FF: Unloved (Complete) - Page 9

I loved this chapter, you are back with a bang gurl!! And i'm talking especially about the last bit. So unexpected, I think I gasped a loud. Smoothly put. And what I admire most about your writing is the fact that you show such grasp of your character's personalities. Something I'm yet to learn, however, 'great writers are also great readers'.

Nonetheless, wonderfully written, I haven't realised how much I've missed your writing until now. Well done, thank you for PM'ing and continuing to write about our PaRud.

Once again, lots of love.. Ru.

Thanks for the PM.

I read all chapters at a time

Just luved it

Waiting 4 upcuming story

I read ur other ff's also

U r a fab writer yaar

Even though she was given his number, Parvati hadn't made any attempts to call Rudra. In fact, she had done her best to keep the idea out of her head. Rudra hadn't bothered to ask her again, even during their usual meeting in the library. He didn't bring up the topic again and was completely focused on what she was saying when she was tutoring him. She had expected him to say something about the subject, but he didn't. Parvati found that she was slightly distracted because she didn't know how to act with him. With the Mela being tomorrow, she wasn't sure if he would continue to pursue the topic, but it seemed that he wasn't going to anytime soon, which she was thankful for. Any change in decision would have to be made on her part now.

It was the day of the Mela, and there were no classes due to it being a weekend. Parvati had woken up in the early morning to the smell of Mami-sa's cooking. She quickly bathed and changed into her white, cotton salwar. Her long, wet tresses lay open against her chest as she made her way out of her room. She passed through the living room and into the kitchen. As she did so, Parvati caught sight of her textbooks and notes sprawled on the table. Since she had spent many hours with Rudra studying for their History exam, Parvati's attention to her other classes had slightly fallen and she needed to make sure she stayed on track. She had been up late studying, and was too tired to pick up her things. She made a mental note to do so after greeting Mami-sa.

Parvati made her way into the kitchen, where Mami-sa was finishing up cooking. She was dressed in a soft white sari with a pink border. Her pallu was tucked into her waist and her hair was in a tight bun. Mami-sa had seen Parvati walk in, and glanced in her direction with a smile, only to receive a solemn nod in response. Mami-sa was not uncommon to such gestures from her, but there was still a part of her that awaited a different response. But nothing changed. She resumed flipping her rotis with a sigh. Mami-sa felt Parvati wrapped her arms around her shoulders from behind.

"Good morning Mami-sa," Parvati said softly.

"Good morning," Mami-sa replied. "You were up late last night studying again. Have you finished?"

"No. Not yet."

"I hope that you do so soon. You're always studying. Some fresh air would be nice."

"I know. I promise I will try to finish studying and tidy up as soon as possible."

"If you must study, then go ahead and do so now. I will bring you breakfast in the living room shortly."

"Thank you Mami-sa."

Parvati released Mami-sa and headed back into the living room. She bit her nail as she saw the vastness of her papers. Everything was sprawled in every direction. Her notebooks laid open on the couch, while her textbooks were open on the table. Loose sheets had fallen to the floor due to the breeze from the open window. Pens and highlighters were placed in the cracks of open books. Parvati remembered that she had tried catching up on multiple lessons at once, which seemed to work since she had recalled almost everything she had read. She walked over to the table and knelt down to pick up the papers on the floor.

Parvati then began closing the books that she didn't need to focus on anymore. She was surprised to find a piece of paper flapping out from under the cover of her book. She was still on her knees when she opened the book and pulled the torn sheet out. It was then she remembered what it was. She opened the folded sheet of paper and saw it was Rudra's number. She looked at the numbers etched in black ink and became lost in thought. She remembered how he looked nervous when he asked her if she wanted to go with him. Parvati couldn't understand why he would want to go with her in the first place, let alone be nervous asking her. Surely it was something he had done many times before. She recalled the momentary loss for words from him as she declined his offer.

Today was the day of the Mela, and she still hadn't changed her decision. She hadn't planned to, and thought that since she wasn't going to, there was no need to carry his number around. She had decided to toss it, but for some reason she couldn't find it in her to throw away his number. Parvati wondered what Rudra was doing and if he was still going to go to the Mela despite her denial of coming along. Unlike her, he had many friends who could accompany him. If Rudra decided to go, then he would surely find someone to go with. There were also many girls from the university that would love to go with him, but she was not one of them.

Parvati was so dazed that she hadn't realized she was no longer alone in the living room. Mami-sa walked in with a tray of food and found Parvati lost in thought, sitting on the floor. Her back was to her, hiding her face from Mami-sa's line of sight. She quietly placed the tray of food on the clear portion of the table and then placed a hand on Parvati's shoulder. Parvati was abruptly yanked out of her thoughts. She jumped up upon feeling a hand on her shoulder and stood on her feet. She turned to face Mami-sa, completely forgetting the paper she was holding on to in her hand. Mami-sa gaged the startled expression on her face and became concerned.

"Paro are you okay?" Mami-sa asked.

"Y-yes," Parvati replied.

"I didn't mean to startle you. I just-." She paused as she caught sight of the torn piece of paper in Parvati's hand. "What is that?"

"Oh. This is nothing."

Mami-sa could tell that it was not nothing. It was definitely the reason Parvati hadn't sensed her presence upon entering. She extended her hand and slowly took the paper out of Parvati's hand. Parvati didn't fight it. She simply stood there and watched Mami-sa examine the content in her hands. Her expression immediately changed from curious to shocked. Her mouth opened slightly, trying to find the words to understand what she was looking at.

"Paro this is a phone number," Mami-sa stated the obvious.

"Yes," Parvati replied.

"A boy's phone number?"

"Yes."

"Why have I never heard about him? He must be important if he gave you his phone number."

"Mami-sa, it is nothing like that. His name is Rudra Pratap Ranawat. He's BSD General Dilsher Ranawat's son. We have History class together and I have been tutoring him."

"He's the one you've been tutoring in the evenings?"

"Yes."

"Just tutoring?"

"Yes. There is nothing more to it. We don't talk much, and when we do it is just about History."

"Then why do you have his number?"

Parvati sighed, "He asked me to accompany him to the Mela."

Mami-sa first looked at her in shock before happily smiling, "He did? That's wonderful! What time is he going to be here? Have you-."

"I said no. I'm not going to the Mela, especially not with Rudra."

Mami-sa's smile faded, "What? Why? Is he not a nice boy?"

"It's not that. He is nice."

"Does he have someone else in his life?"

"I don't think so, but that's not why I declined."

"Then why did you say no?"

Parvati felt a lump in her throat rising. She looked at her Mami-sa sadly, and as usual she didn't need to say anything for her to understand. This was the type of relationship they shared. Mami-sa knew the reason already, but she still couldn't help but feel that the reasoning was wrong. She knew that Parvati was still traumatized after the experience, and who wouldn't be? It was a miracle that she was talking to anyone today, especially a boy. After everything that had happened in the past, Parvati deserved to move forward, but she was forcefully keeping her life in a standstill, and Mami-sa was upset about it. If she was going to forget the past, Parvati was going to have to break out of the shell, and Rudra might be the hammer needed to crack her.

"Why did you really say no, Paro?" Mami-sa asked.

"How can I go to the Mela?" Parvati questioned. "How can I?"

"Do you think he is going to hurt you? Does he seem like the type?"

"Mami-sa, it's not that. From the beginning, he has been nothing but nice. He has never once been mean or said anything cruel."

"He sounds nice. Why don't you go to the Mela with him? You should go. It will be an opportunity to go out, get some fresh air."

"But-."

Mami-sa, who was at first calm, finally put her foot down and snapped, "Paro, you need to get out of the house. All you do is go to class and then come home. If I didn't force you out with me on occasions, I'm sure you wouldn't go anywhere. I know what happened in the past was terrible, and I don't blame you for the way you are acting, but you are still so young and have your whole life ahead of you."

Parvati looked at her, eyes filled with confusion, "I don't know. What if-."

"Don't think about the what ifs'," Mami-sa cupped her cheek. "Think about giving someone who wants a chance...a simple chance. I know that's difficult for you, but once you give this Rudra boy one, it may be enough. It's a step forward. It's something you deserve."

Parvati looked at Mami-sa, the woman who she considered the motherly figure in her life. She was the same woman who had seen her at her best and at her worst. She was also the only one who could understand what was going on in her mind. Mami-sa was the only one who understood her life better than herself. So, when Mami-sa said this about Rudra, Parvati began thinking whether or not to give him a chance. Everyone deserved one, but did she deserve a chance to move from the past?

~

Rudra was in the Ranawat Haveli, laying on the couch in the living room and reading a book. He had one hand holding his book and the other behind his head. He was dressed in his white cotton kurta with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His mother, Mala, was sitting on the chair adjacent to him, peeling beans in a small silver tray. Since her husband, Dilsher, was at work she decided to spend this time with Rudra. This was something they had often done on the weekends when Dilsher was at work. Rudra would read or do anything that interested him, but he would always be with his mother, conversing with her and joining him if he was doing some activity, such as watching the cricket match. Mala had become quite the Cricket expert after watching with her son. Dressed in a simple red and orange sari, Mala was calmly watching her son, who was completely consumed in his reading. However, whenever she spoke he would give her his undivided attention. She wondered if Rudra would be attending the Mela as he had done every year. Usually he would let her know what his plans were because he was often excited about them, but this time he hadn't mentioned anything. This made her quite curious, and she couldn't remain silent anymore.

"Rudra," Mala spoke. "Isn't tonight the Mela?"

He placed his book on his chest and nodded, "Yeah."

"Are you planning on going?"

"I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"I just don't think it's in the cards this year."

"So the girl said no?"

Rudra looked at his mother, who was smiling mischievously. He shook his head and smiled. Leave it to her to figure out what was going on before he said anything. He couldn't help but let out a laugh as she hit the nail on the head. Now he knew who he had gotten his inquisitive nature from.

"Yeah, she said no," Rudra answered.

"Is this the same girl who has been tutoring you?" Mala asked.

"Yes, Maa-sa."

Rudra had informed Mala about his tutoring sessions after class. Therefore, it was no surprise to him that she remembered. Mala, on the other hand, was interested in knowing more about the girl, since Rudra didn't speak much of her. She was obviously someone important if he had asked her to go to the Mela with him. He didn't ask just anyone to go with him, apart from his friends and girlfriends at the time. She wondered if this was a new girlfriend, but dropped the thought immediately since she would've been the first one to know if Rudra had gotten another girlfriend.

Mala smiled, "What is she like?"

Rudra looked at her before looking up at the ceiling, a serious expression on his face, "She's...different. That's the best way I can describe her. She is quiet, reserved. She doesn't have any friends, and she dresses in traditional attire, like salwars. I've never seen her in modern clothes. When she speaks, she's straightforward. There's no hidden meanings in what she says."

"She sounds interesting."

"She is. But there is this one thing about her, Maa-sa. It's odd, and I don't know why but I can't get stop thinking about it."

"What is it?"

"Her eyes. In her hazel eyes...there's nothing. Besides the color, they're simply hollow. They lack all emotion. They're just blank. The one thing I have ever seen in them was sadness, and I can't understand why the image of her eyes is stuck in my head. Not only that, but I have never seen her smile. It's like this solemness is all she knows."

"Hmm."

"What are you thinking?"

"Oh, nothing. What was her name again?"

"Parvati."

"Parvati what?"

"...I don't know."

Mala let out a small laugh, "You don't really know anything about this girl, and you were expecting her to accept an offer from a stranger? Rudra, surely you must know that not every girl is as modern as you think."

"It's not that, Maa-sa. I know we don't know each other well. I just wanted to take her as a way to say thank you for helping me for the exam."

"So, there is nothing else going on in that head of yours?"

Rudra was about to answer when his mobile suddenly rang in his pocket. He sat up and put his book on the couch beside him before he pulled his phone out to read the caller ID. The number was unrecognizable to him, but he answered anyways.

"Hello?" he said.

"Hello. Rudra?"

"Yeah? Who is this?"

"It's Parvati."

Rudra shot up from his seat like he was on fire, startling his mother. He looked at his phone for a minute, then held it back to his ear. He couldn't believe that Parvati had called, especially since they were just talking about her. He glanced at his mother, who still looked like she was trying to regulate her heart beat after he popped up like a daisy from the couch. He made a mental note to apologize to her later. Right now, his attention was on the woman on the other end of the line.

"Hello?" Parvati said. "Rudra? Are you there?"

"Yeah I'm still here," he replied. "You called. I'm surprised. What's up?"

"Well...you know how you asked about going to the Mela?"

"Yeah?"

"And I said no?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"Well...umm...I was thinking...and...are you still free tonight?"

"Yes," Rudra felt himself smiling, amused at the nervousness in her voice.

"Would you...I mean...if the offer still stands...Can...may we-."

"Parvati."

"...Yes?"

"Would you like to go to the Mela with me tonight?"

There was a moment of silence before she spoke again, "...Okay."

Rudra's smile turned into a grin as he felt happy, "Okay. I will pick you up from your place at five this evening."

"Pick me up? From my place?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No."

"Okay."

"Do you have a pen and paper ready?"

"For what?"

"To take down my address."

Rudra felt like he should've been smacked in the forehead. Obviously he had to get her address. How else was he going to pick her up? He quickly grabbed a pen and paper and took down her address. He repeated it to her to make sure he had written it properly.

"I will see you tonight then," he said.

"Okay," Parvati replied.

They both hung up the phone. Rudra looked at the address he had written on the paper. He couldn't believe Parvati had changed her mind. To be honest, he hadn't expected her to. They hadn't spoken of it since the day he asked her because he didn't want to push the subject and scare her away. He was surprised with himself because he was now smiling like a goofball because she had changed her mind. Rudra then remembered that he wasn't alone. He looked over at his mother, who was looking at him inquisitively.

"Was that her?" she asked.

"Yes," Rudra replied.

"She said yes didn't she?"

Rudra's goofball smile was all the answer Mala needed.

**********

Oh my gosh! She said yes! What?! Yes she did! It's a 'date', so to speak...kinda. Let me know what you think by leaving your comments and feedback below!

Next update: 'Date' Part One: The pick up!

Thanks for reading!