Chapter 17
Paro led him upstairs to her room and made him sit on her bed. She took the first aid box from her cupboard and pulled up a chair near him.
Rudra looked around the room. It seemed quite cozy and colorful. There was a large mirror with a dressing table which was had four bangle stands overflowing with bangles of every color and kind. She must love bangles, he thought to himself. There were ornate boxes of different sizes probably housing her other jewellery. There was a bottle of rose water, her scent which he knew well. There was an open window through which a delicate jasmine wine crawled in. There was a handpainted lamp on the table beside the bed. She was scared of the dark, he remembered. This was definitely better than sleeping on his bedroom floor. He felt a little guilty at the way he treated her back then, especially now that he knew she was innocent.
"Rudra, you're such a Jallad. What was the necessity to yell at the waiter? He didn't mean to hurt anybody?" she admonished him. Just because his intention wasn't harmful doesn't mean he couldn't have caused trouble. He almost fell on her and hurt her, how could she defend him. She smiled at this, it wasn't possible for her to be hurt when he is around. He didn't want to agree, he can't be always with her to watch out for her. "That's not entirely true, I still have a part of you with keeping me safe" she said holding his rudraksh bound on her wrist. He noticed it, "That's rudraksh, its mine" he claimed. She looked away guiltily, "I didn't steal it, it got entangled in mine during Maha shivratri. I was going to return it." Was? Did she want to keep it with he because she assumed that will protect her, he wondered as he raised an eyebrow with the silent question. He felt bad at this, he didn't intend to leave her alone on that day. He wanted to come after her but his father needed him too. She smiled softly, "I know and I wasted time by knocking you out cold." She gently ran her fingers through his locks and pushing it back and asked, "You must have been so scared that day, I would have been. I still remember when I first saw bapusa coughing due to smoke. I was so scared I thought he would..." she shuddered at the thought of what might have been. He didn't expect her slightest touch to burn him. He looked into her eyes trying to fathom what he meant to her. The intensity in his eyes bore through her, she broke the glance and tried to focus on the task at hand.
"Shh!" he winced as she picked out the glass pieces from his hand as gently as she could. A thin veil of hair covered her face which was still wet from the crying. He wiped her soft cheeks, unable to see her tears. "Its not the first time I have been injured. Don't feel bad for me" he told her. She asked, who cleaned his wound the last time. He looked at her curiously. "They shot you didn't they. That day when you saved me for the first time", she clarified. He told her that the bullet wound wasn't so bad, it just grazed through, nothing whisky couldn't help with. "That's it. You didn't go to the doctor? My choli was stained with your blood that day. You know, when Bindi and I told Thakursa and his wife that a BSD officer saved us. He didn't want to listen. He just ignored it and later even blamed you for her death. Somehow he always makes a point to tell us that BSD men are the devils but never acknowledges when they do a good thing. I should have known better." It wasn't her fault, Tejawat had years to win over the confidence of the Birpur people, she can't be expected to go against it solely based on his actions.
His hand stung as she cleaned the cut with antiseptic. "I never thanked you for that day for saving me and making sure I got home. I was so scared and prayed so hard to Bholenath to send some to save me. And he sent you, my Rakshak" she said looking up at him with admiration in her eyes. He looked away, he couldn't accept it after the pain and torment he put her through. She looked terrified the second they met, he reminded her. "You had a gun to my face. I thought you were going to kill me. Why didn't you, Rudra?" she asked. She was unarmed and had fainted immediately. It would have been a mistake to fire the gun, he clarified. They both knew that wasn't the only reason but she let it go as he didn't want to answer more clearly. "I wish I wasn't weak hearted. If I hadn't fainted, I would have seen my husband's handiwork" she confessed. "He was not your husband! Men protect their wives with their lives not barter it so easily" he raised his voice. But she shook her head gently, "He didn't want to be. He probably never meant any of the promises he made during our wedding. But that doesn't change the fact that we were married in Bholenath's eyes. Maybe that's why he sent you a second time to save me to make up for it. If only I had trusted his signs my mamisa would have been alive today and everything would be different."
She was not weak, he told her. Most people wouldn't have stood up to him and challenged him, the way she did. He asked her if her mamisa would supported her against Tejawat since her village had ostracised her. She didn't acknowledge her when he took her to Birpur, months back. Paro told him that was because of Tejawat's pressure. But surely her aunt would believe her word and take her side. And if the villagers opposed, they could have gone off somewhere else and built a new life together she said wistfully.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out the letter. "I went to her house, the night of her funeral. I found this letter, its addressed to you", he handed it to her slowly. Why did he give it sooner, her eyes asked him. He left on his mission when she moved to Jaipur. So he held on it. "Did you read it?", she asked. He shook his head, it was private and asked her to let him know if anything is said about Tejawat. She didn't really believe him, the Jallad, the man was obsessed with this case, he wouldn't leave a single stone unturned to catch Tejawat. He got up to leave, she held him back, "Rudra promise me something" he arched his brow curious. "The next time you get hurt, you will come to me and not pour liquor on it" she asked him. He smiled gently at her concern and agreed to her simple request which warmed his heart.
Rudra saw the photo of his family on the table near the door. "Aman bhaisa got it for me for Raksha bandan", she told him. "Sunheri, should I have got something for her? For Rakhi, I mean," he asked. She took out a nice patchwork banjara bag embellished with mirrors and told him to give it to his sister. "She will like this. She can take it to college." He looked at it carefully and asked if she made it. "How did you guess?" she asked. The mirror work, she always has mirrors or sequins her clothes or bags, except for today. Her face broke into a radiant smile as she raised her saree slightly to show him the dark blue shoes she was wearing, which had a row of tiny mirrors across her toes. "You look nice by the way, in saree," he said as went out winking at her without noticing the pair of eyes which saw him come out of Paro's bedroom.
Paro blushed as she settled down to read the letter anxious to know her aunt's last thoughts.
Dear Parvati bhaisa,
I hope bholenath has saved you from the perils I unknowingly pushed you into when Thakursa arranged your wedding. I am truly sorry for not taking care of you better as I had promised your mamasa on his death bed. You were right in saying that BSD people are not bad. Remember that day when you told me about the one who saved you on your way home. What was his name? Rudra, bholenath sent his namesake to keep you safe didn't he. I pray that he takes you away far from Thakusa's reach. He is the one who saved you from the baraat too, isn't he? He is hunted too. Its your turn to save him. Talk to him, plead with him, go away somewhere. I am leaving some jewels which in the house hidden under the bed. Find it and runaway together.
Your Mamisa.
Paro held the letter to her breast. She always loved getting letters. Even as a child she used to write to her friend Bindi and Nandini jija. They used to ask the local postman to deliver them. A lone tear escaped her eyes as the memories of her childhood replayed in her mind. As she wiped it off, she realised something, why didn't her mamisa mention her Nandini jija. Surely she must have realised that her own daughter's wedding also was arranged by Thakursa. She must regret that too, especially since they didn't know where she was and fate was more cruel to her.
She read the letter again, her mamisa never addressed her as Parvati, she was always Paro to the woman who raised her. She gasped as she remembered another fact, her mamisa couldn't read or write. She always depended on her to read out letters and bills that arrived at their doorstep.
She raced downstairs to find Rudra, he had to be told. Aman was worried to see her looking around frantically for someone. "Paro, what's wrong? Where are you going", he asked. She asked him where Rudra was. "Sir has gone home to his father" came the reply. He didn't understand why she was so worried. She showed him the letter. Aman was stunned as he read it. It was in Tejawat's writing, be knew it well from the amount of time he spent on the diary. He almost called Rudra when she stopped him. "No, he is going home after a long time. We can tell him tomorrow" she decided. He nodded in agreement. First thing tomorrow he needed to tell his boss that Tejawat had a hand in mamisa's death.
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