell rang. Kashish broke away from him to get the food delivery. Rudra watched her, still processing her words, feeling her pain like never before.
She returned with the food in a minute and set it down.
“Plates,” she reminded him softly, breaking his chain of thoughts. Without a delay, he moved to the kitchen to retrieve the plates, promising this distance between them was the last. He was never going to part from her. Ever.
*******************
After dinner, Kashish washed the dishes, while Rudra, despite her protests, insisted on helping dry them.
“You should head home. Daadi must be waiting.”
Rudra nodded but didn’t move.
“How do you sleep here alone?”
Her heart skipped a beat at the concern in his voice.
“Like every other orphan,” she replied, her voice cracking.
Without warning, Rudra placed a finger on her lips, silencing her.
“You’re not an orphan,” he scolded. “You have me. You have my family. Never say that word again.”
Kashish nodded, her eyes misting over. This house reminded her too much of her father, of the loneliness she had buried for so long. But at least Rudra was back. His presence was the only comfort she had left.
“Show me your room,” he urged softly, and she led him to her small bedroom. It was cozy but modest, the bed barely enough for one. Rudra turned her to face him, cupping her cheek once more as he pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, right where his blood had marked her earlier. The gesture felt sacred, like renewal of the vow he had made.
“I’m just a call away,” he murmured, his breath warm against her skin. “If you ever feel alone, you call me. Promise me.”
She nodded, placing her hands over his.
“You should go now.”
“Yes,” he agreed reluctantly. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the office. Do you want me to pick you up?”
“No,” she said firmly. “I told you this place is convenient. I’ll manage.”
Rudra exhaled sharply, a sound caught between frustration and admiration.
“You’ve gotten bossy, Miss Bedi.”
For the first time that night, a faint smile tugged at her lips. That glimpse of her old self, the playful spark that had first drawn him to her, made Rudra’s heart visibly lift. His eyes softened, crinkling at the corners in that way that always made her weak in the knees.
“Go to bed early. No more bad thoughts.”
“No more,” she whispered.
“Good night,” he said, leaning in again, this time clearly aiming for her lips. Kashish’s heart raced, her body instinctively leaning towards him even as her mind reminded her of her resolve to punish him. But before she could voice her protest, he pulled away at the last moment, a knowing grin spreading across his face.
“This punishment won’t last for long,” he declared. “Tomorrow, I need my kiss.”
The gentle pat he gave her cheek felt like a brand, marking her as his all over again. As he turned to leave, Kashish followed him to the door, struggling to contain her own grin.
She watched as he got into his car, her heart doing somersaults as he looked back one last time before his driver drove him away.
So, he was finally here, and despite the walls she had tried to put up, he was breaking through them. She couldn’t wait to see him again. As she prepared for bed, following his instruction to retire early, she wondered how long she could really maintain her determination? Because with every look, every almost-touch, every almost-kiss, Rudra was proving that their love was stronger than any punishment she could devise. And truthfully, she couldn’t wait to surrender. Completely.