FF: The Beautiful and the Condemned (Completed) - Page 48

In one week, Parvati had managed to make a routine for themselves in Lucknow. She had taken up cooking and cleaning and even met with Pia two more times. She found herself forgetting that Tejawat was after her, and even smiling more. She laughed with more vigor than before. The new sense of freedom brought out a freer side of her. However, the change in setting also brought out a change in Rudra. Throughout the week he would leave early in the morning and arrive just before dinner in the evening. In the last few days, he had been unusually distant with her. She would try to speak to with him, and he would reply, but only with short answers that made it difficult for her to continue conversing with. The silence between them was becoming normal for them, and that bothered her greatly. Paro began wondering if she had done something wrong.

One evening, when Rudra arrived home, she sat in the living room waiting for him. For the last three days he had been cold and distant with her, and she had reached her limit. She needed to know what was wrong. Rudra was all she had left, and if she lost him now, then there was nothing left for her. She didn't know if she had a right to confront him about this, but she did feel she deserved to know what was wrong.

He saw her sitting on the chair, looking down at her hands, and immediately knew something was wrong. When Rudra arrived, she would usually run up to him, flashing him a smile that would warm his heart and please his soul. Today, not seeing her run up to him, worried him. He placed the white box in his hands down on the table and stood before her.

"Paro?" he spoke.

She looked and stood up, "Have I done something wrong?"

He was taken aback by her statement, "Why would you ask such a thing?"

"You would tell me if I've done something wrong, right?"

"Paro, what's going on? Did something happen?"

"You've been distant lately, so I thought I had done something wrong."

"I've just had a lot on my mind."

"Oh."

The descending tone in her voice was enough for him to understand what was going on. He was well aware of his sudden change in behavior, but it wasn't without good reason. He did have a lot on his mind, and it was about Paro. Rudra didn't want to disclose anything to her until it was the right time. Oddly enough, today he was going to talk to her about it and she brought it up. What he didn't expect was that she felt she had done something wrong. How could she ever think that she would do something wrong? She was perfect.

Rudra grabbed the white box that he had placed on the table earlier and held it between them, "This is for you."

Paro raised an eyebrow, "Another gift? Rudra, you've already given me so much. I really don't need anything else."

"This isn't just for you."

"Meaning?"

"Open it."

With Rudra holding it, she opened the box. Inside was a dark red lengha with an intricate gold embellishment pattern. Beneath it lay a matching dupatta and a half-sleeved, gold blouse. As she picked it up, Paro was surprised by the heavy weight of the outfit. She looked at Rudra to find him with a small smile on his lips.

"Go and change," he ordered.

"Right now? In this?" she questioned.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"We are going somewhere."

"But are you sure I have to wear this? It's beautiful, but-."

"Do you trust me?"

"More than myself."

"Then have a little faith in me. Go ahead and change."

Paro nodded and went back into her room. This abrupt order confused her to no end. She wasn't sure what Rudra was doing. She didn't know where they were going, but knew that he was planning something. Could this be what he had been doing this last week? What was going on? Determined to find out, she quickly got dressed and walked out of her room. Rudra's breath hitched seeing her. The outfit fit her perfectly. She wore no other jewelry apart from her gold bangles. How was it that she could look so ethereal without any effort? He looked poor compared to her as he was dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt. Now that she was standing in front of him, dressed in the outfit he selected specifically for her, he was getting nervous. But he knew that he couldn't back down now. It was now or never.

~

They arrived at a Shiv mandir located on the other side of town. Taking her hand, Rudra guided her up the three steps and brought her into the holy sanctuary. It was much smaller than the one in Chandangarh, but quite quaint. Parvati wasn't sure what they were doing here. The last time they were in a mandir was a little over a week ago when they had decided to run away together. She was beginning to be flooded with nostalgia as she began reminiscing. Her attention came back to the mandir they were in when she found a pundit sitting before a holy fire. The middle-aged man smiled at Rudra and Paro as they slowed to stop before the fire. Rudra let go of her hand as Paro stepped forward to examine the scene more closely.

"Punditji," she said. "What is all of this?"

The pundit looked at her curiously, "For the wedding."

"Wedding? Whose?"

A familiar, feminine voice filled the air, "Yours."

Parvati looked to her side and found Aman and Pia walking up to her. He was dressed in a deep red sherwani while she was wearing a dark pink sari. They looked ready to attend a wedding. She wanted to go and hug the two, but was too stunned to move. Paro stood in shock at Pia's answer.

"Mine?" she asked again.

Aman nodded, "Yes. Yours. Thankfully we made it just in time. Rudra would've had our heads if we were late."

Rudra? He was behind this. Parvati turned around, expecting to see him still standing behind her, but to her surprise he wasn't. Her eyes searched for him, but when she found no sign of him she turned back to Aman and Pia, who were still standing in the same spot, smiling. Pia tilted her head, signaling Paro to look in the direction that she was looking. As she did, Paro's jaw dropped to the floor. Rudra had reappeared dressed in a cream-colored sherwani. The tightness of it accentuated his strong muscles just beneath the beautiful fabric. The soft gold undertone of the sherwani matched with the outfit she was wearing. Paro couldn't believe her eyes. She blinked a few more times. Rudra looked like a prince...no...a king!

Rudra, on the other hand, was trying very hard to keep his heart from beating out of his chest. Even as he was calmly watching Paro close her awestruck mouth, his insides were ready to burst from nervousness. He had an entire speech prepared for this moment, but that it was actually happening, Rudra swallowed his speech down. He simply walked up to her and waited for her to speak. Aman and Pia took a step back to give them a moment of privacy.

"What is going on?" she asked.

"I am all you have, right?" Rudra asked.

"Yes, you are. Why are you asking this?"

"You know you're all I have. You are the only one I care about. You know that, right?"

Parvati's tone softened, "Yes, I do."

Rudra took a deep breath. It was now or never, "Paro, I know you are a traditional person. You have a specific set of beliefs that have been instilled in you. I never questioned them nor have I tried to force you to do anything against them. I know that living here, with me, in Lucknow is a big step. We're not husband and wife, and us living together, unmarried, is not proper according to your beliefs right?"

Paro slowly nodded.

"I could care less what society thinks. All I care about is you. And I know that because of our situation, people will talk. They will question your character, and that, Paro, is something I won't stand for. So this is the best way to put an end to their insults. Marry me. Right here. Right now."

Parvati could feel the tears threatening to spill. She had never once told Rudra about people talking about her, but he knew. She never asked him to do anything about it, but he already did because he couldn't stand anyone insulting her. He cared for her this much? She wanted to jump for joy in his arms, but doubt was holding her back. This wedding, she felt, was more like a duty to him than an actual desire. Did he only want to marry her so people wouldn't question her character? She knew he loved her, but did he love her enough to actually want to marry her?

The silence was making Rudra anxious. He had expected her to be surprised by this announcement, especially since he hadn't given her any indication about it. For the last week, he had been secretly planning and preparing for this day. Aman and Pia helped him in every way they could, including distracting Paro while he was gone so she wouldn't get suspicious. They were also important in that they needed witnesses to the wedding. Now that the time had come, Rudra didn't know what to say to Paro. He knew that by marrying her, she would be protected. What was more important to him was that she would be his and that their relationship would have a name to it. He thought Paro would understand this, but as the silence between them lingered, Rudra began wondering if this surprise was a bad idea.

After a few moments, Paro spoke, "Is that the only reason you want to marry me?"

He blinked, "What?"

"Do you only want to marry me to protect my character?"

Rudra instantly knew what she was trying to say. Of course it wasn't the only reason. Didn't she know that? Then again, he didn't tell her. He never did. But that's just how he was. Rudra was never one to express himself. He was never affectionate or doted on Paro. However, he knew if he didn't say something, it was highly likely that he could lose her.

He looked into her eyes and bared his heart out to her once again, "No, it's not the only reason. I love you...more than my life. If I didn't love or care about you, the idea of marriage wouldn't have crossed my mind. But it was actually the first thing that came to mind. Paro, I'm not good at expressing myself, but you should know how I feel, especially after everything. This was just my answer to all our problems. Society. The name of our relationship. Everything. You...you don't have to agree to marry me just because I tell you."

She stood silently, listening as he paused to take a breath and put this thoughts together.

"In fact, I don't want that. I want to marry you. And I only want you to marry me if you actually want to. I don't know anything about this stuff. I don't know why there are seven vows and why a couple has to take these pheres, but I know that this is important for you. And if it's important for you, then it's important for me."

Parvati responded, "Seven vows for seven lifetimes."

"What?" he asked puzzled.

"The seven vows are for the seven pheres, which are taken to bind you to the one you love not just in this lifetime, but for the next seven lifetimes."

Rudra hadn't realized the profoundness of the seven pheres until that moment. He hadn't realized what it meant, but it was overwhelming to know now. Yet, he didn't back down. Having Paro in this lifetime would complete him, but having her as his for the next seven lifetimes made him feel more than blessed.

"Paro, I don't really understand these pheres and vows nor do I want to. But I will make one promise to you which, if you decide you want to marry me, I swear to uphold in all our lives together." Rudra moved forward and cupped her face. As he gently stroked it with his thumb, he looked into her anticipating hazel eyes and said, "Main...tu...hamesha."

The dam finally broke. Parvati grinned as the tears streamed down her cheeks. Rudra gently wiped each one the trickled down her face, smiling as he understood the wave of emotions she was feeling. It wasn't like him to express himself so deeply, but he knew that today she needed to hear everything in order to rid herself of any doubts that she had. He could've stayed there forever just holding her face and watching her, but he still needed an answer.

Rudra took a step back and extended his hand out to her, "Paro, will you marry me?"

Parvati just looked at Rudra, without uttering a word. He was standing before her, extending his hand out to her, waiting for her response. She had done the same thing to him before. She had told him that a chance at happiness and a brighter future awaited him, if only he would take her hand. Now, he was offering her that same thing. Not only that, but he was giving himself to her. Her gaze remained fixed on him as she slowly slid her hand into his and nodded with a smile. As she wiped her tears, they intertwined their fingers as they made their way to the set up. The two of them silently completed the rituals and the pheres. Rudra filled her maang with the sacred red sindoor and put a mangalsuthra around her neck. With the pundit, Pia, Aman, and Bholenath as their witnesses, Parvati became Rudra's wife.

~

Parvati had never expected such tenderness from him. Even as she got to know him, she never believed that affection and tenderness was something Rudra was capable of. He had always been surrounded by the cruelty of men that she didn't think such qualities would be in him. However, with her, it was different.

From the time she had fallen ill up to the time they ran away together, Parvati had unlocked a completely different side of Rudra. This part of him was only visible for her, and was made for her eyes only. It was that right she had always had over him, but never accepted until that moment when he filled her maang with sindoor.

Even now, as he carried her in his arms to what was now their bedroom, Parvati found an unspoken desire that she knew was only for her. With each step closer to their destination, the brown eyes darkened with a molten passion, and she found herself craving to be swept into its intensity. And she could have it because Paro knew that this was her right. But she still never expected the tenderness.

She wasn't nervous or afraid, not even as Rudra laid her down. His gaze never left hers, and she didn't dare look away, not even as his stare bore into her soul with the intensity of a thousand splendid suns. As he had her pinned down beneath him, Rudra began leaning down. The smell of his manly fragrance caused her head to spin. It was wrecking havoc on her senses. She was so lost that she hadn't realized when he had stealthily tossed her red dupatta to the ground until she felt his strong hands caress her waist. The gold waistband, which was cleverly hidden beneath her dupatta, was slowly, almost torturously pulled off and made a clank as it too lay on the ground.

Not once had they looked away from each other, but the glazed look in Paro's eyes could've broken him. Rudra knew that the flames of passion had ignited in her. He could feel the heat radiating from her as his hands splayed on her bare stomach. Her hands, which had been wrapped around his neck, made their way to his face, which she held. Taking advantage of this, he removed her bangles with one hand and then kissed her bare wrists.

Paro closed her eyes and shuddered as his warm lips made contact with her skin. Her hands went back around his neck as she felt him lean closer to her face. He was so close that her heaving chest was rubbing against his. She could feel his breath against her lips. He was so close, and she tried waiting for him, but the fact that he was right there and all hers pushed her to do the unexpected. Parvati gently pulled him down and kissed him.

There was nothing that could've prepared Rudra for this feeling of bliss. Their lips meshed together, and he took from her like a man starved. His lips left hers and instantly trailed down her face and neck. His sense of control began slipping as he felt Paro's hands trail along the buttons of his sherwani, slowly unbuttoning them as he went on with his ministrations. Like her dupatta and waistband, his sherwani, too, now lay in the pile on the ground. Rudra felt like he was going to slip into insanity the minute Paro's fingers traced the chiseled and defined muscular features of his back and chest. His hands slid beneath her and masterfully untied the doris holding her blouse to her body. Rudra's kisses trailed along her neck and down as he pulled her blouse down her shoulder.

Rudra looked back at Paro. She slowly opened her eyes in a daze. A soft smile came on her lips as a hand caressed his face. Even in the dim lighting of the room, Rudra could see his sindoor in her maang. Her mangalsuthra in his name lay upon her heaving chest. These two things symbolized to the world that she belonged to him. It symbolized to bodies coming together to become one. But Rudra knew that this moment was just as important.

Because at this moment, it wasn't about just two bodies, but two souls intertwining to become one. Perfection. That's what it was. They were perfect for each other. They were made for each other. There was no other explanation. Even as they lay bare, in the midst of their heated passion, they understood the other's needs. Even as he pleased her, she knew exactly how to please him. Even as he entered her, she knew as well as he did what it meant to finally feel wanted. Even as he took her over and over again, she knew, just as he did, the feeling of finally being complete. Even as they reached their peak, they knew that this feeling was only going to be for the person that was with them right now. That night, while lost in the passionate entanglements of love, Rudra and Parvati felt the sweet tenderness of becoming one.

Afterwards, an exhausted Rudra pulled a drowsy Paro in his arms. She pulled up the thin cotton sheets to cover them. Her eyes met his as he stroked her along her spine. With his eyes, he conveyed the very emotions that were rushing through her heart. She laid her hand and head upon his chest, knowing that this action was enough for him to understand that she felt the same.

Perfection. There was no other way they could describe it. Pure and utter perfection. There was no other way to describe the feeling of two souls coming together. There would never be enough words to describe what Rudra felt as he claimed her as Parvati Rudra Pratap Ranawat. However, when it came to his Paro, only three words mattered. Main. Tu. Hamesha.

**********

...I honestly don't know what to say...I'm still emotional after writing it and rereading it...

Tell me what you think by leaving your comments and feedback below.

Next update: A peek into Aman and Pia's past...and more Parud obviously!

Thanks for reading!