Marriage wasn't an easy process, as Rudra had come to learn. After the incident with Mohini and Sumer, Parvati tried multiple times to recede within herself. Their words and insults had really gotten to her. She remained quiet and answered only when spoken to. The facade of a smile returned and along with the sorrow in her eyes. It was like that for a few weeks, and everyone, even Mala and Dilsher, could see the change, and it bothered them greatly. However, Rudra wasn't going to let it continue. It wasn't long until he randomly began asking her to spend the evening in the city with him, doing things like watching a movie, going to dinner, and so on. He tried different things in order to try and bring a smile back to her face. Initially, it didn't work. They would go out and have a nice time, but the moment was always short-lived as Parvati would, once again, crawl into her shell. It wasn't until Rudra brought the kids from the orphanage home that the Paro he had come to know returned.
It was more of a surprise, really. Parvati hadn't been expecting it. One morning, he came home with the children piled in the back of Dilsher's BSD jeep. They came running in, calling out for their Pari didi'. And Paro? She was beyond shocked, but was thrilled to see the children, whom she hadn't had a chance to see since the wedding. They had spent the entire day together in the Ranawat home, playing games, having lunch, and just enjoying their time together. It was in this time that the real, carefree Parvati had returned. When it was time for the kids to go back, she bade them a farewell and promised to visit them soon. When Rudra returned he was surprised to find her still awake, waiting for him, with a smile on her face. She thanked him for what he had done, knowing full well why he had brought the kids there. He would never forget that moment because it was the first time she ever smiled just for him.
So Rudra knew and understood that marriage wasn't an easy process, but he was learning and he hoped it was enough.
~
Two months later...
As he had planned, Rudra followed in the footsteps of his father. He entered the training program to become a BSD officer. Dilsher had never been more proud of his son than the day he came home with his official documents, stating that he was joining the force. Mala was hesitant about his decision. She already worried about her husband when he was on duty, and she didn't want to have to worry about her son too. However, Parvati became the voice of reason. She explained to her mother-in-law that this was something Rudra had always dreamt of doing. She assured her that he would be okay because she didn't raise a weak son. It didn't take long to convince Mala, and Rudra was grateful to Paro for that.
The training process was extensive and demanding. Rudra left early and came home late. There were times when he was out of the house before the sun was up, and back just before the clock struck midnight. It was exhausting, but he knew that this was what it took to be a BSD officer. What Rudra never expected was Paro's support through it all. Not only did she convince Mala, but she was always there for him when he arrived home after training. No matter how late he returned, Rudra would find her sitting on the couch in the living room. A hot meal that she prepared with her own hands would be waiting for him. Parvati would sit and ask him about his training, and he would tell her each and every detail of the day while he licked his plate of food clean. This had eventually become a nightly ritual for them.
The initial weeks turned into months, and before either of them knew it they had entered their second month of marriage. They had slowly begun to feel comfortable around each other once again, and a routine had been established between them. Rudra's parents even noticed the shift in the air around them. They only hoped that this change would bring Paro closer to Rudra.
~
It was another late night and Parvati was, as usual, sitting on the couch, waiting for Rudra to return from training. Mala and Dilsher had already gone to bed, leaving her on her own until his arrival. Dinner was already set on a plate, ready for him the minute he entered the door. She had grabbed a book from Dilsher's small collection and tried to read, but found that she couldn't. Her mind was racing. She was waiting for Rudra to return, but today she was more eager than usual. Why? Because she wanted to ask him something very important, but didn't know how to go about it. It's true that Parvati had never asked him for anything, and every time she tried to ask him about this she would become nervous and put it off for another day. But now she waited until the last minute and couldn't put it off any longer. If she didn't ask tonight, then it would be too late.
Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard the door open. She stood up and found Rudra entering. As usual, his eyes immediately darted to the couch where she would always be. Today was no different. She could tell that he was exhausted. The training was brutal, but it prepared him for everything that he would possibly experience when he became an officer. Without saying anything, Parvati went to heat up the food and bring it to the room while Rudra freshened up and changed. He sat down on the couch in his room and ate, while Parvati sat beside him, struggling to find a way to bring up the topic she had been trying to discuss with him for the past two weeks.
Rudra was talking about his day and finishing his meal. He stopped talking once he finished eating, as he noticed Parvati was lost in thought. Setting his plate down on the small table in front of the couch, he shifted his body so he was now directly facing her. He snapped his fingers in front of her, breaking her out of her reverie.
"Are you okay?" he asked. "Where are you lost?"
"It's nothing," Paro said. "It's just that...well...I wanted to ask you something."
"Anything. What is it?"
She began nervously fidgeting with her fingers, "Well, I know tomorrow you don't have training because it's Holi."
"Yeah? So?"
"I wanted to know if we could celebrate it."
He looked at her amused, "You know you don't have to ask. If you want to celebrate Holi, then you can. I'm sure maa-sa and bapu-sa have no problem with it."
"No, you don't understand."
"What do you mean?" he questioned.
"Maa-sa and bapu-sa don't have a problem with it. I already asked them."
"If you asked them already then why are you asking me? Just because I'm your husband doesn't mean you need my permission to do everything. You're your own person, Paro."
"Rudra, you're not understanding what I'm trying to ask."
"Okay, then help me understand."
"I wanted to celebrate with the kids at the orphanage. I wanted us to celebrate together."
"If that's what you want, then you can go. I'm not going to stop you, Paro."
Parvati shook her head and looked at him, "You still don't understand."
"What are you talking about, woman?!"
"I want you to come and celebrate Holi with me, Rudra!"
There was a moment of silence as his eyes widened, "...What?"
Parvati looked at him hopefully, "I want to celebrate Holi...with you..."
Rudra stared at her, blinking excessively. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Paro wanted to celebrate with him. It wasn't like her to ask him for something. However, she wanted to celebrate with him, and he wasn't going to let the chance to go to waste. It was something she wanted to do, and she had the courage to ask him. He would be a fool to deny her. Coming back to reality, Rudra smiled and nodded. Parvati let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding.
"Let's do it," he said.
"Really?" she asked.
"If this is what you want and if it will make you happy, then okay."
And just like that, Parvati smiled. She looked at him with a hopeful glimmer in her eyes. She was grateful that he would celebrate Holi with her. He had done everything in his power to try and make her happy, and she wasn't blind to his attempts. But this was something she knew she wanted, and deep down she wanted to be with Rudra during Holi. It took great effort on her part to ask him, and he understood like always. Although she wouldn't admit it out loud, Parvati couldn't wait for tomorrow.
~
The following morning, Rudra and Parvati woke up bright and early. It was Holi and, as promised, Rudra was going to join her and celebrate at the orphanage. Parvati was up and dressed before him. She was wearing a white and yellow salwar kameez. Her hair was in a loose ponytail. While she was preparing breakfast in the kitchen, Rudra was getting dressed. He came down once she had finished cooking, dressed in a white T-shirt and black jeans. Before leaving, they wished Mala and Dilsher a Happy Holi'.
Rudra borrowed his father's BSD jeep. They drove to the orphanage in silence. The streets were packed as everyone was out celebrating Holi. Colored powder was being tossed in the air everywhere. Everyone was covered in various colors, dancing in the streets, getting intoxicated with bhaang. Parvati gazed on, remembering how she used to celebrate Holi. She hadn't done so after she had married Varun. This was the first time she would be celebrating Holi in three years, and she was excited.
They pulled into the orphanage and found the children at the entrance, waiting for them. Their clothes were devoid of any color. They had been informed that morning of their arrival, and it seemed that they weren't going to partake in the celebrations until Rudra and Parvati had arrived. When they got out of the car, the children quickly bombarded them. Parvati knelt down to their level, while Rudra picked up a child in each arm. They both smiled and wished all the children a Happy Holi'. Parvati's smile faded as she looked at all the kid's faces, taking into account the number of children.
"Where are Naina and Aman?" she asked.
Rehaan, who was in Rudra's arm, smiled, "They were adopted."
"What?" Parvati and Rudra said in unison.
Madhu nodded, "This really nice aunty and uncle came. They took them."
Parvati stood up and smiled. After he put the kids down, Rudra held her hand in his. Her gaze met his as he smiled and nodded. It was a bittersweet moment, they both knew that. Paro was sad that she didn't get to say goodbye, but happy that Aman and Naina were adopted. They had a chance at a new life. A good life. She quickly wiped the lone tear that left her eye before turning her attention back to the children.
Rudra looked down at the kids and said, "Well are we all just going to stand here? Come on! It's Holi!"
The children shouted and cheered. The caretakers had bought colored powder for the children and set up an area for them to play. With music playing in the background, the war began. Kids ran to the trays that held the powder and grabbed it by the handfuls. They chased each other all around the orphanage, drowning one another in arrays of yellows, blues, reds, greens, and oranges. Parvati watched and laughed as they did so. She had missed this. The children began running to her, and she began backing away. They began chasing her around the orphanage. It was as if the child within her had awoken as she ran around without a care in the world. Parvati was so focused on the kids behind her that she didn't even see that she was heading right towards Rudra.
When she finally turned and saw him it was too late; both of them collided with each other. Rudra was pushed back a little, but didn't fall. His arms were holding her shoulders, as if he was instinctively trying to prevent her from falling. Her eyes were closed, almost waiting to fall to the floor, but she didn't. She slowly opened her eyes, which were greeted by his. Rudra felt time stop as he held Paro. Her hazel eyes looked back into his like a deer caught in headlights. She had never been in such a close proximity to Rudra, and now that she was she could feel her heart beating out of her chest. She was so caught up in them that she failed to realize her hands were cupping his face. When she noticed she slowly slid her hands down, feeling the roughness of his stubble. As he felt her hands slide down his face, Rudra closed his eyes and held his breath. The gentleness with which her hands slid down his face was so innocent, yet so sensual. Reigning control over his emotions, he slowly let her go.
Parvati came back to reality as she felt Rudra move away from her. She, too, backed away as she realized their position. He was about to say something to remove the awkwardness when the unthinkable happened. Out of nowhere, Parvati burst out laughing! She was laughing out loud. He had never seen her laugh so freely before. The melodious sound reverberated around him, and all he could do was stare at her with his jaw dropped.
"Paro..." he said. "Y-You're laughing?!"
She pointed to his face and laughed, "Rudra, your face..."
He scrunched his brows in confusion. It wasn't until he touched his face that realized what had happened. He looked at the red powder on his hands, then back at Paro. Unintentionally, she had put powder on his face. He couldn't even pretend to be mad at her. Seeing her smile and laugh sent him into a state of sheer bliss. He watched her, dazed at how beautiful she looked. And here he thought she couldn't get more beautiful than she already was. But now, as she was before him, covered in Holi powder, laughing and smiling away, he stood corrected.
Parvati was so busy laughing that she didn't notice Rudra grab a handful of red powder. He reached out and smeared both of her cheeks with it. She stopped laughing and her jaw dropped. He smirked and gave her a serves-you-right' look. She glared at him and grabbed an entire tray of blue powder. Rudy's eyes widened as he realized what she was going to do. He began backing away slowly.
"Wait...wait now...let's be reasonable...Paro!," he said.
He turned around and made a run for it. Parvati laughed and ran after him. The children, who had seen what was about to happen, joined their Pari didi and chased their jeejaji, throwing powder at him like he was the enemy of the state. He had no choice but to bow down and surrender, knowing full well that he was no match for them all.
They continued to play well into the evening. It wasn't until the sun had set that Rudra and Parvati realized how late it had gotten. After bidding farewell to the children, they got into the BSD jeep and drove home. The entire time, Paro talked about how much fun she had and how she hadn't done so in three years. Rudra listened intently, enjoying the fact that she was talking. She wiped the powder from her face using her dupatta. She wiped his face too, and he let her. After awhile, her voice drowned out. He glanced in her direction and found that Paro had fallen asleep in the passenger seat, her head leaning against the window.
It was night when they had reached home. Rudra pulled up to the Ranawat home. He got out of the car, went to the passenger's side, and lifted Parvati in his arms. As he walked in, he found his father sitting in the living room, reading a book. He glanced up from his reading and smiled seeing Rudra carrying a sleeping Paro. Every inch of them, except for their faces, was covered in colored powder. Dilsher let out a chuckle. Rudra stopped and looked at his father.
"Well look who's back," Dilsher said. "It seems that you two had fun."
"We did," Rudra replied.
"Did she have fun?"
"It seemed like it."
Dilsher nodded and stood up. He walked over to his son, and stared down at his daughter-in-law. Although he never said much to her, Dilsher cared deeply for Paro. He gave her that status of a daughter in his life. He cared about her wellbeing and happiness as much as Rudra did. Dilsher wasn't the mushy type of guy, but he would be a liar if he said he didn't adore her. He observed her gentle features and contemplated his thoughts before looking at Rudra, who met his gaze questioningly.
"I'm glad you two had a good time," Dilsher said. "I never told you this, but I am so proud of you Rudra...of the man you have become."
"Bapu-sa-," Rudra began.
"Don't get me wrong you were a good boy before. But that's just it...you were a boy. You didn't care about the world around you as much. You had your life goals set, but you weren't motivated to pursue them. Now you're this different person. You've matured and set your life on the right path. You've changed for the better, and I know it's because of her."
Instinctively, Rudra shifted Paro closer to his chest.
"You've become a great man, one that cares deeply for Parvati. Not many men would have accepted her, especially after everything she has gone through. Yet, you did it so easily."
"I love her, bapu-sa," he said as he looked down at her. "It's as simple as that. She makes me want to be a better person."
Dilsher and Rudra weren't the type of men to discuss their feelings with each other. However, this woman changed everything. Both men cared for Parvati deeply, and it was clear in the way they spoke about her. Not only was Rudra able to express himself, but Dilsher couldn't be any more proud of his son than he was now. His acceptance of Paro was evidence of his good values and upbringing. The change in Rudra was visible, and he couldn't be more grateful to Parvati for bringing it about.
After wishing his father goodnight, Rudra took Parvati to their room. He gently laid her down on her side of the bed. Hovering over her, Rudra carefully moved a strand of hair from her face. He was about to move away when he suddenly felt a tug on his shirt. Rudra looked back, confused as he found Paro holding a fistful of his shirt. When he looked at her face, he was stunned speechless. She was staring back at him sadly, eyes filled with tears.
"Paro..." he breathed.
"Rudra," she said softly. "What you said to bapu-sa..."
He realized she had heard his entire conversation with Dilsher just moments ago. Rudra sat down on the edge of the bed in front of her. Parvati sat up and released his shirt, but kept her hand on his chest. She could feel his heart racing beneath her palm. She searched his eyes for answers, and as always, they bore his soul out to her. He had meant every word he had spoken to his father.
A single tear streamed down her cheek, "How can you love me so easily?"
He wiped the tear from her face and spoke in a voice that dripped with concern, "Paro?"
"In the months we have been married I have never loved you, but you...you keep showering me with it. You do all these things for me without expecting anything in return. How can do you it so easily?"
"I love you, Paro."
Another tear escaped her eye.
"It's because I'm in love with you that I can do it. Sometimes it's just that simple."
Overwhelmed, Parvati did the only thing she felt was right. In the blink of an eye, she lunged forward and hugged Rudra. He almost fell back at the sudden impact. Stunned, he remained still for a few minutes before realizing what was happening. He didn't know what to do or how to react. Slowly and cautiously, he wrapped his arms around Paro and pulled her close. She held him tighter as a soft cry escaped her lips. Rudra didn't know what to say, so he continued to hold her until she calmed down. When Parvati finally managed herself, she spoke to him softly, and what she said forever remained etched in his memory.
"Thank you, Rudra," she said in a barely audible whisper. "Not just for today, but for being in my life everyday. I don't know what I did to deserve you."
**********
...Okay...that was seriously the most adorable thing ever. I feel so awesome knowing I wrote that ahaha! Anyways, let me know what you think by leaving your comments and feedback below.
Excerpt from next update:
He answered, "Hello?"
The sounds of an ambulance and police sirens echoed on the other end of the line. There were people talking in unison, making it difficult for Rudra to make out a distinct voice.
"Hello?" he said again, a little louder.
"Hello, Rudra?" It was Mala's voice. She sounded frantic.
"Maa-sa? Why are you calling from an unknown number? Where are you? And why do I hear sirens?"
Thanks for reading!
Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
