For Rudra Pratap Ranawat, family meant nothing.
How could it? The woman he considered his mother walked out of his life one day, without even explaining why. She never bothered to consider taking him with her. She never considered how her leaving would hurt him. She never once thought how a mother could live without her child, and how a child could live without his mother. She didn't think about anything...except herself.
His pain and suffering only worsened with his father's actions. When Mala left, Dilsher lashed out at Rudra. The idea that women, especially beautiful ones, belong to no one was a mantra in the Ranawat Haveli. The coldness that his father had given Rudra consumed him, causing him to rid Dilsher Ranawat of the right of being called a father. Rudra rid his heart of all emotions, devoid himself of all feelings, and forced himself to live without breathing. The young Rudra had died long ago, only to be replaced with the merciless BSD Major Rudra Pratap Ranawat that faced the world alone.
It was in those dark times that Rudra found the one who would be the calming voice in his roaring storms. The woman known as Parvati had initially intrigued him. However the thought that crushed all others was that beautiful woman belonged to no one. It was because of this that Rudra closed all paths his heart, so woman like Parvati wouldn't effect him. She meant nothing to him.
He brought her home as his prisoner. In an instant, Dilsher was won over. He supported the young girl who looked to him for a sign of hope, trying to prove her innocence. Rudra was not moved. Instead, he reminded Ranawat that women like her meant nothing because they would never belong to anyone. Nonetheless, Dilsher supported her. Rudra hated Parvati, especially when she challenged him. He would yell at her, grab her roughly, do everything in his power to try and break her. But then she would say one thing or ask one question, and it would leave him speechless. She was the only one who had that effect on him.
After she discovered Tejawat's truth, Rudra saw Parvati change. To her, he was no longer a jallad. He was now her protector. Then she declared her love to him. It wasn't long after that he married her in a drunken stupor, only to then become her Major saab. The marriage only deepened his hate, as his marital vows of never being hers rang in his ears. However, something changed within him. As time passed, Rudra began to seek comfort in her. He sought comfort in the way she spoke to him. Her calming voice was enough to sooth even his worst demons. Her smile was contagious. There were times when he caught a glimpse of her smiling and laughing Ranawat, and Rudra would find his lips curving into a smile. What touched him however, was the way she smiled for him. He would find her smiling at him, looking away shyly, waiting with bated breath for him to say something.
What effected Rudra the most were Parvati's eyes and the way she spoke of her love. Her eyes, her doe-like eyes, were magnetic. They were portals to her soul, which she only revealed to him. It was because of those eyes that he revealed his darkest secrets and his hidden pain to her. Instead of the rejection he expected, Parvati supported him and promised never to leave him. It was when she looked at him with those love-filled eyes and told him she loved him more than anything else in this world that Rudra Pratap Ranawat breathed for the first time in a very long time. It was then he felt his heart beat again, only for one person...his wife.
Rudra fell in love with Parvati. He may not have said it as much as she wanted, but it was enough for her when he remarried her, vowing to be hers. Rudra was still a tough BSD Major, but for her, he was Rudra. Her Rudra, and he wouldn't have it any other way. It was because of her that he was able to face of the ghosts of his past. It was because of her that he was able to begin reconciling with Ranawat. But more importantly, it was because of Parvati that Rudra was able to live again.
If he felt that there was no Rudra without Parvati, then there were no words for what he felt when his twin sons entered the world. He sat next to his wife, holding the two miracles in his hands, with her support. He looked at her to try to express what he felt, only to find her eyes reflecting his emotions. Happy. Proud. Thankful. Blessed. But most of all, love.
"Paro, main..." he said.
She smiled, "Jaanti hoon."
In that moment, sitting with his wife while their two sons gazed at them, Rudra had never felt more complete.
For Rudra Pratap Ranawat, family now meant everything.
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Anupamaa
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