She stood tall, not letting the Thakur see her fear..
Thakur sa's gun pointed at her head...
"Thaare ko Bindi jaise nahi marenge... Aap humari thakurain ki pyaari Paro ho, hai na?... Isiliye hum meherbaan hoke thaare ko goliyon ki maut denge"
The full meaning of what he said was sinking in. But there was a louder voice that was echoing in her head - "Lekin ek din jab maut achaanak tere samne aake khadi hojayegi na, tab maut or tere beech main nahi hoonga"
A mere whisper escaped her lips.."Rudra..."
*************
He ran like his life depended on it.. They had just received information that Thakur may be holding Paro captive in his haveli 10 kms east of Chandangarh..
**************
"THAKUR!!!" - Rudra voice echoed as the Thakur turned away from Paro to face his nemesis
Rudra raised his gun and fired..
"Thakur sa...nahi"... his trusted deputy Bheema stepped in front of Thakur to take the bullets on his chest..
His other deputy rushed Thakur sa away in a jiffy. While his other men raised their guns at Paro.
Rudra Pratap Ranawat, the BSD officer had two choices before him, go after Thakur or stay and protect Paro.
But he had become more than that ever since Paro came into his life. Rudra, the Jallad lover had only one role - the protector of Parvati.
On seeing Rudra, Parvati came alive. He had come, he had proved himself wrong. He had come between death and her yet again.
She struggled in the grips of the Thakur's men. She bit, screamed, used every little trick to get away.
As their grip loosened, Paro started to run. Run towards "her Rudra".
"Bang"... "Bang, bang" - A single shot followed by two more.
*************
Rudra ran forward to catch Paro as she fell. The two Thakur-sa's men were dead. He reached Paro and held her slender waist as she fell.
"Main aa gaya, Paro"
"Rudra", she whispered, "tu..tum s...sahi they"..
As Rudra moved his hand that was holding her... he saw it... blood.. Paro's blood... his Paro's blood..
"Nahi, Paro..." he yelled as she closed her eyes...
*********
She had been in surgery for 6 hours now..
"Ye doctor kyun nahi aa raha baahar"... Rudra paced the hospital corridor.
"Sir, bharo sa rakhiye. Parvati bai sa ko kuch nahi hoga. Main ek our behen ko kho nahi sakta", said Aman, tears in his eyes
*********
Her eyes fluttered, trying to open..
"Paro", he whispered.
It had been 48 hours since her surgery and he had not left her side. Aman sensing that Rudra did not want to leave her side had suggested to him that he stay there to guard Parvati in case Thakur sa sends his men for her again.
Rudra was commanding his team of soldiers from the hospital room. His eyes never left her face. He willed her to wake up, to call him Jallad again. To fight with him, to call him out on his weakness. Anything to tell him , she was ok and back to her old self.
Thakur had disappeared and gone into hiding since his escape from his haveli two days back. BSD officers were looking for him.
********
"Bapu sa, Ma sa... Nahi... Humko jaane do"... Rudra jolted out of his sleep. His body had finally given in to the physical stress and lack of sleep. He jumped out of his chair and knelt down in front of her bed.
"Paro.. Paro..." he called out. He held her hand, trying to calm her. But to no avail..
As he looked at her helplessly. Her eyes were still closed and she was having a bad dream. Suddenly, he felt her grab the rudraaksh bracelet in his hand and she suddenly went still and calmed down.
He sat there for a few minutes to ensure she didn't go back to her nightmares..It was an awkward position for him, he could not sit or stand. All the kneeling was giving him extreme discomfort, but he stayed still letting her find solace in his rudraksh.
*********
Paro finally fluttered her eyes open. Was this what heaven felt like? A sense of warmth pervaded all her senses, she felt safe, she felt protected. She felt like she was HOME.
As she became more aware of her surroundings, she looked at the warm body that held her ever so tenderly. Rudra, her Jallad was deep asleep as he held her.
Paro, the innocent should have been scandalized for waking up next to a man. But, for someone who had never known physical proximity to a man, this did not feel strange. For once in a long time, she felt that she was right where she belonged.
She turned her head slightly and studied his face. He was just like she had remembered him in her dreams, while she was held prisoner by the Thakur. And his moonchiya, she smiled an innocent smile and reached out her hand and touched his cheek and moonch ever so lightly.
Rudra, immediately jumped out of bed, reaching for his gun on the table by the bed.
There was no one else in the room. He turned to look at Paro and found her not the bit rustled by him and his pointing gun and looking at him intently as if it was the most normal thing to do.
He slowly lowered his gun and whispered "Paro, tu theek hai?"
She nodded her head, "Haan".
"Wo... main...taare... wo shaayad koi bura sapna tha, tho isiliye kal raat ko... wo taare ko shant karne ke liye... Wo bistar pe mujhe bhi..." He fumbled, not able to meet her eyes.
"Theek hai" she said, staring into his eyes not the least bit afraid or embarrassed.
Just then, the nurse came into the room, fussing over her, requesting Rudra to leave the room while she fended to the patient.
***************
When Rudra returned to Paro's room he saw his senior officer seated in the room in deep conversation with Paro.
Paro's recovery was miraculous, her body seemed even more feeble than before. But, she put on a brave face, speaking and answering his superior's questions. His heart filled with pride.. his girl was strong...
Wait a minute, did he say, his girl? Where did that come from? When had he slipped and become an insaan from jaanwar... Did she feel the same way?No, wait, what did he care what she felt..
No, he could not let himself feel this way. He would walk away.
**************
Two days... it had been 48 hours since Paro had woken up from her brief coma. 2,880 minutes since he had seen her. His lieutenants had stopped coming to his room for 24 hours now. Everyone knew he was in one of his moods. No one could control him.
Aman walked into his room..He tentatively said..."Sir...". Rudra looked up from his desk... "Parvati..."
Rudra stood up, banged his fist on his desk and shouted "Naam mat lo uska!".. He turned his back to Aman, trying to get a hold of his anger... By the way, why was he angry?, his mind asked him. His heart smiled through tears. Of course, you know the answer...
"Uski wajah se Thakur ko pakad nahi paaya main. Uski wajah se kal mera court martial hoga. Sab uski zid ki wajah se, usne papers pe dastakat nahin kiye, uski wajah se. Ab humare paas Thakur ke khilaaf koi proof nahi hai...
Mujhe kabhi usse itni narmee se pesh nahi aana tha. Sab ek dasthakath ke liye.." he yelled
"Tho ye sab mere dasthakath ke liye tha?"spoke a soft voice.. Paro, she had come?
Rudra turned around to find her standing next to Aman. His anger immediately disseminated. Why was his heart singing? Why did he want to go and envelope her in a fierce embrace?
He stared at her and she looked back into his eyes, her gaze unwavering, unafraid.
"Maine dasthakat kar di, aapko jo chahiye tha, wo mil gaya. Mujhe yakeen ho gaya ki aap jo Thakur sa ke baare me bol rahe the, wo sab sach tha"
Why was he not elated to hear this? This is what he wanted all along, why he had kept her a prisoner all along, right?
She looked at him, waiting expectantly for him to say something, say what she wanted to hear, say what she knew in her heart.
There was only silence as she turned to walk out followed by Aman just as Rudra's telephone rang.
****************
The mission had required his unwavering attention. It had been 7 days and 2 hours since he last saw her. Now, it was as if she was a part of his heart, her memory never left him. Her hurt eyes in his office, waiting for him to say something, to tell her how he felt and her subsequent disappointment in his silence.
It stayed with him.
He entered his superior's room and saluted. He gave him a debrief of the whole operation. When he got up to leave, he paused for a moment and asked gruffly "Sir, wo ladki ka suraksha abhi kaun kar raha hai.."
"Kaunsi ladki, Major?"
"Paro.. Parvati.."
"Wo tho, document pe sign karke chali gayi. Humne witness protection offer kiya tha, but she declined. Pataa nahi kahaan hai, bechaari. Jab ye bolne aayi thi tho itni strong banne ki koshish kar rahi thi. But, she had tears in her eyes, she seemed broken."
His heart beat came to a crashing halt.. He couldn't breathe...
Paro..
He walked out of his room and was approached by Aman. "Mujhe usse doondna padega"...
"Kisko, Sir?"
"Paro ko"...
"But Sir, Paro ko doodne ki zarrorat nahi hain, Sir..."
"Aman, tu samjhega nahi! Uske mere paas rehna padega, agar kuch ho jaata usko tho..Mein, mein jee nahi paoonga" There... he had said it..
Aman smiled.."Sir, main ye bol raha tha ki Paro ko doondne ki zaroorat nahi hai, kyunki wo apne bhai ke pass hi hai"
Rudra stared at Aman. As Aman nodded his head to confirm that Rudra had understood him right, Rudra reached out to hug Aman.
His heart sang.."Main aa raha hoon, Paro. Hamesha ke liye tumhare pass"
************** ADDED PORTION BELOW
Returning from the river after fetching water, the other girls giggled and laughed. She walked with them, answered when spoken to.
Her new brother Aman gave her all the respect and love that she deserved, always asking her what she wanted and doing everything to make her smile. Her rare smile that came along once in a while never reached her eyes the way it used to.
As she reached the turn to her new house where she lived with her brother, she turned to bid goodbye to the girls.
"Agar hum kisi se pyaar karte hai, to yeh zaroori nahi ki wo bhi humse pyaar kare..." her mind whispered to her heart.. "Aur pyaar koi maangne ki cheez nahi hai, dene ki cheez hai."... her conversations with self continued that she did not see him in front of her until she was 10 feet away...
He had found her, what she lived in constant fear of had happened...
****************
The Thakur stood in front of Paro lifting his gun at her. No more conversations were required to justify his killing. He knew it, she knew it.
Paro closed her eyes in surrender and all she could think of in that moment was "Bholenath, Rudra ka raksha karna"
"BANG" One shot sounded through the air...
****************
Paro opened her eyes. The Thakur was lying on the ground, a bullet right through his temple.
To her right stood Thakurain sa, a smoking gun on her hand. " Wo maare bte ko maarna chahthe the, mare Rudra ko"
*******************
Paro sat in front of the mirror removing her bangles. She knew she should thankful for being alive. She would have felt more alive in death, more alive at the prospect that she may meet and be loved by Rudra in her next birth..
She looked up at her reflection and froze... "Paro..." HE said ever so sweetly. HE was standing behind her at the entrance of her room.
Had she really died and dreaming of him...
"Paro..." HE called insistently this time and walked over to her.
Tears rolled down from her eyes as she looked at him through the mirror unblinkingly, refusing to look away in case he was a mirage and disappered.. HE had come at last...
He came to stand in front of her and the mirror. She stood up..
"Paro.." he said as he gently touched her face, wiping away her tears... It was like he could not get enough of her name.
She melted, her body shaking furiously as she let herself go. She, who had not let herself cry for him, let it all out. Rudra pulled her into a tight embrace... whispered"sshhh, Shanth...main aa gaya tumhare paas, Paro"
As she calmed down, Rudra pulled her in front of the mirror again holding her close and whispered in her ears, "Tu banegi kya, Rudra ki Paro"
Thankurain sa and Aman stood at the doorway, looking at Rudra and his Paro with smiles on their faces..
**************
Mr And Mrs Parshuram
Dr Aarambhi
Indian Premier League
