Part 3
She had nothing to do at home once the daily chores were over. So she dusted her already neat and clean room over and over again.
She rearranged her clothes in the cupboard and one day boldly decided to do the same for Rudra's closet. What was the worst that could happen? He would get upset and scream at her - well, that happened anyways.
Paro took out each piece of garment that was left behind in his closet and folded them neatly before putting them back. She held on to the white kurta that he wore often and got lost in her thoughts. She remembered how handsome he looked in this simple white kurta. No embellishments, no prints, no color, just a simple white kurta that made her husband look like a god. She had a very good looking husband indeed. Paro smiled shyly and placed the kurta back in the closet.
Her bold streak did not end with the closet and she decided to explore the contents of the trunk that Rudra guarded with his life. The few times that Paro even went near the trunk in his presence (to pick something up or clean the floor), he almost had a heart attack. But he was not here now, was he? So what was the harm in a little snooping around? Paro confidently walked towards Rudra's trunk but then her steps faltered. Would it be right to pry into someone's secret? What could be so important to him that he was unwilling to share it with anyone? Paro knew people only protected their most prized possessions - like her wedding ghagra, not because of the terrible memories that are now associated with it but because it is the only thing of her mother's that she still had with her. Could Rudra be keeping something of his mother in there? Possible but not probable because Paro heard Kaki-sa saying that Baapu-sa burned all of Maa-sa's things when she left. What could be in the trunk?
Curiosity took over all other emotions and Paro opened the trunk. She carefully lifted the contents since she knew Rudra would notice even a single piece of item that was out of place. As she pried her way to the bottom, her finger caught hold of something. She lifted the papers that were on top and came across a doll. Paro pulled out the doll and within seconds dropped it from her hand. Memories came flooding back to her - the bus, the boy, the tears, the anguish and then her throwing her doll to him. Could it be that the little boy from the bus was Rudra. Paro felt confused and shaken. She put the doll and the papers back in the trunk and pushed it back in its corner.
Paro had thought of that day many times throughout her life. It was her favorite doll but she never felt a pang of regret for giving it away. Deep down inside she knew he needed it more than she did. On that fateful day, she took one look at that sad little face and realized that he needed a friend, a simple gesture of kindness or a good memory to hold on to and at that moment Paro had nothing else but her doll to give to him. So, she did and as their buses drove away she looked at the boy holding her doll and starting back at her. She always wondered what happened to that little boy and now she knew. That boy has grown up to be a 'Jallad' - a name she has coined. Paro winced in sadness as she thought of all the time she called him jallad without even knowing his past story or the reason behind his behavior. Guilt was slowly eating her away while a river of love was slowly consuming her.
Was it her duty to love him now that he was her husband? She has been trying really hard not to fall in love. It seems the more she tries the more it happens. At first she thought it was sympathy for him for all his sufferings. Then she thought it was gratitude towards him for saving her life and the lives of numerous other girls who would have been prey to Thakur's plot but as days went by she realized it was something much more deeper. She was beginning to depend on him for emotional support and unknowingly and begrudgingly (it seemed) Rudra was providing just that.
Paro was utterly confused because her mind told her one thing while her heart told her just the opposite. One thing was for sure though, whether she liked it or not, Rudra was now the sole owner of all her thoughts. That said something, didn't it? Edited by asyafan6 - 11 years ago
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Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
