FF: The Beautiful and the Condemned (Completed) - Page 18

Parvati didn't realize when she had fallen asleep until her eyes suddenly fluttered open. Once again, she had slept on the cold ground of the cellar, only to find warmth in the blanket wrapped around her. She sat up to find the cellar empty. The fire in the bin had died down, but the warmth remained. Her gaze fell upon the two empty cups beside her. That was when she remembered last night.

She looked up at the cellar door to find it closed. He must've left after she had fallen asleep, Parvati thought. The lights were still on in the cellar and she could no longer hear the sound of the rain and thunder. With the door closed, there was no noise coming in or going out. She realized that her captor may have done that so she would not get frightened in her sleep. He couldn't have, could he? Maybe she was over-thinking things.

A sadden expression appeared on her face as she remembered Varun's true colors being revealed to her yesterday. She was still hurt by him. She was planning on spending her life with this man. She believed that he loved her and would do anything to keep her safe. That was the main reason why she was marrying him. Parvati had never expected him to be so heartless. And here she thought that her captor was a monster, but Varun was nothing less. She had planned on making Varun a part of her family. She trusted him, had faith in him, but all of it crumbled into pieces after hearing the recording. Her last chance at freedom had walked away from the door before it even took a step in. Her hope for survival had died with that chance. It literally broke her from the inside, out.

It was in this broken state, this moment of weakness, that she confided in her captor. Parvati recalled telling him about her parents. She honestly didn't know what exactly compelled her to tell him everything, but deep inside she felt that telling him would make him understand a part of her. Truth be told, she didn't want to talk about her parents as their death was still a sensitive topic for her, but she remembered how defensive he had gotten when she spoke of his parents and thought that maybe, by telling him, it would make him realize that he's not the only one who has had a tough life. What stuck in her mind was the look he gave her. He was actually listening to her, taking in every word, every emotion that she was giving him. Her sadness, her fear...he felt it. He comforted her as the storm rolled in, and spoke to her tenderly, assuring her of her safety. He even confided his name to her. What was it again?

"Rudra," she whispered softly as she recollected it.

Just then, the door swung open, causing Parvati to jump. Rudra came down the steps quickly. From the looks of it, he seemed rather upset about something. Correction, he was angry.

He walked over to her and ordered, "Get up."

"Why?" she asked as she stood up.

Rudra didn't answer. He pulled out a key from his pocket and unlocked the cuffs. There was a loud clank as each cuff hit the hard floor. Parvati looked at him, confused as she rubbed her wrists, which were free for the first time since she had been in the cellar. There was dark marks around them because of the weight and tightness of the cuffs. Rudra pulled out a set of handcuffs from his back pocket. He turned her around roughly and cuffed her hands behind her back. He grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him. She watched as Rudra tugged her up the stairs, which led her to a small room consisting of a bed and a cupboard. She caught a glimpse of a small kitchen and the bathroom.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Where I live," he answered coldly.

Her eyes widened in shock as the realization dawned on her. She had been living right under Rudra the entire time. This was where he kept his prisoners? Did he kill them here too? Right in his own home? The mere thought was absolute horror. Parvati wanted to scream, but couldn't. Right now, he was leading her towards another door. That's when she realized he was taking her somewhere. A second location perhaps? Maybe another captor?

"Where are we going?" she asked.

He didn't answer, only continued dragging her.

"Rudra."

He stopped, but didn't turn around to look at her.

"Where are you taking me?"

"To my employer."

"Why?"

"It's his orders."

"Is he going to...is he going to kill me?"

Rudra didn't respond.

Parvati began panicking, "Hai Bholenath, your employer is going to kill me isn't he? Isn't he? Answer me, Rudra! He's going to-."

Rudra didn't want to answer questions. In one swift motion, he took a cloth wet with chloroform and placed it over Parvati's mouth. He pushed it into her face and waited for her to inhale it and slip into unconsciousness. He watched her eyes widen in shock before slowly closing. He instantly caught her as she lost consciousness. As he picked her up in his arms, Rudra looked down at the sleeping prisoner in his arms. Even in her sleep, the innocence and simplicity of her features glowed. The hint of pink in her cheeks didn't dare falter, even while she wasn't awake. Her soft-looking, pink lips were slightly parted, as if she were about speak. Her small gold, nose ring glimmered, even when there was no light reflecting off of it. Rudra never took the time to properly look at the woman in his arms, and now as he did, only one word could come to mind. Thankfully, Parvati was unconscious, because she would never let him forget what he had said if she had heard.

"Beautiful," he whispered under his breath.

All he was focusing on now was that he had to take Parvati to Tejawat. He was given the order to do so early this morning, and he had been hesitating, for the first time in his life, to take her. In the pit of his stomach, he had an uneasy feeling that something was going to happen that he wasn't going to like. But due to his unwavering loyalty to thakur-sa, Rudra had no other choice but to take the lamb into the lion's den. He carried her outside and swung her over the back of his motorcycle. The drive to Tejawat Haveli seemed too short. Rudra was lost in thought, and he wasn't sure when he had arrived at the haveli until he halted in front of the iron black gates. He got off of his bike and turned picked up Parvati.

As he walked into through the gates, Rudra could hear her murmuring. She was regaining consciousness. He wasn't surprised. He had only put enough chloroform on the cloth to keep her momentarily sedated. His mission right now was to take her to Tejawat, for reasons that were unknown to him. Rudra made his way down the corridor carrying a semi-conscious Parvati in his arms. He found Tejawat walking towards him. He wasn't looking up at him, but instead was talking to Bheema who was walking besides him. Bheema was the first to notice Rudra, and when he did he looked at thakur-sa and eyed in front of him. Tejawat looked at Rudra and smiled seeing him with the prisoner.

"I was beginning to wonder where you were," thakur-sa stated. "Follow me, and bring the girl."

Rudra nodded and followed Tejawat and Bheema as they led him to a large, empty room in the back of the haveli. Rudra had been in this room once or twice before, and it had always remained empty. He wondered what thakur-sa was planning on doing and why he was told to bring Parvati. He looked down at the woman in his arms and found her slowly trying to open her eyes. Her lips were moving as she was trying to say something. Rudra moved her closer as he leaned in to hear what she was saying, only to be surprised by what she uttered.

"Ru...Rudr...," she murmured softly as she opened her eyes. "Rudra."

He felt the pang in his chest return. He was about to say something to her when Tejawat spoke up.

"Drop her," he ordered.

Rudra looked at thakur-sa and then at Parvati. He nodded and helped her stand on her own two feet. It took her a minute to steady herself because her hands were still cuffed behind her. She swayed a little and Rudra stood next to her waiting for what was bound to come. She leaned on Rudra, who stood silently, and helped her stand straight.

"Let her fall Rudra," thakur-sa ordered.

He hesitated for a minute before stepping away and walking to Tejawat's side. Parvati fell on her knees the minute Rudra walked away. Her sight was still blurry, but as she looked up her eyes focused, only to widen at the sight before her. Rudra was standing with Tejawat and Bheema. She remembered him saying that he was going to take her to his employer before everything went black. That means...

Parvati looked at Rudra, "Thakur-sa...is your employer?!"

Tejawat smiled evilly, "Welcome Parvati. Yes, Rudra does, in fact, work for me."

Thakur-sa walked up to her and examined her. He saw that she was wearing a black kurta and pants, mostly likely Rudra's. She slowly stood up, trying to let the new information sink in. Parvati stared back and forth between Rudra and Tejawat as the pieces of the puzzle started to fit. Rudra works for thakur-sa. Varun worked for thakur-sa too. That meant that Varun stole money from thakur-sa. Tejawat was holding her captive because of this. She remembered all the good that thakur-sa had done for the village and its people and couldn't believe that he was behind all of this. It wasn't possible.

"Thakur-sa, what is this?" Parvati asked him.

He sighed, "You see Parvati, it's a sad story really. I have been running a good business. Granted it may not be as legal as many would consider, but it is a thriving business that has brought in a great deal of money. Some of this money has been used to fulfill the needs of the villagers."

"Do people know about this?"

"Only my men. Now, here's the tragic part. With all the good I have done, Varun, the man that claims to be your fiance, had the audacity to steal money from me. Up to 80 lakh! This had been going on for months. Now, in my book, it's an eye for an eye. Money is very precious to me, and for him, you, I believed were precious to him."

"You kidnapped me to use me as a motivator for him to return your money didn't you?"

Tejawat gave a small clap, "Well, you seem to catch on quickly. That's correct. I am using you as bait. But something occurred to me recently and that's why I had Rudra bring you here. Now, you being Varun's fiance, would know where he would keep all the money. Granted, he wouldn't tell you about how he had gotten it, but you would know where it is. Now, if you tell me where my money is, I will make sure you don't suffer more than you have to. Frankly, Varun does not care about your safety, so I am the only one who can save you. So, just tell me where my money is."

"I don't know," Parvati answered.

Thakur-sa frowned, "The thing is, I don't believe you."

"I don't know where the money is."

He shook his head then turned to Bheema and snapped his fingers. Parvati watched as Bheema disappeared from the room, only to return a few minute later with someone else. The horror was reflected in Parvati's eyes as the figure Bheema was holding became more apparent.

"Mami-sa," she uttered softly.

Rudra's gaze finally shot up to look at the fear written on Parvati's face, but it wasn't for herself, it was for her mami-sa. He looked towards the terrified, middle-aged woman being dragged in front of Parvati, who fell back down on her knees. He already knew what was coming. He had seen this tactic before. He wanted to stop it, but was helpless this time. Bheema forced mami-sa to sit on the ground, directly in front of her. Parvati stared at her mami-sa, both happy and worried to see her. Mami-sa felt the same as she took her Paro's disheveled state. Tejawat stood a few feet behind Parvati, watching.

"Paro you're alive!" Mami-sa said with tears in her eyes.

Thakur-sa must've told everyone I died, she thought.

"I don't like being lied to," Tejawat informed.

Bheema suddenly pulled a gun out and pointed it at mami-sa's head. Parvati was frantic now and she looked at everyone, shaking her head. Her eyes were as wide as saucers and filled with tears threatening to overflow.

"No!" Parvati yelled. "No! Please, don't! Bheema don't do this! Thakur-sa

please no! Don't hurt mami-sa!"

"Enough!" Tejawat yelled.

BANG!

Rudra flinched as he watched the bullet graze Parvati's arm, causing her to scream in pain. She couldn't even hold her arm due to the cuffs. She cried and screamed as she looked at her arm, which was now spilling blood. From his distance, Rudra could see that the bullet wasn't in her, but the graze was deep, and it must've been hurting badly. Her screams were unsettling. He remembered how Laila's screams were piercing as she suffered for days. He wanted to keep her cries to himself, because he liked hearing the unique sound of a woman in pain. But not Paro's pain. With each scream, Rudra felt his heart constricting, making it difficult for him to breathe. He wanted to make it stop, but he couldn't without his actions being questioned by thakur-sa. So he stood rooted in his spot, jaw tightened and fists clenched so tightly that they were losing their color.

"Thakur-sa please don't hurt her!" Mami-sa pleaded.

"I'll stop once I get my answers," Tejawat retorted coldly.

Bheema pointed the gun back to mami-sa's head. Parvati opened her eyes and saw the gun repositioned back at its original target.

"This is your last chance Parvati," thakur-sa stated. "Last chance. Where. Is. My money?"

Parvati looked back at Tejawat and said, "Please don't hurt my mami-sa. I don't know where your money is, thakur-sa. Bholenath ki kasam, I don't know! The only person who would know is Varun. I have no knowledge of the location of your money. Please believe me!"

Tejawat stood silently for a minute. He crossed his arms across his chest and began thinking. Parvati turned to look at her mami-sa. They were both frightened as they awaited the final verdict from their judge. Rudra watched thakur-sa smile and nod at Bheema before speaking.

"I believe you Parvati," Tejawat said.

BANG!

"MAMI-SA!"

Parvati watched the bullet lodge in mami-sa's skull. She watched as her mami-sa fall on her side. She watched as mami-sa's eyes, which were wide open staring at her, lose the color in them. She watched as the blood pooled beneath mami-sa's head, staining the white marble floor with red. She watched as the impact of the bullet in mami-sa's skull caused blood to splatter, not only on the floor, but on her as well. Parvati could feel the wetness of the blood on her face, caressing her forehead as it slid down onto her lap. Her clothes were also splashed with the red liquid, which was beginning to seep through the kurta. She let out a terrifying and mourning scream as felt the warm wetness finally touch her bare skin. Her mami-sa's blood.

Her cries reverberated through the walls, "Mami-sa! No! No! Please no! Mami-sa! Please! Mami-sa! No! Mami-sa!"

"It's a shame," Tejawat said, un-phased by what had just happened. "She saw too much. She knew too much. Your mami-sa had no other option but to die."

Parvati dropped her head and sobbed uncontrollably. The last person she had was now gone too. She was alone in this world. There was nothing for her now. No Varun. No mami-sa. No one. Nothing or no one was going to save her, and she was going to die. It didn't matter anymore. She had lost everything. Bheema now pointed the gun to Parvati's bowed head.

"You know too much as well," thakur-sa added. "It's a shame that you're going to have to die because of a weakling like Varun."

Rudra watched as Parvati's cries ceased. She didn't look up, but instead kept her head bowed. He didn't know how, but he felt like he feeling her pain. She had lost everything, and now she was giving up. She had fought so hard with him for the last few days because she had a reason to live, but now it was gone, and so was her willpower. Something in Rudra told him to convince her not to give up. He felt, deep down, that if she was shot right now, he would definitely feel the blow. He had to stop this. He didn't know why something inside him was telling him he had to, but he knew that if he didn't listen, it would haunt him for the rest of his life. But he had to think quick.

"Thakur-sa wait," Rudra spoke.

Tejawat stopped and looked up at Rudra questioningly.

"You shouldn't kill her here. Disposing of the body will be difficult. You've already killed her mami-sa and that's already going to be difficult to get rid of considering the amount of common people that are out on the streets at the moment. You wanted to kill her when Varun arrives with the money, to teach him a lesson, right?"

"If I let her go now she will escape."

"I'll continue to imprison her. When the time comes, I'll kill her and dispose of the body. That's my job, isn't it?"

Tejawat thought before he nodded in agreement, "Very well. Take her back. I'll call you to give you the order. Until then, keep her alive."

Rudra nodded and went to Parvati and pulled her up. She kept her head down and didn't fight back. He gripped her arm and began pulling her out of the haveli with him. He kept his rough exterior showing while he internally sighed in relief. He managed to keep Paro alive for a little while longer. It wasn't much, but it wasn't enough to give him time to get through to her, to convince her that she shouldn't just give up. Parvati should live, for what reason...he didn't know yet.

**********

...Are any of you still breathing after that?...

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