FF: The Beautiful and the Condemned (Completed) - Page 46

As planned, Rudra and Parvati switched trains twice before boarding the planned train to Lucknow. The trip was more complicated than expected, but it was necessary after the surprising showdown with thakur-sa's men at the Chandangarh Train Station. If they hadn't, it was quite possible that Tejawat would've been waiting for the at the station in Mumbai.

As the train clanked on to Lucknow, Rudra wondered if he had done the right thing by leaving. The guilt was beginning to bear down on his shoulders. He had been under Tejawat's wing for the last eighteen years, and he had never once disobeyed an order, let alone give thakur-sa a reason to doubt his loyalty. Now, he was on his way to Lucknow to give up that life of blasphemy, but was he really capable of doing so? Tejawat previously had Rudra kill men for attempting to run away, in fear that they would reveal the dark secrets of his underground business. Rudra had given them torture and explained to them that it was the price of disloyalty. Now, he felt like a hypocrite. Even if he managed to run away successfully, would he be able to survive? Would he be able to live like a common man, without killing or bloodshed? It was something he had grown up learning. It was second nature. Would he be able to bear this guilt of leaving thakur-sa, after everything he had done for him?

All Rudra had to do was look at the woman asleep on his shoulder to get an answer. The guilt, the burden, it vanished when he saw Parvati's sleeping form, only to be replaced with undying love. If he didn't believe it love before, he sure as hell did now. The fact that he felt so deeply about Paro was the main reason he even left. She was the reason his heart was beating again. He knew that without her, there would be nothing left for him, and that's why he had to go with her. He needed to keep her safe, and Paro was right, she was safe as long as she was with him. Rudra would be able to survive because he had Paro by his side. He would be able to live like a common man because she would be there to guide him. The guilt in his heart was overshadowed. Because a life without Paro was no life at all.

~

Rudra and Paro had managed to find a small place in Lucknow at a more than decent price. An elderly woman, who was struggling financially, had a small property and rented it out to them. It had two bedrooms, one bathroom, a small kitchen, and living room. For them it was plenty. The one thing they both were glad about, but didn't acknowledge aloud, was that there was no cellar beneath the home. Thankfully, the place had come fully furnished, since the previous owners no longer needed that furniture. This saved them a great deal of time and money.

Parvati had taken the bag and placed her things in the cupboard in one room, then she placed his belongings in the cupboard in the other room. The money was kept in his cupboard, behind all of his clothes. Knowing her traditional values, Rudra didn't question or argue with her rooming arrangements. He already knew that living with a man who wasn't your family or husband, in the same household, was already beyond the norm. While Rudra was arranging his things in his room, Paro went into the living area and opened the large window directly across from the front door.

The cool Lucknow breeze flowed in and caressed her face, causing her to inhale deeply. She took in the sight of the small shops and carts that were lined in a few streets down. If she didn't know any better, Paro would've thought that she was still in Chandangarh. The street below was almost an exact replica of the one right in front of Rudra's old place, although not as crowded. The smell of fresh pakoras and samosas coming out of the fryer made her mouth water and her stomach growl loudly. In the midst of all the chaos, Paro hadn't noticed that she hadn't eaten anything, and neither had Rudra. It was already late in the evening, and there was nothing to eat in the house. She knew that they had to go get groceries or else they were going to starve tonight.

Parvati ran into Rudra's room to find him counting the money he had in his wallet. He looked up at her standing in the doorway and raised an eyebrow, questioning her as to what she wanted.

"Woh," she fiddled with the end of her pink dupatta. "It's been such a long day and so much has happened. With everything that has been going on I didn't think-."

"Paro, if you're hungry you can just tell me you're hungry," Rudra answered frankly.

"How did you know I was-."

Parvati's jaw dropped, shocked to see this humorous side of Rudra.

He smirked before grabbing some more money from their secret stash, "We'll need to get groceries anyways. We'll eat out tonight. Let's go before they close the shops for today."

The formality of his orders made her feel as if she were a junior officer being instructed by an important Major. She walked back out into the hall, through the living room, and waited at the door. He trailed behind her slowly, making sure he had the money and the key to the apartment before they left. As they walked down the road, Parvati could sense Rudra's protective instincts kicking in. He was already scanning their surroundings, as if someone from Chandangarh would find them and try to take them back. She took a deep breath knowing that this would happen. Even here, where they were strangers in the crowd, Rudra wasn't going to feel at peace.

She softly touched his arm, causing him to snap out of his alert mode and look at her curiously. He softened seeing her look back at him with gentle eyes, assuring him that everything was okay. Rudra nodded and casually kept his gaze ahead of them with him hands in his pockets. As always, he thought, Parvati would be the one to bring him back to reality. The first task was to find something to eat. They ate at a small dhaba, where Rudra and Paro both ate and learned about the other's likes and dislikes when it came to food. Following the late dinner, both of them walked down the street and bought groceries. There was nothing that they hadn't bought; everything from rice to aloo was in their midsts.

Rudra had always been a man of few words. He believed that the less he had to argue the better. It was only after today that he realized how much the merchants had been ripping him off. When giving the price of items, Rudra was ready to give them the designated amount...that was until Paro spoke up. He had never seen this side of her. She was arguing with the merchants and bargaining with them, threatening to take her business elsewhere, resulting in them lowering the price. This newfound spirit was definitely a result of their newfound freedom. It was fairly entertaining, and it saved much more money than he had expected.

Paro had one more thing to get before they could return home: a pumpkin. As they were walking, something caught Rudra's attention on the other side of the road. He looked over at Paro and said, "I'll be right back. Stay at the cart and I will come back. Don't wander off okay?"

She nodded as he instilled his trust in her. She watched him wander into the crowd before approaching the cart to examine the the stack of pumpkins. The young man seemed friendly and showed her different sized pumpkins of varying ripeness. As Paro examined one particular one in her hand, another woman around her age came up next to her and began looking at the pumpkins too. She was wearing a yellow sari with a thick silver border. Her pallu was completely pinned up to her shoulder, attached to the matching yellow blouse she was wearing. Her long, black hair was fishtail braided and sat against her chest, a few strands managed to escape and cling to her face. The woman's silver bangles chimed as she lifted and put back the different pumpkins. Paro realized that she had been staring blankly at the stranger and quickly turned her attention back to the pumpkin in her hand. As she showed the seller the pumpkin in her hand, the woman next to her showed him a pumpkin in her hand.

"Bhaiya, how much?" they asked in unison.

Paro looked at the woman, only to find her staring back with brown doe-like eyes and a smile.

"I'm sorry," Paro said. "You go first."

"No it's okay," the woman replied sweetly. "You were here first."

"But you seem to be in a rush."

"I'm not. Really, why don't you-."

The vendor, who knew this would most likely go on forever, finally interjected, "Your pumpkins are both the same size. It's 40 rupees for both of you."

"40 rupees?!" the woman gaped. "Do you realize what you're saying?"

Paro, who was just as shocked as the woman next to her, added, "Where I'm from, I could get a larger pumpkin than this one for 25 rupees!"

"The quality of this one is much better," the vendor said. "Trust me."

"No, you are trying to rip us off! I won't pay more than 25 rupees for it," the woman said.

"Please understand. It's 40 rupees. What's the difference? Money is money."

Paro interrupted, "Money isn't money. It doesn't come from the sky. People have to work hard for it. Listen bhaiya, either you give us these pumpkins for 25 a piece, or we will take our business elsewhere."

The vendor looked helplessly between Paro and the other woman, who was nodding her head in agreement with Paro's words. Taking a sigh of defeat, he agreed to 25 rupees each. The two woman paid the man and thanked him before moving to the side so other customers could come forward. It was when she was facing her that Paro caught a glimpse of the dark red sindoor and the mangalsuthra.

"That was fun," the woman chirped. "I'm surprised he gave it to us for 25. I was initially going to suggest 30 until you spoke up."

"He still would've gotten the better deal if you paid 30," Paro laughed.

The woman nodded and gave a gentle smile, "I've never seen you around here before. You must be new around these parts."

Paro nodded.

"Well, welcome to Lucknow. My name is Pia. Pia Singh."

"My name is Parvati, but most people call me-."

A male voice interrupted them, "Paro."

Parvati looked and found Rudra standing by her side with two large bags in his hand. He was observing the mysterious woman like a hawk. Then he turned to Paro, who introduced him to Pia. He nodded his hello to her, and she did the same.

"Parvati said you were new to these parts," Pia said. "So you must not know too many people."

"No we don't," Rudra replied firmly.

"Well you know me, so you've made one friend today. It would be two if-."

Suddenly, a strapping, fit young man came running up to them. Rudra immediately stood his ground while Parvati took a step behind him, unsure of the mysterious man approaching. He had never seen the man in Tejawat's haveli, so he knew that they didn't have to worry, but the idea of a strange man approaching them made him firm in his stance. Pia was confused as to the sudden change in behavior until she turned around and saw the gentleman dressed in jeans and a tight, white sweater walking up to them calmly. She smiled at the familiar face.

"Hari kaka just closed his sweet shop," the man said to Pia. "I'll buy some jalebis for you tomorrow."

"It's okay," Pia turned her attention to her new acquaintances. "Rudra, Parvati. This is my husband."

The man extended his hand to Rudra and gave him a warm smile, "Amandeep Singh."

Rudra shook his hand, "Rudra Pratap Ranawat. This is Parvati."

"Your wife?"

Parvati's eyes widened at the question. She felt her cheeks burn as she refused to look in Rudra's direction. Rudra was thankful that he wasn't drinking anything because that statement would've caused him to spit everything out dramatically. Parvati...his wife? The term was so foreign to his ears, yet so familiar to his heart. Before he had a chance to answer, he heard Paro answer in, what he knew as, a half-hearted tone.

"We are not married," she answered.

Pia and Aman could already see the tension from the question and quickly changed the topic. Pia chatted endlessly about how Paro had helped her in bargaining with the vendor and how they were new to Lucknow. Like her, Aman also welcomed them warmly, resulting in Rudra letting his guard down. The young couple, who had been married for two years now, seemed genuinely good-natured. He was hesitant when they opened their home to them, telling them to come visit, but when he saw the questioning and eager look on Paro's face, Rudra obliged them. He knew that the new life in Lucknow would have to begin somewhere, and he couldn't keep Paro locked in their home for the rest of their lives. It was also their chance to start fresh by meeting people and socializing. Apart from Paro, Rudra never shared a bond with anyone. So Aman and Pia's step towards friendship was both unfamiliar and overwhelmingly acceptable. With the promise two meet again soon, the two couples parted ways.

Paro had managed to put everything away in the kitchen on her own. Rudra had tried helping, but she merely shooed him away, saying that she would handle it. It was night by the time Paro had retired to her room. Upon opening the door, she found the two large bags that Rudra had been carrying sitting on her bed. She looked to find him nowhere in sight. Slowly, she walked up to her bed and opened the bags. Her jaw dropped before breaking into a huge grin. Inside the bags were various ghagra-cholis and saris. The wide range of colors made her feel like the end of a rainbow was on her bed. Beneath the piles upon piles of clothes were small boxes and blue velvet boxes. Paro opened them to find different colored bangles, earrings, necklaces, and waistbands. Her delighted eyes sparkled as brightly as the shimmering jewelry before her. She was so lost in the beautiful fabrics and trinkets that she failed to hear Rudra enter her room.

"Is that enough or do you need more?" he asked as he leaned on his side against the doorway.

She jumped and turned, "You scared me!"

"Do you need more?"

She smiled, "No, you didn't need to get all of this."

"You only had three pairs of clothes. That wouldn't last you more than a month."

"But this is...so much. There must be at least 30 different outfits!"

"14. There's 14."

"That's still a lot. You didn't need to waste so much money."

"It's not a waste. You needed them, and they made you happy. So it was worth it."

Paro smiled at his sweet honesty, "Thank you."

"One more thing," he stood up straight and pulled out a brand-new, white mobile from his pocket. "This is for you."

She took it and looked at it, "A mobile?"

"If I'm not around and something happens, then you can contact me. I put the number to my new phone in there. It's for emergency purposes. I don't want anything happening to you."

Parvati nodded, "Nothing will happen to me. But thank you for the mobile."

He smiled and stepped forward, "It's been a long day. Get some sleep."

"You get some sleep too."

Rudra nodded before exiting her room, closing the door behind him. His heart warmed at the fact that Paro had liked the things he had bought her. When he was in the market, he saw the sari shop unloading a new shipment of clothes. Knowing that she didn't have much, Rudra thought that he should get her some more things. One thing led to another and he had bought jewelry for her too. The store owner must've thought he was going to buy the entire store. Thanks to Paro's bargaining tactics, Rudra managed to lower the prices.

He knew it was all worth it when he saw Paro grin from ear to ear. She was ecstatic to see such objects bought specifically for her. However, there was something that he noticed that tugged at his heart. It was her eyes. Even though she was smiling, Rudra saw hesitation in her eyes. It was dripping with uncertainty. It wasn't because of the gifts, it had to be something else. It didn't take long for him to figure it out. Could it have been what that Aman said? About being his wife? The phrase was even shocking to him. Rudra wanted to be honest and deny that Paro was his wife, but he also didn't know what to address her as. She was the woman he loved, but there wasn't any other name for the relationship other than that. And, surprisingly, that bothered him.

Rudra knew that Paro had lost everything when she was his prisoner. He was all she had left and she was all he had, yet there wasn't a name to their relationship. She was basically just the woman he loved living under the same roof as him. He never cared what society thought, but he could see the odd expression he had gotten from Aman and Pia when he told them they lived together. It wasn't the norm for an unmarried man and woman to live together. It wasn't a big deal for the man, but for the woman it was a question of her reputation and dignity. To him, it didn't matter, but he understood that it would matter to Paro. She grew up conservatively. She's traditional. The fact that they were living together would have been scandalous if it reached the prying ears of Birpur. But the attacks would never be at him, they would always be at her. Even here, the attacks would always be directed at Parvati. As he lay in bed, he realized that he would have to do something about this...because Rudra Pratap Ranawat would not stand for anyone questioning his Paro's character.

**********

Oh boy...what is Rudra going to do? Let me know what you think by leaving your comments and feedback below.

Next update: Rudra's plan of action. This is the chapter you have been waiting for...

Thanks for reading!