FF: Unloved (Complete) - Page 51

It was early the next morning. The sun's rays had just begun to gleam through the windows, coming in direct contact with a sleeping Paro. She scrunched her nose before stirring in her sleep. Her eyes fluttered open, only to close once again as the rays of the sun blinded her. She turned away and opened her eyes again. This time she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. She was no longer in her room. This wasn't the orphanage either. It was Rudra's bedroom. She glanced over to the other side of the bed and found Rudra asleep on his stomach, facing her. Parvati took a minute to observe at him, remembering their wedding yesterday. Her hand unconsciously went to touch the mangalsuthra around her neck. She had married Rudra yesterday. She would be lying if she said she wasn't scared about what the future held, but looking at him now, Parvati knew he would be there supporting her every step of the way, as she would for him. She had asked him to marry her because he was all she had left. She promised to be a dutiful wife, and she had to fulfill that promise. She owed Rudra that and so much more. Parvati took a deep breath. Her old life was over. This was her new beginning and she had to give it a chance.

Careful as to not disturb him, Parvati slowly got out of bed. She quietly made her way to the cupboard to grab some clothes and then made her way to the washroom. Almost an hour later, a knock on the door interrupted Rudra's slumber. He groaned and dug his face in his pillow as he tried to drown out the sounds of the knocking. He heard his mother's voice on the other side of the door.

"Rudra, Parvati," she said. "Are you awake? We have some post-marriage rituals we have to complete. It's already nine o'clock. Guests will be arriving soon."

Rudra grumbled under his breath before his eyes shot open. His mother had called out for him and Paro. Parvati was here. How could he forget that he had just gotten married? He turned over and found the other side of the bed empty. She was there before he had drifted to sleep, but now she wasn't. Where could she be? Rudra sat up and looked around the room. He got up from the bed and walked to the washroom. He was about to knock on the door when it suddenly opened, revealing Parvati freshly showered and dressed in a red sari. She paused in front of him, surprised to see him there. His hand paused in mid-air as his eyes trailed her figure. He gulped as he caught sight of her bare waist peeking through her sari as it was pinned up on her shoulder. Rudra dropped his hand and looked away nervously.

Before he could say anything, the knocking began once again at the door. Parvati scooted away from Rudra and went to answer it. She was greeted by Mala's cheerful face.

"Oh you are up," she said. "And you look beautiful in the sari I gifted you."

"How could I not?" Parvati replied. "You selected it after all."

"Is Rudra up yet?"

"He just woke up."

"This boy sometimes...anyways, please come down soon. We have many post-marriage rituals to complete. The guests will also be arriving soon."

"Okay maa-sa."

Mala's eyes widened, "You called me maa-sa."

Parvati bit her lip as she realized what she said, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I am your maa-sa. It makes me happy when you call me that."

She nodded, "I'll just go finish getting ready."

As Mala left, Parvati closed the door. She turned around, but stopped to find Rudra standing a few feet away, staring at her in awe. In his hands were his clothes, which he was going to change in to. She wondered why he was just standing there and staring at her.

He smiled and spoke, "I told you she loves you more than me."

"What?" Parvati asked.

"She bought you a sari, but I got nothing. What sort of justice is that?"

Parvati couldn't help but laugh. She knew he was joking with her. Mala loved her as much as Rudra. There was no denying that. It was funny to see the fake-jealousy on him. She shook her head and walked back to cupboard to finish getting ready. Meanwhile, Rudra went to shower and change. He came out half an hour later, dressed in a dark brown, silk kurta. By the time he was ready, Parvati had completed putting on her jewelry: the green bangles, earrings, and nose ring. Her mangalsuthra rested against her chest, and the deep red sindoor in her maang matched the dark red color of her sari. Rudra went to the dresser and grabbed his comb. He was combing his hair, but he gazed at Parvati's reflection from the mirror. She had her back to him. Her hair was openly flowing and loosely curled, but pulled to one side of her face, revealing the low cut back of her olive green blouse.

She was rummaging through the cupboard, making him wonder what she was looking for. It took her a good few minutes before she shut the cupboard doors. He watched as she peeked over her shoulder at him. Now this intrigued him. Rudra wondered why she was suddenly being so secretive and sneaky. Slowly, Parvati turned, maneuvering her hands behind her back. Their eyes locked through the mirror, and she bit her lip nervously. He inhaled sharply as the thought of biting and kissing those lips crossed his mind. He quickly shook the thought out of his head. Setting the comb back on the dresser, Rudra turned and faced her. He crossed his arms across his chest and leaned back against the dresser, waiting.

"Is something wrong?" he asked concerned.

She immediately shook her head, "Nothing is wrong. It's just..."

"Just?"

Parvati took a deep breath and walked up to him. He stood straight up now, dropping his hands to his side. Slowly, she moved her hands forward. His amused smile suddenly faded as his eyes grew wide. In her hands was a small, black velvet box. She looked down at it before looking back up at him.

"This...this is for you," she held the box out to him.

Rudra took the box and carefully opened it. Inside was a wedding ring. It was simple: brushed nickel with dark gray trim. However, Rudra felt as if he held the crowned jewels in his hands. He looked at it, then back at Paro. She fiddled with the edge of her pallu.

"You bought me a ring?" he asked, wanting to confirm that this was actually happening.

She nodded, "I have a mangalsuthra...to show I'm your wife...so I thought...I know you don't wear these types of things, and I don't know why I bought it, but I did. You don't have to wear it..."

Rudra went into a daze. He didn't hear anything after Parvati had acknowledged herself as his wife. It was the first time she had ever done so. He looked at her before turning his attention back to the ring in his hands. She didn't need to explain her actions. He knew why she had done it. Parvati may not know it, but he knew she wanted to show others that Rudra was, in fact, married. She wanted to show the world that he was her husband. Her mangalsuthra and sindoor showed her status to everyone, but he didn't have such a luxury...until now. He watched as Parvati struggled to find the words to explain her actions, and he couldn't help but feel amused.

Rudra didn't know that his silence was only increasing Paro's anxiety. She began regretting ever buying him the ring. She didn't even know what made her want to get him one in the first place. She had bought it a week before the wedding, in the spur of the moment. She knew that he wasn't fond of wearing jewelry, yet she used some of her savings to buy it for him. However, her thoughts trailed off, as did her voice, as she watched Rudra take the ring out of the box and slide it on his finger with ease. It was a perfect fit. He placed the box on the dresser before moving forward.

Cupping her cheek, Rudra smiled and said, "Thank you, Paro."

She gave him a soft smile.

"Come on. Let's go before maa-sa comes and scolds us."

Parvati nodded in agreement. The two of them walked out of the bedroom together. She couldn't stop her lips from curving into a smirk. Even though she hadn't said anything, the fact that Rudra wore the ring meant more to her than he would ever know.

~

Many guests came and went throughout the entire day. It seemed that everyone wanted to see the Ranawat family's new bahu. People came bearing gifts and praises along with blessings. Rudra and Parvati were forced to sit in the main living area and greet everyone that came to offer their congratulations. They did not leave each other's sides. Many of the people were Rudra's family, and he introduced Paro to them all proudly as his wife. It was obvious he couldn't get enough of saying it. He even showed off his wedding ring to...well...anyone that had a pair of eyes. Every time he did, a huge grin would appear on his face and he would look over at Parvati, who couldn't help but look away in embarrassment. If he continued to stare at her like that, people would begin to think that there was something seriously wrong with him.

Mala and Dilsher were nothing less. Guests commended them on their new daughter-in-law. They, however, reiterated that they didn't gain a daughter-in-law, but a daughter. Dilsher went around saying that his daughter was a master chess player. Mala continuously stated that, after Parvati's arrival, their house had finally become a home. They simply adored Parvati, and this much affection was enough to make her want to cry. She never believed anyone would give her such a place in their life, yet they did. She couldn't help but think how well this new beginning was going.

By evening, the last of the guests had left the Ranawat home. Everyone was tuckered out by now. Parvati and Mala were cleaning up the last of the mess that the latest guests had left, while Rudra and Dilsher were busy finding a place to put all the wedding gifts. Just as they were about to sit down and relax, there was a knock at the door.

Rudra groaned, "Who is it now? How many relatives do we have?"

"Rudra," Mala scolded. "Behave yourself. I wonder who that could be."

She went to the door and opened it. A few minutes later, Mala came back followed by a woman around the same age as her. Rudra, Parvati, and Dilsher stood up and acknowledged the new guest in the home. Parvati could sense the air suddenly become tense. As she looked at Rudra, she found his jaw tightened. Dilsher's posture was nothing different. It seemed that this woman did not bring a good aura with her. Mala seemed both hesitant and nervous as she glanced back and forth between the woman and her husband. Parvati wondered who she was.

"Parvati," Mala spoke. "This is my sister and Rudra's kaki-sa, Mohini."

Parvati walked forward and touched Mohini's feet. Mohini looked at the new Ranawat bahu with a snake-like look in her eyes. From the beginning, she was not on pleasant terms with Dilsher and Mala, even though they had done nothing wrong. Nothing fixed the bitterness in Mohini's heart. However a false modesty and civility was established between them for the sake of society. After hearing about Rudra's marriage, she knew she had to see the new bride for herself. She plastered on a fake smile as Parvati stood back up and looked at her.

Mohini observed her from head-to-toe. Parvati was beautiful, the essence of youth. She couldn't help but burn with jealousy. She had spent years trying to look for a wife for her son, and it didn't take Rudra more than a few months to find a wife, and that too, someone this beautiful. However, she would never let her jealousy show as she knew she would have to work harder to find a better-looking bride for her son.

"Well Mala," Mohini said as she looked at her younger sister. "Your bahu is rather lovely. Where did you stumble upon her?"

Something in the way she had said that didn't seem right to Parvati. She glanced at Mala before looking at Rudra and Dilsher. It was evident that they noticed the tone with which Mohini had spoken and didn't seem to favor it.

Mohini looked at her nephew, "Rudra, I'm so sorry I couldn't make it to the wedding."

Rudra scoffed and looked at his father. He knew she wasn't sorry. Dilsher glared at his son, signaling that now was not the right time to start anything. Uneasiness began filling the atmosphere, and Parvati desperately wanted to ease the tension between everyone.

"Kaki-sa, please have a seat," she said softly. "I'll make tea."

Parvati went to the kitchen while Mohini made herself comfortable in the living room. Mala, Dilsher, and Rudra sat down but didn't say a word. The silence was becoming unbearable. They could all hear Parvati clanking away in the kitchen, preparing tea for them all.

Dilsher finally spoke, "So, where are your son and husband?"

"Sumer is parking the car," Mohini replied. "He'll be in shortly. My husband had work to do, so he couldn't make it."

"We're sorry you missed the wedding," Mala said.

"It was the talk of all of Delhi," Mohini commented. "I'm surprised it wasn't written about in the newspaper."

"It wasn't needed," Rudra answered. "We knew that once you found out, all of India would find out soon after."

Dilsher stifled his laughter while Mohini simply glared at the father and son. Just then, Sumer came striding in with aura of obnoxiousness and arrogance surrounding him. He stood right behind where his mother was sitting. She smiled up at him before turning her attention back to the rest of the Ranawats.

"Sorry I am late," he said. "I was parking the ca-."

The sound of something crashing on the ground drowned out Sumer's voice. Everyone jumped up in shock as they caught sight of where it had originated from. They found Parvati standing there with a pile of broken cups and spilled tea at her feet. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, disbelief etched upon her entire face. Rudra quickly rushed to her side and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Paro," he said. "What happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

There was no response from Parvati. Her gaze was fixed on something in front of her and she refused to tear her gaze away.

"Paro?" he asked again.

Rudra's gaze followed hers and found that she was staring at Sumer. He looked at her, then at his cousin, whose face reflected the same emotions as Parvati's. There was another emotion on Sumer's face, one that Rudra recognized all too well because he always gave that look to him: disgust.

Sumer looked at her up and down, and practically shouted, "Parvati?!"

Parvati stared at him in shock, "Sumer?!"

**********

What?! Sumer and Paro know each other?! How?! I love leaving you guys at cliffhangers. It assures me that you'll continue reading to find out what happens next hahaha. Let me know what you think by leaving your comments and feedback below.

Next update: Cruel taunts and broken souls.

Thanks for reading!