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The CVs gifted us a truly beautiful love scene for the weekend. A scene so exquisite that it effortlessly erased all of Kaakisa's stridency from the mind, leaving behind only images of the man and those magical moments.
It was romance in a minor key - tentative, restrained and unacknowledged. At odds with the larger-than-life Major. A soldier with hard eyes and an even harsher attitude to life. A man who dealt in fear; who could beat back death, throw a uniform over his wounds, and notch up a night of questionable pleasure, but not give in to the demands of his body...
...or heart. Yet here he was, striding in to his tent, his eyes seeking Paro on the vacant bed, before scanning the room to find her on the floor half-sitting, half-lying by the sofa, her head pillowed in the crook of her arm. Reassured, he continued on to the cupboard to change out of the uniform. He'd tugged his shirt out of the waistband, and had his fingers on the top button when he paused, a stronger force than he could control drawing his eyes to the girl sleeping so close to him. Eyes alight with newborn feelings feathered over the curve of the neck bared by the fall of her hair, stroked over the sweep of her back, before halting at her foot. At her fingers splayed over a makeshift bandage on her ankle - the one she'd twisted.
Unlike his wounds, this sprain demanded immediate attention. He had no memory of closing the cupboard, but it was shut when he dropped to his haunches beside her. For a long moment he just gazed upon her face, not thinking, planning, assessing as he would in the usual course - just adoring. Then tore his eyes away to tend to her ankle. He couldn't leave her here on the floor. He'd have to carry her to the bed.
Decision made, the Major...hesitated. The same hands that had grabbed her and hauled her up in the prison cell, now hovered over her, uncertain. Then one gently curved around her arm, and the other slid under her back to lift her high against his chest. He laid her down just as tenderly on his bed.
Her face held his eyes until he had to look away to heat the water. And then, hot water bag at hand, he sat to open the knot over her ankle. His fingers, more accustomed of late to knotting ropes around her wrists, were slow, careful; his eyes flying to her face to check the effect of his movements. Once, she winced, mouth parting in silent protest. And Rudra's fingers stilled, his lips mirroring her pain - that at least had not changed. After a moment he mastered the unaccustomed awkwardness that made his hands fumble, and finally undid the knot.
He'd have to lift her foot to pull aside the cloth. The same hand that had snaked out to curl around a gunrunner's ankle to fell him, now wavered over Paro's. Then with trembling fingers and the lightest of grips, it clasped her ankle and lifted it to draw the rough bandage away. Yet another check. A quick steadying breath, before fingers oh-so-familiar with women's clothing, embarked with a priest's modesty to draw her lehenga a few inches above one foot. The hot water bag was placed on top of the sore joint. Another quick look to test her reaction. The flickering eyes and twitching toes demanded the prompt removal of the bag. So, fingers faltering yet again, he raised her foot by the instep to insinuate the bag underneath. Manoeuvre completed, his eyes flew to her face yet again, the sleeping stillness, his reward.
After a moment he got up, but only to throw a blanket over the sleeping form. And as if that's what she was waiting for, Paro, lips curving into the hint of a smile, snuggled in and turned over, tugging the pillow right. She was at peace. The same couldn't be said of the Major.
Some lovely PaRud scenes today, but this one was a standout for me. This was the only scene where Paro was asleep, which meant that Rudra could leave his defences down. When he knew she couldn't see him, he stopped being the monster, and became the man sliding effortlessly into his first love.
GH's screenplay was sure. Just the right touches for so fledgling a romance. 👏👏👏Ultimately, this was Ashish's episode. And hats off to him for delivering a confident, nuanced performance. 👏👏👏It goes without saying that I'll be replaying this scene over the weekend. 😆
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