FF: Unloved (Complete) - Page 69

Rudra grumbled under his breath as he stirred in his sleep. He slowly turned and unconsciously reached out to the other side of the bed, but frowned not feeling the warmth that was beside him earlier that night. As he opened his eyes and focused on the empty spot next to him, Rudra realized that Parvati wasn't there. In fact, as he sat up and looked around, she wasn't even in the room. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, becoming more conscious as he looked at the time. It was early morning and dawn had just broken. Where could she have gone?

He got out of bed and made his way into the hall. As he searched the house, he found no one in sight. This was odd, considering the fact that his mother was usually the first one up. He searched the kitchen, but found nothing except the fresh food cooked on the stove. He made his way to the living room. Rudra scratched the back of his head. Parvati was nowhere to be seen. As he was heading back to his room, Dilsher came out of his room, dressed in his BSD uniform. He greeted his son and noticed the curious look on his face.

"Bapu-sa, have you seen Paro?" Rudra asked.

Dilsher crossed his arms across his chest and answered, "She's with Mala. They're getting ready for tonight."

"What's tonight?"

"It's Karva Chauth. Surely, you must have heard about this."

"Is that thing where the wives keep a fast for their husbands?"

Dilsher nodded, "They were up before sunrise, eating."

"Both of them? Maa-sa and Paro? Does that mean Paro is keeping a fast too?"

"It looks like it. She was eating before sunrise with your maa-sa."

Rudra thought to himself. Parvati hadn't mentioned anything about Karva Chauth. She would be fasting all day and would only break her fast when the moon was out. He wondered why she was doing this, even though he didn't ask her to. Does she really accept him as her husband? Was she really doing this for him? The thought of her not eating or drinking anything all day bothered him. On top of that, she would be doing household chores. Rudra felt he was going to internally combust with worry.

Seeing the tense look on Rudra's face, Dilsher couldn't help himself as he began to tease his son, "She is doing this for your well-being. I hope she will be okay."

Rudra shot Dilsher a concerned look, "What do you mean? Why wouldn't she be okay?"

"Oh, I think I've said too much."

"Bapu-sa!"

Dilsher chuckled and patted his son's shoulder, "Relax beta, Parvati will be fine."

"But you just-."

"Don't worry. She's stronger than she looks."

Rudra hesitated before nodding in understanding. He worried whether or not Paro would be okay observing this fast, but Dilsher's words made him feel a little better. Parvati was much stronger than she looked, he knew that firsthand. With that in mind, he went back into his room and changed into his uniform. He knew he had to leave work early in order to get back early to break Paro's fast. However, Rudra didn't know how he was going to focus at work when he knew Paro was observing a fast for him at home. He hoped she would be okay.

~

The black night blanketed Delhi, but the moon remained unseen. The stars were just becoming visible and the moon would makes its appearance soon enough. At least, that's what Mala had told Parvati as she sat in the courtyard, staring up at the sky. Both women were sitting outside, dressed in their best red saris and jewelry, waiting for their husbands to return from duty.

Mala observed Parvati as she sat next to her. She was wearing the red sari and gold blouse that was gifted to her by some relatives after the wedding. Her hair was captured in the breeze, causing some strands to fan away from her face. She was calmly looking up at the sky, fidgeting with the prayer tray in her hand; a hint of a smile played on her lips. The glint of her studded nose ring mimicked the flickering of the stars in the sky. Mala noticed how calm and collected her daughter-in-law was during the occasion. Normally, women who were observing their first fast were anxious for the moon to come out. It was only moments later that Mala remembered that Parvati was married once before, and this may not be her first Karva Chauth.

Curious to know if she was right, Mala spoke up, "Parvati?"

Paro moved her hair from her face, causing her bangles to chime, and looked at her maa-sa, "Yes, maa-sa?"

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"You know you don't need to ask permission."

"Did you ever keep a fast for...your first husband?"

The smile on Paro's face faded as she looked down at the tray in her lap.

"I only ask because you seem so calm. Most newlywed brides who observe their first fast are anxious and practically bouncing off the walls."

Without looking up, Parvati answered, "I did keep a fast on Karva Chauth, but Varun didn't break it. He never showed up."

Mala felt bad for letting her curiosity get the better of her. Lately, Parvati had been more open and carefree, which made her believe that her past no longer was haunting her as it once did. However, it was clear that memories of Varun still had the ability to revert Paro back to her silent self. To try and mend the situation, Mala put a hand on her daughter-in-law's shoulder. Parvati's gaze met her maa-sa's tender stare.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to remind you of those bad days. Just so you know, Rudra would never to that to you," Mala said. "He loves you very much."

"You don't need to apologize," Parvati gave a faint smile. "Those memories don't bother me as badly as they used to. Truth be told, I didn't even think about that until you mentioned it. This actually feels like my first Karva Chauth."

Mala smiled proudly as she patted Paro's head. She was glad to hear that the past was mostly put behind her. Before she could change the topic, the sound of a motor engine drew her attention. A BSD jeep pulled into the driveway of the Ranawat home. As it came to a halt, Mala and Parvati stood up, recognizing the vehicle to be Dilsher's. They waited patiently for their husbands to exit the jeep and come to them.

"See," Mala said. "They're here."

Parvati nodded as she looked at the door to the jeep open. Her eyes narrowed in confusion as she only saw one person get out of the vehicle. As the figure approached, she realized it was only her father-in-law. He walked up to the women with a smile on his face, but it soon vanished seeing the confused look on Paro's face.

Before he could ask the reason behind such a look, Mala spoke, "You're home just in time. But where is Rudra?"

"Rudra?" Dilsher repeated. "His work was running a little late today as he had to work in the field, but he should be on his way home."

Mala looked from her husband to Parvati. She saw the disheartened look on bahu's face, and wanted to somehow make it better. She had just now stated that her son would not make the same mistakes that Varun did, and yet he was late on her first Karva Chauth. Parvati was keeping this fast for the first time for Rudra, for his wellbeing, and he had the nerve to be late. She was going to deal with her son when he got home. Mala prayed that Rudra would get home soon so her Paro's heart wouldn't break.

Hearing that Rudra would be late, Parvati couldn't help but feel a dull ache in her heart. A bitter feeling nagged at her, but she tried to disregard it. It's true that she hadn't told him that she had kept a fast for him, but didn't he know that she would? Wasn't Rudra aware of the importance of Karva Chauth? They were married, and he knew how devoted she was to all traditions. Was he really running late? Or did he know and just not care? She looked at her maa-sa and bapu-sa, who watched her concerned, waiting for her reaction to the new piece of information. She simply gave a small smile and sat back down. Parvati looked at the tray in her hands before returning back up to the sky, waiting for the moon.

Dilsher placed a reassuring hand on Mala as she looked Paro. She looked up at him as he spoke, "Don't worry. Rudra will come."

Mala nodded. Her husband's words were reassuring to her, and she wished that they were reassuring to Paro too. But they both knew that words weren't going to be enough. For the last shred of doubt to disappear forever from Parvati's mind, Rudra would have to come and break her fast.

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