31.

Ketki

My sight became blurry as tears took over my eyes. Why why can't Dada just say 'No it's a misunderstanding aai died because you drove recklessly not because of me'

"Ketki listen to me" he cupped my cheeks trying to calm me down but I was anything but calm. I didn't want to listen.

I choked up on my tears, I felt myself engulfed in his arms feeling his warmth. I cried even more burying my face in his chest.

He rubbed my back, and he kept on chanting 'It's okay' 'Everything is okay'

No, everything is not okay... everything was a huge big mess.

I calm myself down, I need to calm myself down. I pulled back as rudra wiped tears on my cheeks.

"You want water?" I shook my head, I want you your warmth nothing else rudra nothing else.

I was about to speak, "Sunshine"

My gaze went to the door, my dada stood there when in the past I used to look at him he looked like my Dada who loves me a lot. But now I look at him he looks like a guilty person.

He rushed to me kneeling in front of me. "Ketki please listen to me" What should I listen to the truth I already know? Or the truth that you hid from me.

There was a question I wanted to ask the man whom Kavya di loved. I didn't know anything about Kavya di but when Rudra told me how she died I couldn't help but hate that man.

"Why didn't you save Kavya di? She loved you, why?" Samarth's hands clenched into a tight fist.

He looked at Rudra who looked equally clueless, ah they must be thinking how do I know about it.

I grabbed my phone and unlocked it. I showed him the picture. "Now do you understand how I know"

He held my phone, clutching it tightly. His eyes become glassy and might cry any moment.

"Dada, tell me it's a misunderstanding... please dada"

He looked down, "samarth if not now you would be never able to tell her the truth"

Rudra spoke, he knew the truth too... I was kept in the dark.

"Kartik Kashyap... my best friend well used to be my best friend we both ruled the underworld no one tried to cross us not even his father,"

Dada pointed at rudra,

"Everything was smooth sailing until he saw you... I don't know when I am sure you don't even know if you ever saw him. He was a man with anger issues but suddenly his behavior changed. He told me he was in love and just needed to find that girl who stole his heart. And then introduce her to me. One day he found your picture through your Instagram and showed it to me. I couldn't believe it was you about him he was talking all this while. I instantly rejected but he didn't listen. I broke all my connections with him and warned him to stay away from you. I guess that was the worst thing to do with a man who was a Maniac. He was quiet for a while, but then I got a call from the hospital saying you and Aai were in the emergency ward I rushed to you, and as soon as I reached the hospital I got to know Aai was gone and you were turned blind. I thought he would stop there but no he burned down the whole Chauhan mansion he killed Kavya so that I could feel the pain of losing loved ones as he felt when I asked him to stay away from you... now he is back again... he wants to take you away to finish what he once started"

Because of me... everything happened because of me dada is not the one to blame I am the one to be blam- rudra should hate me he should fucking hate m--

My thoughts stopped in the middle when rudra held my hand drawing a circle on my knuckles. It was as if he read my mind. He knew exactly what I was thinking.

"It all happened because of a petty revenge that man wanted to take. He planned it all, though he killed everyone but the reason was that he wanted to destroy me by destroying my loved ones...I was supposed to save Kavya but how could I? My sister was fighting for her life. I couldn't... I chose you over her"

My mind was blank, my thoughts were clouded and I couldn't think straight. I felt dizzy and the next thing I knew was everything blacked out.

***

I woke up with a stinging headache, I held my head, "Are you okay?" I heard Rudra's voice, I remembered why in the first place I passed out.

He helped me sit up and sat down beside me, "sunshine how are you feeling?" dada asked, I just nodded I didn't know how I was feeling.

"Dada I know it isn't your fault... he is a sick man and no one's to be blamed for deeds he did... I am not angry at you but I need some time to process my thought process with all this information I got to know"

Dada understood what I meant, no I don't blame him I can't blame him for choosing me over his love, I can't blame him for protecting me from that man who was obsessed with me.

Aai accident happened because I was driving and even if I had not even if she was driving that accident would have happened or even worse he would have found another way to destroy us. All these years we both blamed ourselves while the real culprit enjoyed his life.

"Take care" he kissed my forehead and giving a nod to rudra he left.

I felt his gaze on me, but I was looking down, I couldn't face him after knowing the truth after knowing how much he had suffered I couldn't look at him. His burning gaze was at me but I was looking down.

"Chashni" He called me holding my chin he made me look at him.

"Don't" he whispered, I frowned he just smiled and flicked my forehead gaining a groan from me. I rubbed my forehead.

"I know what does in this head of yours... trust me chashni it isn't your fault it's his fault it's his sick desires fault" he cupped my cheeks leaning his forehead against mine.

"You don't hate me or my dada?" I couldn't help but wonder if there was anyone else he would have taken revenge on us but rudra gave me love just pure love.

"Your dada obviously I hated him, but then I realized I am a brother too how I cared about my sister he also cared about his sister, my sister was in pain so was his, it was not his fault cause I knew if the time was different he would have come to save my sister but he couldn't because his sister was in pain. If anyone's at fault then it's the timing and Kartik who took advantage of our vulnerability"

I looked at him, "And me you don't hate me?"

He pulled me in his embrace, "How can I hate you when I love you so much?" he took a pause "I fell for you even before knowing who you were... and when I found out the truth I was already deeply in love with you. You are my Chashni woman I love and can't live without. So chashni I am a clingy person now that you are mine I would never let you go"

My heart picked its rate, butterflies came out of nowhere dancing in my stomach. I Hugged him, Cause there was no way I was gonna go away from him if I was a selfish person, I wanted to be selfish for him.

He wrapped his hands around me pulling me closer, I kept my head on his chest feeling the rhythm of his heart.

"Rudra" he hummed in response, he was playing with my hair.

"What if he hurt you... I can't live without you ..." his grip around me tightened.

"No one will hurt me or you, I'll protect you with my all, and then we'll live our life happy just like they show in movies we'll have our happily ever after"

A happily ever after, we deserve it right we both deserve a happily ever after. Rudra is prepared this time, and so am I... last time I didn't know why it happened to me but this time I know, and ill help rudra.

Like Rudra promised to protect me I too promise it today I'll protect you from every danger that we come across...

I PROMISE.

***

"Rudra I can't anymore I am tired" I was running the treadmill, tired already. First, he asked me to do push-ups well I died in the first 5 minutes of training. I was huffing and panting but this man didn't take mercy on me.

He stopped the treadmill while with my shaky legs, I settled on a stair trying to catch my breath.

"God rudra you are so bad I am already tired I can't anymore let us continue tomorrow" I took a few sips of water.

"No Chashni we need to finish today's training you promised you'd train hard or..." he leaned closer our noses touching.

I raised my brows "Or what?"

"I'll start working in your bakery as a server" No no no he is not working in my bakery, he is my husband he can't work as a server moreover many college girls come into the bakery, and when they look at him gawking their eyes at my rudra no no no...

I kept the water bottle and got up as if all tiredness vanished into thin air. "What next?"

He grinned and our training continued.

***

I was getting ready, I wore a simple short kurti and baggy jeans, my legs were hurting as hell. These training sessions are gonna be the death of me. I combed my hair took my bag and slowly went downstairs.

But before I could step on a stair I felt myself being lifted into the air, "Chashni you can't your legs will hurt"

See his hypocrisy because of him my legs are in damn pain not only my legs but my shoulder, my stomach my heel everything is in damn pain.

He walked downstairs with me in his arms.

Putting me on a chair Maria served us breakfast, and my cheeks heated up cause Maria had a teasing smile on her face.

"Aryan is here eat your breakfast hm" rudra whispered kissing my temple.

I know this self-defense shit is important for me, and I know he is doing it for my sake but it hurts as hell.

I looked at him pouting, "My hands are in pain feed me please"

Well, I'll do this self-defense thing but in return, you have to do these basic things like feeding me, etc etc.

Without a word he settled down beside me, grabbing my plate he started feeding me. Food tastes tastier when your loved ones feed you. After feeding breakfast he gave me a glass of apple juice making sure I finished it.

I was about to get up to out where aryan was waiting for me, but again I was lifted into the air.

"Rudra... I can walk" Rudra shrugged walking out to the car where aryan was waiting for me. I hid my face in his chest as it was crimson red by now.

Aryan quickly opened the backseat door and rudra made me sit on the seat.

"I'll pick you up in the evening let's go on a date" he whispered as he pecked my lips.

"What's the occasion?" I held his hand, I didn't want to go bakery instead stay with him in his arms resting.

"Because my chashni had to go through all this trouble I need to make up for it" he kissed my temple.

"Take care and call me, message me, miss me"

I kissed his cheeks, "I love you" I whispered and a wide smile formed on his lips.

"I love you more"

A/N

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