CHAPTER 64
Suman fell silent, taken aback by the force in Rudra’s words defending Kashish. She quickly realized her mistake and apologized.
“Sorry, Rudra, I didn’t mean to offend you.”
Rudra clenched his fists under the dining table, his frustration building.
“It’s fine.” He forced himself to remain calm, continuing to eat in silence.
The others at the table—Shekhar, Anjali—watched the exchange quietly, not wanting to escalate the situation. Daadi, sensing the fragile peace, breathed a sigh of relief, grateful Rudra hadn’t let the argument drag on.
After dinner, Suman expressed her desire to leave.
“Why so soon, Suman? Stay a little longer,” Daadi urged, trying to prolong the evening.
“I’ll visit again, Daadi,” Suman reassured her.
Daadi, still eager to nurture the connection between Rudra and Suman, pressed on.
“Don’t take Rudra’s words to heart. He’s not usually like this.”
“It’s alright, Daadi.” Suman forced a smile, trying to maintain her composure.
As they made their way to the door, Daadi made one more attempt.
“Rudra, why don’t you drop Suman home?”
“Of course.” Without hesitation, and hiding his inner turmoil, Rudra agreed.
Once Mohan, drove them away, Daadi’s controlled demeanor cracked.
“Rudra shouldn’t have spoken like that.”
Shekhar, however, wasn’t having it.
“Daadi, let’s talk about why you told Suman and her family about Keshav Bedi’s suicide note in the first place.”
“I had to,” Daadi snapped. “They deserved to know the truth, that Rudra was innocent.”
“So, if he wasn’t, would they have backed out?” Shekhar challenged.
“Why twist my words, Shekhar? Why dwell on things that didn’t happen? Did you see how maturely Suman apologized? She can handle these things. Besides, what she said mirrors my own feelings. I’m not blaming Kashish directly, but I will never accept her for Rudra.”
Shekhar tried to argue, but Anjali touched his hand, silently urging him to stop. With a frustrated sigh, Daadi retreated to her room.
“I pity Daadi’s mindset about Kashish,” Shekhar said to Anjali, once they were alone.
“She’s stuck in her old beliefs. She won’t understand until she sees for herself what Kashish means to Rudra.”
Shekhar’s frustration slowly faded, knowing his wife was right. Until Daadi genuinely saw how much in Rudra and Kashish cared for each other, she wouldn’t approve of Kashish.
*****************
Uttam Nagar
Kashish lay on her bed, staring at her phone. It was 10:00 p.m., and she couldn’t stop wondering if Suman was still at Raheja Mansion. The thought made her nauseous, but she had agreed to this charade, hadn’t she? She couldn’t call Rudra and share her discomfort; she didn’t want to add to his already overflowing burden. But the pain of imagining another woman looking at him with the same hope she had, with dreams of a future that only she wanted to share with him, was unbearable.
Tears welled up in her eyes, slipping silently onto her pillow. As she lay there, drowning in her emotions, she suddenly felt an arm wrap around her waist from behind, pulling her close. She gasped, but the familiar warmth of his breath on her neck and the gentle whisper in her ear calmed her racing heart.
“Why are you still awake?” Rudra’s voice was a soothing balm to her troubled soul.
She quickly turned to face him, her eyes wide with surprise.
“What are you doing here? How did you get in? And… Suman? Did she leave?” she asked breathlessly, her emotions tumbling out in a rush.
“You were crying?” Rudra’s eyes darkened with concern when he noticed the traces of tears on her face.
Kashish quickly shook her head, trying to hide the truth.
“No, something just got in my eye. That’s all.”
He pressed his lips into a thin line.
“For every lie you tell me, I’ll stop coming here for that many days. How does that sound?”
Her resolve crumbled, and she reluctantly admitted the truth.
“I was scared… scared for us. I hate this whole Suman drama, Rudra.”
“So do I.”
“We’re playing with someone else’s emotions. What if Suman actually falls for you? We don’t have the right to hurt her like this.”
Rudra nodded. “You’re right. We don’t.”
“Then what do we do?”
Seeing her distress, Rudra cupped her face gently.
“Ssh… don’t stress yourself like this. Breathe.”
She closed her eyes, following his soothing voice, and taking deep breaths to calm down. Rudra watched her intently, noticing the way her chest rose and fell, her lips parting slightly, her eyelashes trembling. Unable to resist, he pressed a tender kiss to her lips.
“Feeling better?”
“A little.” She opened her eyes and smiled.
“Good.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“But you still didn’t tell me how you got in,” she added curious to know.
“I have a set of keys, remember?” he reminded her with a teasing smile.
“And Suman?”
“I dropped her home. We had a bit of an argument at Raheja Mansion… about you.”
“An argument? Did she find out about us?”
Rudra smirked. “Don’t overthink it. Trust me, I’ll handle it.”
She frowned, unsatisfied with his vague response.
“If you’re not going to give me the details, don’t tease me with half the story. Now I’ll just be thinking about it all night.”
Rudra chuckled. “Alright then, how about we do something that will take your mind off everything?” His grip on her waist tightened suggestively.
She swatted at his chest playfully before snuggling closer.
“Stay with me tonight,” she whispered.
Rudra kissed her forehead, pulling her even closer.
“I will.”
He reached for the quilt, pulling it over them, and switched off the lights. The world outside may have been filled with uncertainty and challenges, but here, wrapped in each other’s arms, they found solace.
*****************
Next Morning
“Coffee,” Kashish handed Rudra the mug as he sat up in bed, still waking up.
He took a sip before motioning for her to sit beside him on her small bed.
“Don’t let this stress you out, Kashish. I mean it.”
“I’m trying not to, but I can’t help it, Rudra.”
He gave her a knowing smile and reached over to the side table, pulling out his wallet.
“I’ve got something that might help keep your mind busy while I sort everything out.”
He removed a business card and handed it to her.
“Contact this woman. She’s the interior designer for our bungalow. Give her your ideas for the décor.”
Kashish took the card, a small smile spreading across her face.
“How am I supposed to make all the decisions on my own? It’s our home. You should have a say in it too.”
“Your choice is my choice,” he said, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek before taking another sip of his coffee.
“Alright,” she teased, “I’ll take care of the décor. Anything else you want me to do?”
Rudra glanced at the clock before smirking at her.
“If we had more time, I’d have plenty of ideas, but I need to get back before Daadi starts her morning puja.”
Kashish’s smile softened.
“I understand. I miss being there… with you, Anju, and Shekhar.”
“Then take Anjali Bhabhi with you when you work on the décor. That way, you can spend time together.”
“That’s a good idea,” Kashish agreed, her spirits lifting a little.
Rudra finished his coffee, stood up, and began putting on his T-shirt. Kashish watched him as he dressed, unable to take her eyes off him. He knew she was watching, but he didn’t mind—she was the only person who had that privilege.
Once dressed, Rudra walked back over to her, his eyes warm.
“See you at the office.”
“Should I bring you lunch today? We could eat together.”
His heart swelled at her offer.
“I’d love that. Whatever you make, I’ll enjoy.”
“No,” she playfully insisted. “Give me your choice. I want to make something you like.”
Rudra thought for a moment.
“Ladies’ finger.”
Kashish grinned.
“Got it. Bye.”
“Bye, sweetheart.” He leaned in for a kiss on her lips, but she quickly turned her head, making him settle for a cheek kiss instead.
“Save it for later,” she whispered with a teasing giggle.
“I’ll never run out of kisses for you,” he said, kissing her roughly on her lips despite her fake resistance before heading out.
*****************
That evening, Kashish took Anjali to visit the bungalow. As they entered, Anjali’s eyes widened in admiration.
“Wow, Kashish, this house is stunning,” she exclaimed.
Kashish nodded, but her smile faded slightly.
“It is beautiful, Anju, but I don’t like the idea of staying away from all of you.”
Anjali’s expression softened as she placed a comforting hand on Kashish’s shoulder.
“It’s only temporary. Once Daadi accepts you, this place will be our weekend retreat.”
Kashish’s spirits lifted a little, and she smiled again. The two spent the rest of the evening meeting the designer, finalizing the interior details. She made sure to incorporate Rudra’s preferences as well, ensuring the house would be a perfect blend of both their tastes—a sanctuary where they could build their future together.
*****************
A month passed swiftly. Kashish was extremely busy with both the house décor and her work at Raheja Office. Despite the chaos, she managed to balance everything well. However, Daadi’s acceptance of her remained distant. It was clear Daadi was still holding out hope that Rudra would marry Suman. Meanwhile, Kashish and Rudra met at work every day, and on weekends, they spent time finalizing the details of their bungalow.
One such weekend, Kashish was at the bungalow, admiring the finished touches in their bedroom. She snapped a picture of the room and sent it to Rudra with the caption: Our Room . His reply came instantly, making her blush, reading all those things he mentioned he wanted to do there with her. She tucked her phone back into her purse, preparing to head downstairs when she noticed someone entering the house. As the woman approached, Kashish’s heart sank. It was Suman. She had seen her picture recently through Anjali.
Kashish froze in place, unsure of what to do.
“Hi, Kashish.” Suman smiled warmly as she approached.
“Hi… Suman, right?”
“That’s right.”
Kashish’s confusion deepened. “How did you know about this place?”
“Rudra told me,” Suman replied casually.
Kashish blinked in surprise.
“He… told you?”
Suman didn’t seem fazed by Kashish’s reaction.
“It’s a beautiful house,” she complimented, looking around with admiration.
Kashish wondered why Suman was here? What were her intentions? Why would Rudra even tell her about this place?
“Don’t be so surprised. Rudra told me about your relationship the first time we met.”
Kashish’s jaw nearly dropped. “He did?” she whispered, stunned that Rudra hadn’t mentioned this to her.
“Yes. We had an argument about you at Raheja Mansion during our first meet, and he got mad. On the way home, he told me everything. I wasn’t really shocked—I could tell he cared deeply about you the way he defended you during our argument.”
Kashish felt her chest tighten.
“Then why are you still going along with this? You could’ve told Daadi you weren’t interested.”
“I could have. But if I stepped aside, Daadi would just find someone else.”
Kashish sighed. That much was true. Daadi wouldn’t stop until Rudra did what she wanted.
“And honestly, I got a little selfish,” Suman added.
Kashish’s heart skipped a beat.
“Selfish?”
Suman stepped closer.
“Rudra is a remarkable man. Any woman would want him… even me.”
Fear and anger flared inside Kashish. “But he loves me. You know that.”
“I know,” Suman said calmly, “but if he marries me, I’ll make sure he loves only me… not you.”
Kashish’s head throbbed.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Suman. You have no idea of the depth of Rudra’s love for me.”
Suman’s smile didn’t falter.
“We’ll see. If he chooses you, I’ll step aside. But if he chooses his Daadi… well, you’ll have to let him go.”
“Rudra isn’t a prize to be won. He’s my love. And you don’t gamble in love. You fight. You fight with everything you have.”
Suman’s expression remained unchanged.
“We’ll see who wins. Goodbye, Kashish.”
She walked away, leaving Kashish standing there, her heart racing and her mind spinning. Did Rudra know what Suman was planning? Had she told him? Why hadn’t Rudra mentioned that Suman knew about their relationship? Only Rudra had answers to all her doubts.