Here is Part 1:
This part showcases Parvati's anger in response to Rudra's mindless insult in Part 1 here . Though the tone of her anger is something one would expect from a more sophisticated, worldly person rather than sweet, nave Paro, I didn't want to lessen it. I want her to incinerate him with it, not cry like she did today. This part is almost all Parvati. Let me know what you feel.
Forgive
Paro opened her eyes to an unfamiliar yet comforting smell and found her forehead pressed into a strong hard shoulder as his head rested on hers. A sinewy arm snaked around her back to hold her firmly against his torso while the muscled thigh thrown across her legs pinned her lower body under him. For a dazed minute she reveled in the feeling of being held with so much need by the man she loved. She lay there wondering how she had gotten here and then she remembered last night. How dare!! To insult her and the very night hold her like ... like this!!
With all the indignation she could muster, Paro squirmed and pushed against the wall that engulfed her.
"Shanth Paro Shanth" Still asleep, Rudra whispered.
"Major Saab" she screamed in his ear jolting him awake. "Let me go"
"Huh ??" he released her immediately, contrition writ on his features as she walked away muttering about bullies, rakshas and jallads under her breath.
Being a Sunday, Rudra sat in his room pretending to work while really wondering how he would make it up to her for last night. He absently ran his hands through his hair when she walked in with his tea.
"Major Saab"
"Rudra" "We are married Paro, call me Rudra"
He noticed the way she set her jaw and the glint in her eyes. Careful there boy, don't annoy her more
"Major Saab, can you take me somewhere?"
"Paro, about last night... There is no reason to go away..."
For a long minute she looked him and he squirmed under her scrutiny.
"Nahi Nahi Major Saab. It's not what you think, I'm not leaving..."
'She wasn't leaving? She wasn't leaving!' He wanted to do a happy dance.
"Sure Paro where do you want to go? Is there a mela in the village?"
"Can you drop me at Laila's?"
The Major who had chosen that very moment to take a big sip of hot tea choked on it. He could neither spit it out nor swallow it and ended up burning his mouth. It was as if her Bholenath was punishing him for accusing her unfairly.
"L..l..Laila's why ?
"Because I really want to know if she has more shame than me"
There were very few instances in life that left Rudra Pratap Ranawat speechless and his wife seemed to possess the uncanny ability to cause those. Rudra just started at her blankly wondering if he had really heard what he thought he heard.
"Kya Paro? I don't think I heard you correctly."
"Nahi, you heard me! I want to talk to Laila about seducing a man and being shameless and all that. Can you take me now?"
For one lustful moment Rudra registered only her innocuous question "Can you take me now?" Hell ya Baby! Then his logical mind took over. His innocent, uninitiated wife wanted to compare notes about seduction and shame with a woman who was in the business of selling her body for a living, a woman who knew about his likes and lusts! Hell and damnation!!
He stopped her before she reached the door, his voice low and dangerous
"Parvati I don't care if I have to lock you in this room for the rest of our life. But you are not allowed to talk to Laila, especially about such ..matters. Do not disobey me on this. Clear?"
She lifted stormy hazel eyes to his. "You mean I cannot even ask her what degree of shamelessness you prefer"
He could hear the pain in her voice & see the tears in her eyes before she quickly walked away. Rudra closed his eyes and for the first time in his life wished that he could punch himself. That pain would be easier to bear than this whiplash of guilt. He took it out on the punching bag in his room until his knuckles bled.
Parvati kept out of his sight until she came into the room for something and abruptly walked out. She came back with the first aid kit and left it on his table.
"Help me" called the Major who was trained to treat gunshot wounds solo. He watched as she daubed & wrapped, teaching her how to do it correctly.
"So you won't take me to see Laila?"
"Parvati! I thought we were finished with this topic"
Parvati was disgusted with herself for sinking so low, but reckless anger spurred her and she dropped the next bomb.
"It's ok Major Saab. Before, I was married for one night remember? I will try to remember Varun's lessons!"
Before she could move, she was roughly pinned against the nearest wall. His hands tangled painfully in her hair forcing her to meet his eyes. The fear, the raw fury she saw there made her fear for her life and his sanity.
"Tell me that pi**ing bas***d didn't touch you.. Tell me!" he roared
"I will kill him if he did" Rudra ranted, quite forgetting he already had!
She stood there unflinching, the agony in her eyes mirroring his. He understood how deeply his words had cut her. Rudra tried to calm himself a bit and tried again
"Paro..look into my eyes. Did he ever touch you?"
"Never ever play that game again Paro! No! Don't interrupt. I am truly very sorry for insulting you last night. I will not repeat my mistake and neither will you mention that terrorist bas***d again. Say what you want to say now. You don't have to degrade yourself to make me feel sorry."
Vexed by his unemotional, rational apology, Paro let loose.
"Rudra Pratap Ranawat listen and listen good because I am not repeating this ever again. The next time you insult me like that Major, Bholenath se kasam you will never see me again."
Panic rose like bile in his throat. Never see her again! How would he survive?
"How dare you question my upbringing, my principles and my honor? What gave you the right? The Sindoor and mangalsutra you forced on me or the 8 phere 8 mind you, that you so disdainfully took? You are my judge and jury Major Saab? You, who has had a mistress for 8 years? "
Rudra was awestruck by the transformation brought on by her rage. Gone was his sweet docile Parvati. In her place stood a fiery Kali, hell bent on purging him.
"Yes, I love you. Oh I was foolish, to express my feelings before a crowd and I am truly sorry about that. But my love is real. I wanted your pardon but I did not force you to marry me, did I? But if all you wanted was your job back, you would have just taken me to BSD HQ for my statement or even a press conference. You married me in a drunken raging stupor because you wanted revenge on the woman who dared to disgrace you. 23 days later, you find that revenge hurts you as it does me and you are trying to find ways to hurt me?
Let me make one thing clear. To me, this marriage is real and I will fight to stay in it. I will be a virtuous, respectful wife because that is the only way I know. I will never leave you of my own accord. If one day I leave Major Saab, it will be because you by your brutal actions or insensitive words have finally driven me away. Then you can blame no one but yourself. I have faith that the man I love is a good, kind soul beneath that gruff, almost cruel exterior. The day I lose that faith in you, nothing and no one can stop me from leaving. The BSD might control your fate and future Major Saab but I will not allow them to run my life.
So you decide what you want out of your life and as a couple where we go from here. While you are at it, be a good son and figure out what or who drove your Maajisa away, because a wife and mother doesn't just leave without a reason!
With that parting shot, she rose and walked away with all the grace of a queen who had just dismissed her court. Rudra sat there for the longest time, awed at Paro and baffled at the question.
What did he really want?
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