Chapter 19
He stepped out of the shower and saw her. She was wearing a white choli with netted sleeves, a yellow lehenga and was tucking her blue dupatta along her waist. She felt his glance and blushed, he loved it when she wore blue, she knew this well. Her hair was along her neck leaving her back exposed for him to admire. He walked up to her and kissed her shoulder. He could feel the goosebumps erupt across her skin. "Where is Karthik?" he whispered into her long, dark locks. "He is in jeeja's room. Jeeja and Shanthi are going to her village tomorrow so he wanted to play with her", she mumbled as his fingers played with her hip chain. "Perfect", he purred in her ear as the chain came off. She knew that look, when his eyes took on her darken hue and his breathing was faster and lips turned into a faint smile as he bent down to kiss her lips. "I think he wants a sibling of his own" she blurted out with her eyes closed.
"No..no..no..not going to happen, Paro. No" he said as he immediately stopped his wandering hands. "But you promised when he is older we can plan for another child. Well he is five" she tried to reason as she put her arms around him. He admitted to her that he lied the last time she brought the topic. "Do you want your child to grow up alone?" she asked looking away from the negative response she could read in eyes. "No Paro. Another baby is not an option" he told her firmly.
She walked to her side of the bed and laid facing away from him. He hated it when they fought, hated it when she was disappointed with him. But he couldn't put her through that pain. He crawled into bed and took her in his arms, she didn't resist. This was a good sign, she was willing to listen. "Bholenath had two sons I want the same thing" she argued ruefully. "Bholenath had a lot more courage than me. It broke me once you when you were having Karthik. I can't see you in pain again, Paro. Please understand" he pleaded. She turned in his arms and hugged him as she always did when he spoke in that small voice that made him sound like a little child worried about his most precious toy. He knew that argument was pushed for another night and kissed her hair as she slept with her head on his chest.
A few hours later, hr reached lazily for his wife but her place was empty. He cuddled her pillow instead and tried to sleep some more. He smiled as he felt his hair being caressed. He knew their morning routine well. She always ran her fingers gently through his hair and then the drops of water from her still wet hair would fall on his cheek. If he opened his eyes, there will be a cup of tea next to the bed and his wife would be getting ready for him. He will frown as she wore her earrings and she abandons it and picks another one. This goes on until she gets almost exasperated then he chooses the one he wants her to wear. He then took out new bangles from his cupboard and she is pleased as he adorns her hands with it. She kisses him and gently pushes him away and goes to make his breakfast. But something was different, she didn't wake him up today. He reached out to his side to check for his tea, kt wasn't there. He hated to wake up and not see her face first thing in the morning.
"Karthik stop it! Papa is tired" he said as felt small hands tugging his moustache. "Whose Karthik?" came the soft voice of his bhabhisa. He woke up with a start and noticed Shanthi next to him giggling away. "Bhabhisa , she will fall! How..What?" he couldn't complete his question as his the beautiful dream just slipped away. His bhabhisa apologised for waking him up as his father wanted him to sleep in on his day off. She didn't know Shanthi had sneaked in here and went off to get tea. "Karthik is your little brother" he told the child who just scrunched her little face. "You don't like the name, Paro will. Karthik is the name of her Bholenath's son right, she will want the same" he explained to the toddler. "Papo?" she tried to say as Maithili returned with breakfast and tea. "I spend my entire time taking care of her, and she want to say Papa first?" his bhabhisa said ruefully. He smiled the child tried to repeat Paro but his bhabhisa didn't need to know that. He sipped his tea quietly.
Meanwhile at Jaipur was lost in her on thoughts as her aunt and uncle discussed the party last night. The vase on the table held a single red rose and she couldn't help smile as she remembered how soft and gentle Rudra had been last night. Her aunt was right, his prickly words were just a front to keep people from getting close. She was happy she crossed that barrier and now knew how wonderful he could be. "Some of them were upset with Rudra's behaviour last night" the general's voice broke through her thoughts. Was he in trouble because of the waiter, "Maasaji, he just reacted on instinct. He was only trying to protect me. He didn't mean to cause a scene" she defended him. Geethanjali smiled and explained, "What are talking about, nobody was angry with him about the fight. We all know how impulsive he is. We are talking about his aloofness. Usually on such events I force him interact with the young women so that he finds a nice girl to settle down. The poor boy needs someone to bring color into his bleak life. But yesterday, I was busy with Aman and Kavya and the boy didn't take the initiative to talk to anybody." They continued talking of the new couple. She felt a strange prick in her heart to think of Rudra with any of the girls at the party. They all looked nice and pretty but they were too shallow and thought only about themselves. Rudra has been through so much and needs someone who will empathize with him and these girls cannot be expected to provide that.
"He was by Paro's side the entire time he was here. And that made things worse. I could see smoke coming out of some of their ears as they danced last night," the general added. So it was her fault too, if she wasn't there he would have paid attention to someone more sophisticated and refined. But she enjoyed the time the time they spent together. He was so familiar as if they had spent lifetimes together. She didn't like the idea of him with someone else.
Back the Ranavat haveli, Rudra was looking for Sumer. He needed to know about Tejawat and was willing to negotiate, even with Sumer. The sooner Tejawat was put behind bars, the safer Paro will be. "How much do you want Sumer?" he asked him directly. Sumer smiled he knew that his cousin would come around, he needed Tejawat caught too. He wanted him to finish his mission soon. The sooner Tejawat is caught, the sooner he will get transferred away from their home. He didn't want his family caught in the crossfire. Rudra may be on the good side but his enemies cannot be trusted not to hurt the rest of them. "I want to go to Jaipur, I need 20 lakhs to start my life there" he quoted. Rudra was stunned, "No informant charges so much. I don't even know if your information is worth so much. Why do you need so much money?" He needed to get out of Chandangarh and once he does his mother will be furious. She may not support him and he will have to fend for himself. Rudra knew he was right but wanted to listen before he made an offer. "The man we caught outside Paro's room that day, I saw him again at a godown. He had a huge parcel to be transported to Sanganer. He wanted the person in charge to be careful or his boss will not hesitate to slit his throat. Rudra, the farm where Maithili bhabhisa was hidden is near the place too. Tejawat could be there."
Rudra was so glad, he almost hugged his cousin. "Finally a breakthrough, we have Tejawat this time. You are sure right" he was called Aman. "Aman, Rudra will talk to you later." Sumer grabbed the phone and end the call. Had he lost his mind, why did he tell him this, if he couldn't act on it. Sumer told him to think a little. The last time even after all the planning he put, he managed to loose the crook, how will rushing help. Rudra argued, "You don't know this works, we have the element of surprise. I will see that you get a reward and help you with your Jaipur problem too" he almost rushed out. His cousin reminded him, Sanganer was a big town and Tejawat will have people around and will flee before the BSD step into town. But Rudra couldn't wait, this was a strong lead maybe the farm is where he is. This was also his only lead he couldn't blow this. The farm wasn't mentioned in the diary at all. Maybe Sumer was right. This was not the time to rush in guns blazing. "I should go to the headquarters. Thank you" he said and left for work.
Paro was lost in thoughts of the previous night when her phone rang, it was Aman. "Paro, I just spoke to Rudra. He will be here shortly. Lets show him the letter. Come over soon." She told her aunt that she was going to meet Aman. Her aunt agreed and told her to get back before it gets dark. As she was out of the door, "Don't forget to ask him about Kavya" her aunt requested.
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