FF: Unloved (Complete) - Page 6

Admire the fact that he's noticed so quickly how indifferent everyone looks at Paro, I like how you've instilled this in him. But even more for introducing Laila.. these similarities from the original story just make this all the more likeable. I cannot wait for the next update, something tells me that feels will flourish just as quickly as secrets begin to unravel.

Thank you for the PM, I'm looking forward to your next chapter. For now, lots of love,

Ru😳

Waiting to read about tutoring lesson

So Update soon

The night rolled in just as quickly as evening had. The deep orange of the sky had receded beyond the horizon. The blackness had now blanketed Delhi, its only light coming from the thousands of stars that embellished it. The moon, which was almost full, was visible tonight. The light from it came through the open windows of Rudra's bedroom. He had been laying on his bed, finishing his assignment for his class, when he noticed it. He laid his book on his chest and looked out the window. From his line of view, he could see hundreds of stars flickering away, as if winking at him.

Rudra took a deep breath and ran a hand through his messy hair. He remembered how his father had often said to just take a step back from everything and take a deep breath. Life could get exhausting, and sometimes a breather was necessary. If anyone else had told him that, Rudra would've thought they were crazy, but this was his father, the BSD General. So he had to have known what he was talking about. Rudra closed his eyes and took another breath to relax himself.

However, when he closed his eyes an unexpected image appeared before him. At first it was a blur in the distance, but as it came closer, he realized that familiar figure. Rudra didn't open his eyes. He wanted to know what he was seeing. The blurry image began clearing like the scene of fading mist. The first visible image was a mesh of pink, not a bright pink, but a soft, pastel pink. It looked soft as well. It was like a cloth...a scarf maybe. No, it was a dupatta flowing in the breeze which his imagination was conjuring up. He followed the edge of the flowing, pink dupatta to figure out who it belonged to. That's when he saw the long, brown hair, the fair skin, and the intense hazel eyes lined softly with black kohl. He didn't even need to see the gold nose ring to know that it was Parvati.

Rudra's eyes shot open. He looked around his empty room, as if someone was there with him, seeing exactly what he was seeing in his mind. Finding the room empty, Rudra rubbed his face, trying to erase the image he had just seen of Parvati. He couldn't believe that had just happened. Did he just close his eyes and imagine her? Parvati? The girl he had met twice and only spoken to for the first time just hours ago? Maybe it was just because he was thinking about the History exam. Yeah, that was probably it. Why else would he think of Parvati?

And yet, something in the back of his mind told him that if he shut his eyes again, her image would involuntarily appear...again. He wasn't sure of the reason why, but he felt that it would just happen, even if he didn't want it to. As he put his hand behind his head, Rudra took one more deep breath before closing his eyes again, and sure enough, Parvati was there. This time, he saw her as he did the first time he walked into class. Rudra remembered that day fairly well, now that he looked back at it. He remembered wanting to find an empty seat that wasn't so close to the front. As his gaze traveled back, he found one spot available in the middle row. It was after he saw the empty seat that Rudra had noticed the girl next to it. His gaze had been glued to Parvati at the moment. Even from the distance, he could see the hazel pools looking at him, blankly then thoughtfully before looking away.

Rudra smirked as he recalled walking over and sitting next to her. Parvati had not once turned in his direction, not even to formally say hello. She was completely focused on the lecture Professor Sengupta was giving, but he could tell she knew he was looking at her by the way she occasionally squirmed in her seat. The next image that appeared was when he saw her staring out the window, lost in her own world. Rudra frowned as he opened his eyes. No doubt, the image was beautiful, almost like something out of those cheesy films and soap operas his mother watched. But there was something missing, and he just couldn't place his finger on it. He laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling, as if the plain, white wall would give him his answer. Rudra closed his eyes, and every image of Parvati he had locked in his brain flashed through his mind in seconds, like a click of a photo. In all of the stills he had in his mind, Rudra found something to be missing in all of them.

He shook his head, trying to control the pictures he was mentally seeing. With his eyes still closed, Rudra slowed each image down in his mind. It was then that he realized what was wrong. Smiles. Parvati had never once smiled. Granted, he hadn't known her for that long, but even he had smiled to her more than once. And smiles were contagious weren't they? Then how is it possible that Parvati never did? He tried to picture her smiling, but it failed terribly as he couldn't imagine the type of smile she would have.

It wasn't just the smile either. There was something else missing. Rudra opened his eyes and sat up. He stood up and went over to his wall of windows. He leaned against the sill of one and folded his arms against his chest, then looked out at the scenery. There was nothing but city lights for miles and miles ahead. Being on the second story of his home, his bedroom had the second best view of the city, the first being the terrace. His eyes went from the lights of the city to the lights of the stars in the sky. Rudra had always had a fondness for the night sky. The moon, the stars, they all had this soulful impact on him that no one was ever able to understand, not even himself at times.

As he continued to watched the stars, Rudra recalled what was wrong from his images of Parvati. He closed his eyes and let the moments of her play before him again. This time, he solely focused on her eyes. And this confirmed his earlier theory. His stern expression softened as he opened his eyes and looked towards the sky once more. Parvati's eyes never sparkled. When emotions spread on anyone's face, their eyes would reflect it in some sort of way. But her eyes reflected nothing. The hazel color was there, but that was all that was present. The color. There was no depth to them. They were hollow and empty. But what was visible, what no one could deny upon looking into her eyes, was an irrevocable sadness. One that was trying to be hidden, but couldn't help but make a small appearance.

Rudra softly whispered to himself, "Why...why is there so much sadness in her eyes?"

And as he asked himself this, he found himself staring up at the sky, as if waiting for some divine presence, listening to his voiced thoughts, to descend down and share their thoughts on the matter. But Rudra found nothing but the moonlight bestowing its grace upon him. That light, which had guided many weary travelers, seemed to be trying to guide him to an answer. If only he knew what that answer was...

~

On the other side of the city, in a small home on the outskirts of Delhi, Parvati was standing outside on the porch, leaning against the wooden pillar. Like Rudra, she too, was looking at the night sky. She crossed her arms against her chest. The pale purple salwar kameez was illuminated by the moonlight. She stared aimlessly at the moon and the stars as she often had. Despite the beauty of it, Parvati could only feel sadness. Even in the darkness, there was light in the sky to keep the world from entering an abyss. It seemed that all of it was gone from her life and she was forced into a cruel, black world. As she thought about it, Parvati could feel the tears stinging her eyes. They had not threatened to fall, but they brimmed the rims of her eyes.

Even after so many days, tears still appeared as she thought of the tragic events that marked her past. They were like scars, hidden from sight, but still present to symbolize the hurt. Parvati had never shown those scars to anyone, well, except to one person...Mami-sa. Apart from her, there was no she shared such things with, mainly because she did not have the courage to face the judgement of others. She had bared it once before, and she didn't think she could do it again. So she forced herself to live her days in a darkness the night sky had not even seen.

It was while she was consumed in these thoughts that someone came across her. The owner of the orphanage, Mami-sa, saw Parvati out on the porch. Mami-sa was an older woman in her mid-50s. Because of her deep devotion to the children and the orphanage, she never married, but found no regret in it. Mami-sa stared at Parvati's back from the doorway. She sighed as she remembered how Parvati had come to the orphanage at the tender age of three, hungry and alone. Abandoned in the middle of the street, she, by some miracle, ended up on the doorstep of her orphanage. Who would've thought that being an orphan would be the least of Parvati's struggles?

Mami-sa had grown fond of Parvati, and when it was time for her to leave the orphanage, she couldn't bear the separation and offered her shelter in her home. Parvati had denied multiple times, but eventually gave in as, she too, grew an attachment towards Mami-sa. Their relationship was nothing short of what a mother and daughter have. However, after Parvati's darkest hour, a barrier had been built between them. It was so vast that Mami-sa was unable to break it down, despite her attempts to do so. She had seen the old Parvati wither away and in turn this stranger took her place. This woman never smiled or laughed, nor did she have a beautiful aura that matched her complexion. She was reserved and silent, so silent that often times Mami-sa didn't even know she was in the same room. But that never stopped her from bestowing the previous affections on Parvati. She just hoped that one day everything would go back to normal.

Mami-sa slowly stepped onto the porch and stood next to Parvati. She didn't touch her, but simply glanced in her direction to find that she was lost in her thoughts while gazing up into the sky. Mami-sa wrapped the pallu of her cream-colored sari around her shoulders as she felt the breeze touch her softly. Then, she looked at Parvati and gave a gentle smile.

"Paro," she spoke.

Parvati didn't move a muscle, but she glanced at Mami-sa from the corner of her eye before returning to the stars.

"Paro, is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine, Mami-sa," Parvati replied.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"If that is the case, then why don't you smile?"

Parvati stopped leaning against the pillar. She stood up straight with her arms still folded across her chest. Slowly, she turned to face Mami-sa to reveal her eyes still brimming with tears. None had spilled, but the hazel orbs now became a glassy portal directly revealing her emotions, specifically the pain.

"Is there a reason to smile?" Parvati asked softly.

"Of course there is," Mami-sa replied. "You're alive. You've lived another day."

"Have I? Am I really alive? Or am I just existing?"

"Paro, please don't think like this," Mami-sa pleaded.

"Mami-sa, after everything that has happened...after everything I have gone through...do I really deserve to smile?"

"Yes, you do! How many times do I have to tell you?"

Parvati sniffled and wiped away her tears. She shifted her focus away from Mami-sa and back at the sky, more specifically at the moon. Knowing that the conversation was not going to get anywhere, Mami-sa sighed and surrendered in defeat. She sadly turned her head and went back inside the house, but not before glancing over her shoulder back at Paro. How she wished she could go back in time to prevent all the bad from happening to Parvati. The cruel words, the taunts, the tragedy...if only she had known the truth before the bad unfolded. If only...if only...

**********

Wow, well that was quite a serious chapter. What did you think? Let me know by leaving your comments and feedback below.

Next update: First tutoring session and a surprise for Parvati!

Thanks for reading!