FF: Unloved (Complete) - Page 58

There were times in a man's life when the situation becomes life or death. Nothing can prepare him for that moment as it strikes like the unpredictable lightning storms. When the news of Paro's attack reached him, Rudra was suffering an internal lightning storm. His grip on the steering wheel was so tight that his knuckles had practically turned white. He didn't understand why his jeep wouldn't go any faster. If only he had known he was going almost 100mph! He was driving like a madman down the streets of Delhi, drifting down corners, running red lights, and cutting off other drivers. He disregarded the shouts and angry car horns blaring at him because, to him, it all muted out. The only thing that echoed in his mind was his mother's frantic voice telling him about Paro and right now the only thing that mattered was getting to her and finding out whether or not she was okay. It was the only thing that would calm the raging storm inside of him.

His jeep came to a screeching halt in front of the orphanage. Rudra's heart was beating out of his chest as he observed the scene before him. There was an ambulance and three police cars parked on the gravel pathway. The sirens were no longer sounding, but the lights on top of the vehicles were still flashing. There was a crowd of people standing around, watching through the gates as they tried to figure out what had happened. The officers stood around in the front of the main office, talking to the caretakers, taking down statements about the incident. One officer had blocked off the main entryway, and that is where Rudra found Mala. She was arguing with a young officer, explaining to him that she needed to get inside. She must've arrived and found the scene before her, which made her call him. He made his way through the crowd to her.

"Maa-sa," he managed to say once he reached her.

Mala held onto her son, "Rudra, they won't let me pass. You need to explain to them to let me pass."

"Calm down. What happened? Tell me from the beginning."

"When I got here the police and ambulance had already arrived. The place was blocked off and they wouldn't let me pass. I asked that young officer what had happened. He said that the owner, Mrs. Ranawat, was attacked. They wouldn't give me anymore information as they hadn't concluded their investigation yet. That's when I called you. You need to get to Parvati, Rudra. I don't know what her condition is."

"Just relax and let me handle this."

Rudra left his mother's side and went to the officer that was standing by the barricade. He knew that this was the only thing separating him from his Paro. Immediately the compassionate Rudra was gone, only to be replaced with the cold BSD jallad. As he menacingly strode over, the younger officer felt his knees buckle. The penetrating gaze he was receiving made him feel as though he would be reduced to ashes. He gulped and tried not to appear frightened, but it was quite obvious that he was shaking in his uniform.

"You need to let me in," Rudra demanded.

"I have been given strict orders not to let anyone through," the young officer replied rather unconvincingly.

Rudra hovered over the young officer, "You will let me in now, and give me a full report of the events in the crime. My wife is the owner of the orphanage."

His dominating stature only further intimidated the young officer, who felt himself fighting an already lost battle. He nodded and opened the barricade to let the serious BSD officer in, knowing that he had a right to do so if his wife was involved. Rudra entered, trying to maintain his rough exterior when he was internally dying with fear. He turned and looked at the young officer, waiting for a full, detailed report of what had happened.

"What happened?" Rudra asked.

The young officer cleared his throat and in a small voice answered, "We received a call from a woman stating that they needed police intervention at this orphanage."

"Who made the call?"

"That woman," he pointed to the elderly caretaker. "Leela Gupta. She called stating that someone had been assaulted. When we arrived we found her with a younger woman, Mrs. Ranawat, and-."

"Do you have any information on the assailants who assaulted her?"

"Not yet. She hasn't spoken since our arrival."

"What do you mean?" Rudra asked worriedly.

"She just refuses to talk. We've tried to get her to, but she doesn't."

"So she was conscious when you arrived."

"Very much so."

"Where are the children?"

"They've been escorted by another officer to the other side of the orphanage, away from the scene of the crime."

"Where is my wife?"

"Sir?"

Rudra glared and spoke again, this time emphasizing each word, "Where. Is. My. Wife?"

The young officer gulped, "S-she's in the back of the ambulance being tended to. But I'm afraid I can't let you see her-."

"Just try and stop me."

Rudra left the young officer rooted in his spot, jaw dropped in shock. He quickly jogged over to the ambulance. His breath hitched as he finally caught sight of Paro. She was sitting on the back bumper of the ambulance. She was alive and breathing; that brought a sense of peace to Rudra's mind. However it quickly faded as he got closer to her and saw her injuries. There were faint purplish bruises around her wrists. The sleeve to her blouse was torn, hanging loose on her arm as it tried to hold on by a few threads. Her arms had small scratches and her fingers, which the medic was bandaging up, had small, bloodied cuts and gashes. He watched her sit in there for a few minutes, gazing at the ground blankly. The usual pink tint on her face was replaced with a white paleness. Parvati looked completely lifeless. Not wasting another second, Rudra went to her. As soon as he reached her, the medic had moved away. Parvati hadn't acknowledged his presence because she was so lost.

"Paro," he said softly.

She flinched and slowly looked up at him. Her eyes, which pooled with tears, widened as she saw her husband standing before her. He was staring at her, pain and relief written all over his face. Simultaneously, Rudra and Parvati reached out and pulled each other into an embrace. She wrapped her arms through his and held his shoulder, digging her nails into him, clutching as much of his shirt into her hands as she possibly could. He encased her in his protective hold and brought her so close to his chest that there wasn't even room for air to pass between them. He closed his eyes and dug his face in the crook of her neck, taking in the warmth of the woman he thought he had almost lost just moments ago. They stayed in that position for who knows how long. Eventually, Rudra knew he had to let her go so he could get to the bottom of this mess.

With much reluctance, he tried to pull Paro away from him, but she had no intention of letting him go just yet. As he tried to move her back she shook her head against his chest. She clung to him and dug her face more into him, muffling the soft cries that were slowly turning into loud sobs. Parvati had been so scared and now that Rudra was there she felt a protectiveness around her that made her feel comfortable. She didn't want to let go, and he sensed it. He gave up trying to end the embraced and pulled her back to him, stroking her head softly in an attempt to calm her. He didn't care how long he had to hold her. As long as she was safe, he would do so as long as he had to. He was grateful that she didn't have any serious injuries, but the wounds that she had still angered him. His blood boiled at the thought of someone hurting his Paro. He would make them pay, that was for sure.

His thoughts were interrupted by her soft voice, "Rudra."

While he was lost in thought, Rudra hadn't realized that Parvati's cries had lessened. Her grip had loosened on him. Slowly, but making sure she was still close, he pulled her face back to view her more clearly. He held her face gently in his hands and stared into the glistening hazel orbs that always managed to tug at his heart. They did so even now as she looked at him like he was her savior.

"I'm here now, Paro," he assured her. "Everything is going to be okay."

"How did you know I was-," she asked.

"Maa-sa called me. She's okay. She's outside of the orphanage. They won't let anyone come through."

Parvati didn't say anything, but her eyes questioned him, asking how he got in.

He stroked her cheek softly, "No one can keep me away from you, Paro."

She leaned into his hand.

His frowned as he spoke to her in a serious tone, "What happened?"

Parvati felt her eyes water, "They...they came because of us."

"Us?"

"They came to tell me to stay away from you. They told me I was a blemish on the Ranawat family's good name. They said I shouldn't have married you because they said you would do the same thing to me that Varun did."

"So they hurt you as a threat?"

Parvati nodded, "It was an attempt to scare me away from you...to end this marriage."

Hearing this, Rudra's blood boiled. He was about to open the gates of Hell. How dare someone have the nerve to threaten Paro, let alone hurt her? Obviously somebody has a death wish if they willing to do such a thing to his wife.

"I'm going to kill them," Rudra growled.

Parvati gasped, "No you-."

"Oh yes I can. No one, and I mean no one, hurts you and gets away with it."

She stared at her husband, speechless. Parvati understood from the beginning how much Rudra cared about her, but she never expected to the extent of killing someone. He wouldn't have reacted this insanely if somebody else was injured. Clearly, she didn't realized that she wasn't just a somebody'. Rudra looked at the fearful look on his wife's face and realized his words had frightened her. She had never seen this side of him before.

He took a deep breath, "I'm not going to kill anyone."

Her gaze softened, "I-."

"But I will make them pay for hurting you."

"Rudra-."

"Do you know the people who did this to you?"

She hesitated before nodding slowly.

"Tell me. They're not going to get away with this."

Parvati knew her attackers and she knew she would have to tell him who they were, but what she feared most was his reaction.

He paused before asking once again, "Who did this to you, Paro?"

She took a deep breath before looking in his eyes and answering, "Your cousin, Sumer, and Varun's brother, Shantanu."

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Exactly! Bet you guys didn't expect that!..Well custodian75 guessed it hahaha. Let me know what you think by leaving your comments and feedback below.

Next update: Flashback of the incident and Rudra's guilty conscience.

Thanks for reading!