Updated: Part 1 a new OS. Show your interest, show your love. I originally meant this as an OS but if there is sufficient interest will write another part to show the other side of the story.
Unforgiving darkness moved in as dusk turned into night. In the poorly illuminated Chandangargh bus stop, a lone figure sat silent and unmoving save for the occasional tremors that shook her. From the outer edges of the darkness, hyenas waited patiently, watching their prey, drooling in anticipation. Even in the dull light they could see she would be worth her weight in gold in the brothels of Jaipur or Sharadpar.. Just beyond the reach of the light, the lion lounged on a jeep, hooded eyes watching, waiting, guarding...
The Dark seemed to have the innate ability to perpetuate more darkness; he knew the spells it wove in the hearts and minds of weak souls. He knew, because he fought hard every day to stay in the circle of light. But his brand of darkness was different from the depravity that waited in the shadows.
She still sat there as the last bus for the day left. He jumped off the hood and drove the jeep to park in front of the bus stop. She still didn't move. He issued an unspoken warning to the hyenas as he took his gun out from the holster and released the safety in full view of the predatory eyes. If scum wanted to mess with innocents like his wife, it would be his pleasure to rid the earth of some of them!
He sat down next to her, her breathing hitched.
She didn't move. He placed a gentle hand on her bent head
She closed her eyes on a muffled sob and let the tears she had been holding fall free. He watched her tears helplessly before holstering his gun and picking her up to carry her to the jeep and then drove in silence, his mind roiling over the evening's events that led them here. He was an a$$ no doubt about that!
Flashback:
Dinner had been long over when he walked into their room and stood staring like a randy teenager. 23 days ago, he had married her with a promise to never be hers. He realized now how stupid he had been to think he could resist! She was so beautiful, so guileless that she got under his defenses without even trying and he blamed her for that. She was after all a beautiful woman and to him, beauty never partnered with trust.
Paro was looking for something in the cabinet muttering to herself and hadn't noticed him. Fresh from the shower her moist dewy skin glowed like a pearl against the dark cabinet. As she raised her arms to search the upper shelf, Rudra gulped hard. Her chunni was wrapped around her shoulders, he could see more than usual of her waist and even got a tantalizing glimpse of her lush breasts. "Bloody hell! She wasn't wearing a choli!"
"What the hell are you pretending to look for?" he growled startling her. His already erratic pulse quickened as he spied the blush creeping up her neck. With a proprietary gleam he allowed himself a slow, blatant scrutiny from the tips of her tiny toes to the silken locks on her head and every peak and valley in between. Her exposed skin flushed where his eyes touched as her nerveless fingers dropped the clothes she held. Desire more potent than any alcohol coursed through his blood and pooled in his groin. She was his for the taking and he wanted to take her, right there against that stupid cabinet! She was his wife after all. "Go right ahead loser!" the Devil taunted. Months of pent-up passion took the coward's way out as he lashed out with the lowest blow
"Trying to seduce your husband Paro?"
"Even Laila has more shame than you!"
He heard her outraged gasp. For almost 2 months he had pushed her limits. Taunted her, insulted her, ignored her, hated her and she had borne it all sometimes stoically, sometimes happily, sometimes with tears but never what he saw in her eyes now. Hazel eyes filled with pain, fury, rage, disappointment and loss. Rudra took one step back and then a few more giving her a wide berth. She gave him one final deprecating look before walking into the bathroom with the choli she had forgotten to take.
His conscience tormented him as he searched the haveli for her before finding her at the bus-stop.
End of Flashback.
Back in their room, Rudra stood before his shattered, hurt wife. He took a deep breath, he had to seek forgiveness for his words. To compare a wife to a prostitute that too unfavorably was an act beyond redemption. Would she forgive?
"I shouldn't have said what I said. I didn't mean it." She didn't look up.
"Paro.. I am very sorry" Livid hazel eyes met his, challenging him.
"Paro..forgive me. I insulted you.. to hide my weakness" he begged as her eyes widened in confusion, trying to understand.
Shame-faced he turned away before she could process his words, signaling the end of the conversation. "Go to sleep Paro"
Sleep eluded both for a long time. For 2 hours, Rudra gritted his teeth hearing her tossing on the floor. Sighing he walked over to peer into the darkness before picking her up and carrying her to his bed. He laid her down and by the time he walked to his side she had shrunk herself into a fetal position. It was the first time they were sharing a bed and it had to be like this! Rudra rubbed his chest absently as if trying to soothe the ache there. He reached over & gently rolled her over his outstretched arm pillowing her head. She lay there unresisting but still shaking..
" Sshh... Shanth Paro.. Shanth" a soft gravelly voice whispered over and over soothing her.
As her fingers found the Rudraksh on his wrist, he felt her relax and allowed himself to drift asleep.
Tomorrow he knew she would show him hell, for now he felt like he held heaven in his arms.
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As any writer, I appreciate comments & criticism. Hate mail laced with Anthrax will be returned to sender :-)
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