FF: Unloved (Complete) - Page 28

That evening, when Parvati returned home, her heart was racing as well as her mind. The events earlier flashed through her mind. She couldn't believe she had hugged Rudra. It was completely unlike her. She didn't know what had come over her. She was just so overwhelmed by what he had done. What shocked Parvati was the fact that Rudra had protected her. He had actually defended her. It was completely out of her behavior. As she sat down on the couch, Parvati shook her head and mentally tried to forget the incident.

She grabbed her notebook from her bag as she decided to begin doing her homework for Sengupta's class. However, when she opened it, Parvati found that it wasn't hers. The color was the same, but the writing was different. There wasn't anything highlighted or side notes. It was just some scratchy penmanship. She flipped through the pages with a look of confusion on her face.

"This isn't mine," she whispered to herself. "Then whose-."

Parvati stopped mid sentence. Her memory flashed back to the moment when she hugged Rudra. Their notebooks must have switched when they had fallen on the ground. The mere thought unknowingly made her blush. She shook her head again. She had to get her notebook back today, so she decided she would have to go and get it, but the problem was she didn't know where he lived. She thought for a moment. Rudra was the BSD General's son and everyone who is anyone knew who he was. Therefore, if she got a taxi, maybe the driver would know where the BSD General's home was. It was a long shot, but it was still something than nothing.

With that thought in mind, Parvati grabbed her bag and Rudra's notebook and headed out. She managed to wave down a taxi. Luckily, the driver knew the location of the BSD General's home and was able to take her there with no trouble at all. As they drove through town, Parvati realized that they were heading towards the wealthier part of the city. The thought slightly overwhelmed her. She had never really been to this part of Delhi before. Most of the students at the university resided there, while she was living in a small home with her mami-sa in a quaint part of town.

The taxi halted in front of a large pair of iron gates. Inscribed on the plaque on the stone pillar was the name Ranawat'. Parvati quickly paid the driver, who skirted away faster than he had pulled up, and then turned her attention back to the grandness of the haveli. The sleek, modern exterior was complimented by the vintage, architectural moldings and structures. She slowly pushed the iron gates, which softly creaked open. She followed the stone pathway to the large, wooden double doors, taking in the sight of the colorful landscape that filled the open courtyard. The entire time Parvati was awestruck. She had only seen mansions like this in films and now she was left dazed by its grandeur.

Parvati finally reached the door and knocked. There was a moment of silence before the door opened, revealing an older woman dressed in a mustard yellow sari. The woman looked at Parvati, obviously surprised and confused by her presence. She held the pallu of her sari, which was carefully draped over her head. Her gaze was both curious and tender, making Parvati feel both safe and alert. She wondered who this mysterious woman was, and the answer didn't take long to come to her. For once her eyes locked with the woman's, she immediately sensed the familiarity in them. Those eyes...

"You must be Rudra's mother," Parvati said softly.

The woman's eyes widened for a moment before a smile broke on her face, "And you must be Parvati."

It was Parvati's turn to be stunned, "How did you-."

"Rudra speaks highly of you."

She unknowingly blushed.

"It's so nice to finally meet you. Please, come in. I will make tea and snacks."

"Thank you aunty, but I just came by to-."

"Nonsense, you can't just come by and not stay."

"But-."

"No buts. Come in. Come in."

Seeing the eagerness in Rudra's mother's voice, Parvati couldn't refuse. She sighed and nodded in defeat as she followed Mala into the house. The interior took her breath away just as the exterior had. It was a wonder how three people stayed in such a large home. While she stared and wandered the living room in awe like a small child, Mala brought out hot tea and fresh snacks for the two of them. As she placed the tray on the coffee table, Mala observed Parvati silently. She watched how the beautiful young woman gracefully glided around the living room with careful curiosity. She seemed intimidated, yet lost in the magnificence of the home. It was the same reaction Mala had when she entered the home as a new bahu many years before. The thought made her smile internally.

Mala finally spoke, "Parvati. Come."

She broke out of her trance and noticed Mala was waiting for her. Parvati made her way to the couch, and the two woman sat and began conversing. The initial hesitation disappeared surprisingly fast and they began talking as if they had known each other for years. Within that time, Mala paid attention to the gentleness in Parvati's demeanor. The way she spoke, acted, and addressed her were all the qualities of an exceptional young woman with deeply rooted traditional values, something that was quite rare nowadays. She realized that everything her son had told her was absolutely spot on, right down to the eyes. Mala noticed, not just the sadness, but the anguish hidden deep within Parvati. She wished to question it, but knew that she wouldn't get far because they were still practically strangers, after all.

If Mala was observing Parvati, then Parvati was doing nothing less. Rudra had mentioned to her how much his mother had meant to him and what she was like, but there was always a difference between hearing about someone and actually meeting them. The truth was, Mala reminded her a lot of mami-sa. There was something about her that made her want to open up, although she didn't dare do so. The carefree banter, the gentleness, the tenderness. It made Parvati feel that she had known her for years, rather than just a few hours.

Mala took a sip of her tea, "So what brings you here, Parvati?"

"I mistakingly took Rudra's notebook today and I just wanted to return it," she replied as she reached into her bag and pulled out the notebook. "I also needed my notebook back. Hopefully he has it."

"I'm sure he does. He isn't home right now, but he should be home any minute now."

Parvati nodded and took a sip of her tea.

"Rudra has told me a little bit about you, but I would love to hear more."

"I'm sure he doesn't speak of me as much as you say."

"No, he does. A lot actually."

"Really?" Parvati was taken aback. She didn't think he spoke about her, let alone talk about her to his parents.

Mala nodded, "Tell me, apart from yourself, who is in your family?"

"Ji, well, it's just me and my mami-sa."

"And your maa-sa and bapu-sa?"

Parvati shook her head, "Just my mami-sa."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. The truth is, my mami-sa never made me miss my maa-sa or bapu-sa. In a way, I feel more blessed to have in her my life than anyone else. I know Rudra feels the same way about you."

"Does he?" Mala smiled.

"He's talked about you, and it was interesting how he listed all the things you do for him and everything he loves about you. He was-."

Parvati's thoughts remained incomplete as she heard the creaking of the double doors. Both hers and Mala's attention turned to the entryway, where two men came walking in, confidence emanating in every stride. The two women stood up upon recognition of the two men: one in a BSD uniform and the other in his college attire. Rudra and his father, Dilsher, were so busy conversing that they hadn't noticed Parvati and Mala. It was only when he casually glanced up that Rudra saw Parvati. He stopped in his tracks, causing his father to stop as well and look back at his son, confusedly. Dilsher wasn't sure what had gotten into Rudra until he looked in the same direction and saw the beautiful, young woman standing alongside his wife. The silent gesture from Mala was enough to make Dilsher understand and give her that mischievous smirk. So this is Parvati...

As Rudra stared at her stunned, Parvati felt self conscious. She looked down momentarily before looking back up, her gaze meeting his. He looked at her, surprised that she was here, in his home. He stood, wondering if he was imagining things, but when her eyes locked with his, he knew that she was really there. Rudra was so lost in her that he forgot that his parents were in the room. He walked up to her, not for a moment tearing his gaze away from hers.

"Paro?" he said. His voice dripping with concern. "What's wrong? Are you okay? How did you get here?"

"Nothing is wrong, and I am fine," Parvati responded. "Our notebooks got switched. I came to return yours and get mine back."

Rudra looked at the notebook in his hand and flipped through it, only to realize that she was right. He handed her the notebook, which she took, and gave him his back. He smiled at her, thankful that there was nothing seriously wrong and that she was okay. He was even more surprised that she made the trip here to his home just to return a notebook. Rudra was about to ask her why she went through the trouble, when a coughing sound from his father broke his train of thought. It was then he remembered that they weren't alone. Embarrassed, Rudra slowly took a step away from Parvati and turned his attention to his father, who was trying very hard to hold back his amused smile at his son's lost-puppy expressions. Dilsher looked over at Parvati, who seemed just as flustered as Rudra.

Dilsher walked over to Parvati and said, "So you must be Parvati."

Parvati nodded, "It's a pleasure to meet you, General saab."

"My son has spoken about you, but he didn't mention how beautiful you are."

The compliment made Parvati smile, which in turn brought a smile to Rudra's face. Leave it to bapu-sa to work the charm. At least she's smiling again...even if it's for a moment.

"Thank you," Parvati said. She glanced out the window and saw the sun receding beyond the horizon. "Forgive me, but it is getting late. I have to get home or mami-sa will worry."

"Let me give you a ride home," Rudra offered.

"No it's okay. I will make it on my own."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"At least call once you get home," Mala interjected. "That way we know you reached safely."

"I will."

Parvati walked over and touched Dilsher's feet, surprising him. He glanced at Rudra, who silently nodded, signaling that she was traditional like that. He nodded back and blessed her before she went over to Mala and touched her feet as well. Mala pulled her back up and embraced her. Parvati swallowed the lump in her throat. A part of her was emotional because of the kindness this woman had bestowed upon her in such a short amount of time. If only she knew the truth about me...

Mala pulled out of the hug and caressed her cheek lovingly, "You must come back again. I can't tell you how nice it was to have someone to talk to."

"I will try," Parvati assured her. She, too, desired to come back.

"Please don't hesitate. Consider this place your home as well."

Parvati nodded before bidding a final goodbye to Dilsher and Mala. As she headed out the door, she found Rudra walking alongside her and figured that he was going to walk her out. As they reached the door, Parvati stopped and looked at him. He stopped too. Rudra noticed the hesitation in her eyes, as if she wanted to say something, but was afraid of an answer. His eyebrows scrunched in confusion. She searched his face for a response before she took a deep breath and spoke.

"Do you remember Rehaan?" she asked.

"The little boy from the orphanage?" he said. "Yes."

"It's his birthday tomorrow. We're throwing a small party for him and he wants you to come. If you have plans alrea-."

"I'll be there."

"Really?"

"If it's for the kids, then I will definitely be there."

Parvati gave him a small smile, "It's tomorrow afternoon."

"I will be there. See you tomorrow."

"Bye."

And with that, Parvati turned on her heels and left. Rudra stood in the doorway and watched as she hailed a taxi, got in, and drove away. He couldn't help but smile as he thought of meeting Parvati again with the children at the orphanage. He wondered if he would get to see that brilliant smile that made his heart stop the first time. The mere thought caused his heart to pound once again as the smile on his face grew wider. Rudra was so lost in thought that he failed to recognize his parents staring at him, amused smiles plastered on their faces.

**********

Okay, I'm done for now. Hahaha. That was quite an interesting chapter. You just have to love Mala and Dilsher! Let me know what you think by leaving your comments and feedback below.

Next update: A very serious conversation between Mala and Rudra. A possible revelation of love on the horizon? What?!

Thanks for reading!