FF: The Beautiful and the Condemned (Completed) - Page 37

Paro cupped his face in her hands and said, "Come with me to Mumbai."

Rudra was speechless. He had never once expected her to say something like that.

She smiled and continued, "It's our only option. If I stay here, then Tejawat will find me and kill me. You won't do it, and surely you will face some sort of punishment for not completing his requests. The safest place for me to be is with you. Come with me to Mumbai, Rudra. We'll be safe and away from all this bloodshed. We'll forget the dark, condemned past and embrace a better future...together."

He still didn't respond, but stared at her with the upmost tenderness. He frowned as Paro dropped her soft hands from his face and took a step back. The confusion came when she extended her hand out to him.

"A chance at happiness and a new life is in front of you," she says. "Are you willing to take its hand?"

Rudra stared at her then at her extended hand. He desperately wanted to take it. He wanted to steal that happiness that he knew he would only have with Paro. He wanted a future with the one he loved. She was standing in front of him, eyes gleaming with unshed tears, waiting in anticipation for an answer. Parvati showed no signs of regret or remorse. All that mattered right now was the person in front of her at that very moment...him. He wanted to take her hand and pull her into him, promising to never let her go again.

But he couldn't. As much as he wanted to he couldn't. Rudra needed Paro safe, and she wasn't safe here with him. His life revolved around Tejawat's as he was his servant. The loyalty was already tainted by the fact that he refused to kill Parvati. Rudra was already taking a big risk by sending her away. It was possible that Tejawat could find her, but if he sent her far enough, and kept thakur-sa distracted enough, she'd be safe. As much as Rudra wanted to go with Paro, he had to stay for Tejawat. The man had saved his life eighteen years ago, and for that he has been living his days under his thakur-sa's wing. He couldn't just sever all ties with the man, not when he owed him his life.

Rudra's face hardened as he looked up at Paro and shook his head, "No, Paro."

Her hand slowly dropped along with her smile, "What?"

"I can't go with you. I have to stay here."

"Why?"

"I work for thakur-sa. I owe him my life and I will remain loyal to him until the day I die."

Parvati stood staring at him in disbelief. But then it began sinking in that Rudra wasn't going to go with her. She remembered how he had told her that Tejawat had saved his life when he was a child. Rudra still felt indebted to the man and felt that he was going to have to spend his entire life paying that debt off. He claims to be so loyal to Tejawat, but if he was he would've killed her without even batting an eyelash like he had done with Bheema. Parvati realized that she was the reason Rudra was struggling. He did love her, so much so that he couldn't kill her, and that he was taking a huge risk by not killing her and just sending her away. He was taking the risk of her finding happiness away from him, with someone else, at the expense of his happiness. Rudra was willing to let her go just so she would be safe. He loved her enough to sacrifice her. Parvati couldn't believe his love for her was so selfless.

Seeing her silent for so long made Rudra uncomfortable. So he repeated himself to make sure she understood, "I'm not going anywhere, Paro. I'm loyal to thakur-sa."

"Then why didn't you kill me yet?" she asked.

He raised his eyebrows, "Do you really have to ask me why?"

"Yes, I do."

Paro took his hand and led him down to the cellar. They stopped before the table of torturous weapons. He watched her gazing at the instruments individually, her eyes examining each piece. She looked at him before taking a knife from the table and placing it in his hand. Rudra was too shock to comprehend what she was doing until she forced him to hold the knife against her throat. She stared at him, daring him to slice her. Rudra's jaw dropped as she pushed herself against the knife. He tried pulling away but she forced his hand with the knife to stay right where it was. He knew that if she continued she would get hurt. What in the world was she doing?!

"You said you're loyal to thakur-sa," Paro said, "Prove it. Kill me."

Rudra, now furious, yanked his hand back and tossed the knife on the floor. The sound echoed throughout the empty cellar.

"Have you lost your mind!" he roared.

"You said you're loyal to thakur-sa!" she yelled back. "But how can you be when the order to kill me was given and I'm still standing here, alive!"

"I told you I can't kill you!"

"If you were truly loyal to thakur-sa you would have done it already!"

"You know I can't kill you! You know how I feel about you and you still expect me to carry out the order! I won't do it! Can you not see how helpless I am in this situation! I'm trying to please both sides and I am by sacrificing everything! As much as I want to go with you I can't!"

Their shouts were amplified by the emptiness of the cellar. Paro and Rudra stood glaring at each other, chests heaving, neither daring to back down. Their threatening eyes refused to unlock, instead they were silently battling.

"You need to leave," Rudra growled.

"Fine," she answered. "I'll leave."

She knew nothing she said at this point would get through to him. He was determined to send her away, even if he didn't want her to go. If this was the only way to get his attention, then so be it. She would go. Parvati walked passed him and began climbing the steps to exit the cellar. She stopped at the second step and glanced back at Rudra, whose back was still facing her.

"I'm leaving," she affirmed. "And I will only come back when your heart truly calls for me."

He glanced over his shoulder, silently indicating that he didn't understand what she meant.

"If you really love me, then you will understand. Your heart will before you do."

Parvati turned around and exited the cellar. Rudra stood in the cellar and listened for the sound of anklets to fade away. The slamming of the door was all the indication he needed to know that she had left his home. Rudra dropped his head down. He wanted her to go, but now that she was gone, he was empty again. Rudra leaned against the wall and slowly slid to the ground. She was really gone. She had left.

Parvati leaned against the door to Rudra's home as the dam finally broke. She covered her mouth to prevent her sobs from being heard. She was so hurt that she couldn't think straight. She didn't want to leave Rudra, but he was so stubborn and determined that he wasn't seeing that being apart was killing her. He was killing her, but he couldn't see it. Parvati stayed by Rudra's door until she finally stopped crying. She wiped her tears and stood up straight. Slowly, she backed away from his home. Parvati walked down the empty street, wandering aimlessly to a location she wasn't sure of yet. Her eyes remained downcast as Rudra's words replayed in her mind. Because if you stay I'll fall in love with you!...More than I already have...I've fallen in love with you, Paro.

If he truly did love her, he'd come for her. If his love was like hers, then he would come. It was with that assurance that Parvati continued to walk away, because she knew that no matter where she went, he would always find her.

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That's it! I know this chapter was short, but I'll make it up to you in the next one! Pakka promise! Tell me what you think by leaving your comments and feedback below!

Next update: For the first time ever, Rudra goes to the mundir to confront Paro's Bholenath.

Trust me, you don't want to miss this one.

Thanks for reading!