Hi guys this was an OS that was playing my mind ever since Rudra says he wants Paaro out his life just before he eats the poisoned laddoo. Its' how he would have reacted (in my opinion) if she had in fact eaten the laddoo.
Hope you enjoy and do leave your thoughts on it. Criticisms and Compliments are always welcome to me.
Hope you enjoy and do leave your thoughts on it. Criticisms and Compliments are always welcome to me.
*****
'Here child, it is time for the aarthi.'
The Pandit offered Paaro the aarthi platter and motioned for them all to stand. Paaro looked towards the opened and still vacant doors one more time. She had been sure he would come. Angry as he was with her, she had believed that he would let the anger go enough to not disrespect the puja held in their honour. But she had been wrong, the puja was now reaching its' apex and he still wasn't here. With a heavy heart, she turned back to the alter set before her and began the circumvolutions. Closing her eyes she prayed from her heart to bring Rudra before the end of the aarthi and not let her belief be proven futile.
She had just completed the second round, when she felt a pressure on the gold plate. She opened her eyes to find his right hand gripping the thaal next to hers'. She looked up to confirm what she saw before her eyes and found his impassive face staring at the god sitting before them on the pedestal.
'You came.' She whispered, heart welling with emotion. He didn't let her belief go to waste!!
'No need to get so excited. I came here to ask for something.' He replied harshly, not bothering to look at her.
'What?' She asked, wanting to strengthen his wish by requesting that from the god before them.
'What you said.' He replied tersely, as he turned to face her. She looked at him in confusion, not following. 'You said if I really want you out of my life I should ask him to get rid of you. So here I am, to ask him to get you out of my life!' He spat coldly, but to his surprise, she smiled. 'Why are you laughing? I didn't crack joke, Paaro.' He declared.
'No you didn't. I'm smiling because I am happy.' She simply stated.
'Why?' it was his turn to be confused.
'Be it the the excuse of wanting to get rid of me that brought you here, you at least came and that's all that matters to me. That you came and allowed this puja to be completed.' She beamed, discomforting him.
'Whatever.' He murmured, uncertain of what to make of her never-ending positivity.
The aarthi came to an end, introducing the rest of the family members and the pandit to the new addition in the puja.
'Dever ji sa, you came.' Maithali stated happily.
'Bana, good you came. Parvati said you would.' Danveer commented, happy at seeing his nephew attending the puja and Parvati's confidence in him not failing. Rudra justgave a curt nod in acknowledgement of the address made to him.
'That is why the scriptures tell us to never doubt a woman's belief, and that too a wife's, for they are based on that which none can fathom. Here have the Prasad.' The Pandit congratulated Parvati for her conviction and earnest prayers.
Rudra turned to leave when Mohini's voice halted his steps. 'Good that you are here now, Rudra bana. Pandit ji isn't best if the husband himself feeds the offertory to his wife?' Mohini asked in mock innocence, a new plan in mind regarding the poisoned laddoo's she had made for Parvati.
'Maa sa...what are you doing?' Sumer hissed in her ear, who saw danger in this plan.
'Ssh. What better than to have this Uuntt [Camel] feed Dhunwa-Kumari [Smoke-goddess] the laddoo himself. That way he will writhe in guilt forever for killing her.' Mohini replied in an undertone, making her aloof son understand her plan. He smirked with her, as the Pandit now placed the Prasad in Rudra's hand before Rudra could walk away or object to it.
'Yes son, now that you are here, you should offer your bride the blessing yourself.' The Pandit encouraged. Rudra stared at the Pandit and then Paaro, not wanting to be a part of any of it.
'Yes yes, Bana, you should give Dhunwa- I mean Parvati the laddoo, yourself. It increases the love between a husband wife, or so people say.' Mohini baited Rudra.
Hearing this Rudra's anger began to rise again. He stepped forwards towards Parvati and brought the sphere ball of offering towards her, but not at all intending to feed it to her. Parvati read the anger in his eyes and followed his hand, seeing it about place the laddoo back into the platter that she still held in her hand. Not wanting to disrespect the gods or the pandit, she quickly lowered the plate and bucked her knees to take a bite of the laddoo that was still in his hand before he placed it into the aarthi-plate.
'Major sab...your habit of teasing me will never go.' Parvati joked, to cover her husband's near discrepancy from the onlookers'. Rudra growled menacingly then thrust the laddoo in her free hand as he stalked away.
'Devar sa...' Maithali called, but Rudra didn't stop to listen. 'Oho Parvati, he didn't take the aarthi or the offertory...' Maithali turned to Parvati with concern.
'Don't worry Jija I will go give it to him. Here you handout the Prasad to everyone else.' Parvati said handing her the second plate of the blessings that sat at the foot of the temple.
'Ok.'
'M-ma...waow.' Paaro stopped and held onto the door of her room for support. Everything had gone black for a moment in front of her eyes. Once steady on her feet again, she entered the room. Rudra stood with his back towards the entrance, hands bowled as he tried to cap his anger.
'M-major saab, you didn't take the aarthi or Prasad. Here.' She advanced into the room, her voice slurring a little.
'I don't want it Paaro. Just leave.' He barked, not turning as he didn't trust himself to not hurt her in his anger.
'I...ok.' Paaro began but thought against it, she could see from his stance that he was seething. 'I will leave the plate here, when you simmer down, you can take it.' She walked towards the table, but her visioned blurred once more and this time it didn't clear. What was happening? 'M...ma...ma' She tried to call out to Rudra but her mouth was filled with excessive saliva. No not saliva, but rather a very bitter tasting liquid substance that was slurring her speech. 'Mmm...mmaaajj...' She tried again but only gurgling sounds escaped her lips. Her head began to spin and before she knew it her body was covered in cold sweats. The aarthi-thaal in her hand slipped and fell with a loud clang on the floor followed by herself.
'Paaro wha-?! PAARO!!!' He had turned to give her an earful for not listening to him and making childish noises behind when he found her sprawled on the floor. Body in convulsions and mouth foaming. Oh god she was poisoned! 'PAARO!! Paaro look at me. LOOK AT ME!!' He kneeled next to her as he raised her head on his lap and gripped the back of her throat tightly to stop the poison from spreading.
'Paaro, look at me. Open your eyes. Come on Paaro.' Her eyes fluttered open for a moment, taking him in.
'Mmm...mmm.' She tried to call out to him again, but couldn't as only white foamed spewed from her mouth. Her eyes held sheer panic in them, panic that was reflected in his eyes and then they closed just as her body stopped shaking. He stared for a moment and then, "NO!! NO! PAARO!! STAY WITH ME!! KAAKU-SA!! KAAKU-SA GET THE JEEP OUT!!' He bellowed from his room as he scooped up Parvati's limp body with his right hand, not moving his left from her throat.
'Bana-'
'Dever ji sa- Paaro!!' Maithali, Danveer and Samrat got to his door just as Rudra did.
'Kaaku-sa jeep. We need to get her to the hospital.' Rudra re-iterated. Danveer motioned to his elder son to get the jeep out as Rudra brought Parvati to the main door.
The ten minute ride seemed to take longer as Rudra kept trying to revive Parvati, while Maithali rubbed her hands and wailed her name, along with god's simultaneously. As soon as the jeep came to a halt outside the emergency room, Rudra kicked the door open and carried Parvati out. The trauma team, with Aman came running to their help (Rudra had made Danveer call Aman from the car to get the team ready and aware of Parvati's condition). The ward boys reeled Parvati's paling body into the trauma room and closed the door leaving Rudra and the rest on the other side of it. Rudra tried to peer through the glass window, but they closed the blinds leaving him alone with the echo of his last words to her in his mind.
You said if I really want you out of my life I should ask him to get rid of you. So here I am, to ask him to get you out of my life!
Oh gawd!! What had he wished for?!! He had never wanted this to happen! He didn't wish for her to die. But he had wished her out of his life, had prayed for it in fact and so was now god was answering that angry prayer of his in this manner? By taking her life?! No. no. no. He couldn't do this! He never listened to him so why out all of the things he had ever begged for had he chosen to listen and give this? Paaro didn't deserve this. She was an innocent girl. Full of life and positivity. She didn't deserve a monster like him or to have her life ripped away from her like this due to his one unchecked and ill-disposed wish.
He succumbed to the bench on the opposite side of the emergency room in which the doctors were now operating on Parvati. His head drooped into his hands as the tears, he didn't know he was capable of began wetting his palms.
'Sir. Bhabi is a fighter. She will make it. I just know it.' Aman squeezed Rudra's shoulder, consoling him. Rudra looked up, but couldn't voice anything, he didn't need to, Aman read his fear in his eyes. 'She will make it. She has made it through so much already, she will make it through this too.' Rudra nodded in acknowledgement. That was true, she was a fighter. The strongest person he knew. She had to be, for she had him in her life, if she could manage a venomous being like him then she would be able to conquer the poison spreading in her body too. She would just have too. She couldn't leave him like this...hadn't she been the one who had said that she wouldn't leave him, for no wife should or would leave her husband, then how could she leave him today?!!
'Come on Paaro. Fight it. Survive.' He uttered in a desperate whisper towards the door, behind which she lay.
Half and hour later, the doors opened and an unconscious Parvati was reeled out. 'How is she? Where are you taking her?' Rudra was at her side in an instant, following the doctor and two nurses.
'Just wait here. I will tell you all in a moment.' The doctor stopped Rudra from entering the room inside which the nurses had taken Parvati and closed the door in his face. What was going on?!! Was she ok?
As promised moments later the doctor appeared at the door again. 'Doctor...what is it? Is she ok?' Rudra harassed him.
'Yes Major Ranawat. She is ok.' The doctor side-stepped Rudra to give himself some room. 'We have pumped the poison out of her body. She had an abundance of raw iron in her system, which is unusual. Did she try to take her life?'
'No. She would never do that.' Rudra and Maithali both shouted out, horrified by the insinuation.
'Then she must have ingested it without knowing.' The doctor contemplated aloud.
'Or someone gave it to her, without her knowledge.' Rudra's countenance turned murderous. 'Can you tell how it got into her body?' Rudra turned to the doctor, investigative wheels already beginning to turn in his head.
'No. All I can tell you is the contents we found in her stomach.' The doctor stated.
'Proceed.' Rudra ordered to know what his findings were.
'There were trace amounts of wheat and curd. Probably from her breakfast.'
'Yes she had a paratha and some yogurt in breakfast this morning.' Maithali confirmed.
'Other than that there was besan [gram flour] and iron fillings, which seeped into her bloodstream poisoning her.'
'Besan and iron filings?' Rudra spoke aloud.
'The laddoo's they were made of besan.' Maithali related.
'Aman, get a sample of that laddoo to the lab and test it for poison. Paaro fell ill just after she ate the laddoo. You should find the platter still in our room where Paaro dropped it.' Rudra instructed.
'Yes sir.' Aman agreed and left instantly.
'Doctor, but Parvati is going to be ok yes?' Maithali now approached the doctor.
'Oh yes. We have shifted her in this private suite for observation. As long as she wakes up before sunrise tomorrow, she will be fine. If not then it will be a matter of concern. We have also placed a glucose drip on her, as her stomach has been completely drained and so her body requires glucose.' The doctor explained.
'Can we see her?' Maithali asked.
'Yes. But do not disturb her. She needs to rest. Oh and one of you can stay the night with her.' The doctor informed and then left.
'Ok. I wi-' Maithali began, to which Danveer and Samrat nodded in agreement, when,
'I will stay with her.' Rudra interrupted. 'What?' He asked, as they all stared at him. 'She's my wife.' He staked his claim.
'So she is, Bana.' Danveer smiled, as he patted his nephew's shoulder and nodded the rest to follow them into the room. The boy was changing. Parvati was changing him. Today he had finally acknowledged her as his wife, he didn't think it would be long before he finally understood her innocent beauty and reciprocated her love. At least one good thing had come out of this unfortunate accident that had befallen Parvati.
Once everyone left Rudra drew his chair closer to the side of Parvati's bed, took her cool hand into his hands, gripping on them for dear life.
'Paaro...are you listening? Please wake up. Please be ok.' He prayed aloud, watching her closely for any sign of consciousness that would tell him she was reviving and would be ok. But she did not stir. His heart sunk a little, but he didn't lose hope, he wasn't going to give up and he wouldn't let her give up either. 'I'm sorry for all that I said. For getting angry at you. You were only trying to help. I'm sorry, I don't want you out of my life. I don't. I'm sorry, so sorry for ever saying that.' He truly was.
He wasn't sure of what he wanted or what existed between them, but this much he was sure of now that he didn't want her out of his life. He didn't know when or how it happened but she had become an integral part of his life, that now even the thought of her not being in it scared him to the very core. 'Don't leave me Paaro. Please don't.' He whispered next to her.
The whole night he spent sitting on the stool next to the bed, her hand in both of his, as he rested his forehead against it, praying intensely for her to wake. She finally did, at the first sign of dawn. An incoherent whisper escaped her swollen lips. 'Rudrmmm.'
His head jerked up at the sound. Other than him she was the only one in the room and as he had not said anything in while, he knew it must have been her, but when he stared at her beautiful face, he saw no sign of life in it. It was as impassive as it had been the whole night. Had he dreamt it? Had exhaustion taken over his mind, causing him to doze off, while waiting for her?
He was pondering over this when he heard it again and this time saw her mouth twitch and eyes flinch too. He wasn't imagining it. She was coming round. 'Paaro? Paaro? I'm here. I'm right here, wake up please. Please...' He pleaded with her, but she had gone still again. Keeping her left hand still locked in his left, he raised his right to her cheeks, which he grazed softly with the back of his fingers. 'Paaro.' He said her name in a hoarse whisper. She stirred. This time not only did her eyes and lips react, but her whole body twitched. The pressure on his hand increased as her, up till now limp hand, suddenly grasped it and her face began to colour. Slowly her eyes fluttered and then opened. As she turned to the sound of his voice, her face fit perfectly into his open right palm that lay next to it on her pillow.
Working hard to focus on his face, she sputtered out, 'Mmaajorr saaab?' in uncertainty, as she still couldn't quite make out whether it was him or someone else. It sure felt and sounded like him, but then she also was aware of the fact how he wanted nothing to do with her and so it didn't make sense that he would be next to her.
'Yes Paaro.' He replied.
She closed and opened her eyes again, to really focus. It was him. But why? Why was he sitting at the break of dawn next to her? And why was she on a bed? Her head span with the questions in her mind and she closed her eyes. When she opened them again she found a stranger's face staring at her intently. Had she imagined him?
'Mmmajor saab?' She coughed out in panic. Not understanding where she was or where the only visage that made her feel safe had disappeared to.
'I'm right here Paaro.' She felt his hand take hers again and looked up to find him standing right there next to the stranger in this strange room. Where was she?
'Where am I?' She asked him, gripping his hand tightly, afraid if she let go he would disappear again.
'You're in the hospital Parvati. You were poisoned yesterday afternoon. Do you recall?' The stranger answered her question. She looked from him to Rudra, his nod confirmed what the stranger had said.
'Poisoned?' She asked in a faint voice.
'Yes. Can you remember anything about yesterday?' He asked.
'I...uh...' she tried to recollect.
'Its' ok to feel a little disorientated, you're body has been through quite a bit over the last twenty-four hours. So it is natural for you to take some time to remember.' He explained kindly.
She nodded.
'Can you tell me how you are feeling now?'
'I...um...thirsty.' She said after a moment of thinking. Her lips were really parched.
'Yes, of course. Nurse.' He motioned to someone on her right. She turned to see a nurse standing there, who now was pouring out some water for her. She handed it to her and she took it with trembling hands. The nurse moved forward to steady her hand, but before she could Rudra's hand encircled around hers' and helped her take a swig from the glass. Parvati stared at him, shocked at his caring behavior. He had wanted her out his life, the day before, had been so mad at her for pleading his case in front his senior and now was taking care of her?
'Parvati, now can you tell me, how do you feel? Do you have any stinging or burning sensations anywhere on your body?' The doctor asked. (Parvati finally managed to decipher who he was.)
'Umm...no. Just a little soarness in my throat.' She replied.
'Yes you will feel that, I'm afraid. We had to pour a chemical down your throat to empty out the contents of your stomach and stop the poison before it caused any serious harm.' He explained.
'Hmm...I remember now.' She said as an after-thought. 'After the puja, I felt very dizzy and then my vision got blurred and my mouth very wet and then...then I don't remember.'
'Because you lost consciousness after that.' Rudra related.
'Oh.' She looked up at him. Still trying to understand why he was here, not that she wasn't grateful, for she would have wanted no one but him to be here, but she would have never thought he would stay for her.
'Ok. Well your vitals look much better.' The Doctor said checking her over. 'I think there should be no problem in discharging you later today.' He smiled at her and then left the room, leaving it to Parvati and Rudra once more. Rudra sat down awkwardly, not meeting her eyes, while she kept on staring at him.
'Major sa-' She began after a while, seeing him not breaking the silence, but just then the nurse came back in carrying a plate of apples, a glass of milk and her medicines.
'Eat the apples and then have the medicines with milk.' She instructed.
'I-' Parvati began.
'Paaro can't drink milk, it makes her sick.' Rudra stated before she could, causing her to look at him once more, while he kept his gaze firmly on the nurse.
'Oh...well then have the medicine with water, but eat the apples. You need some solid food in you.' Parvati raised her hands to take the plate, but they were still shaking as her body was weak. Rudra took it from the nurse and began feeding her, a little too abrasively, causing her to cough on her second piece.
'Paaro.' He instantly got up and was by her side, patting her back. 'You ok?' He asked after she stopped coughing. She nodded. 'Who told you to eat so fast, you were bound to choke.' He scolded.
'You were the one who was stuffing the pieces in my mouth Major sab, so I had to chew fast.' She defended. He coloured at realizing she was right.
'I...um well eat slowly now.' He said getting up to sit across from her again, but she stopped him.
'Major sab.' She held his hand and looked at him intently, making him face her.
'Yes.'
'Why are you here?'
'Because you were kept overnight for observation.' He replied.
'Yes, but why did you stay?'
'One person was allowed to stay with you.'
'So why did you stay and not Jija, or someone else?' She asked the question directly now, seeing him evade the previous ones.
'Because...'
'Because?'
'Because you are my wife.' He stated after deliberating a little.
'I'm your wife?' She asked astounded at him admitting it.
'Well yes, you needn't look so shocked about the fact, you were present at my make-shift alter when I married you.' He exclaimed.
'Yes. But today is the first time you admitted it.' She grinned, bringing her natural colour wholly back into her cheeks, lightening his heart.
'Yes...well...eat your apples, now that you are done picking my brain.' He said thrusting the plate onto her lap. She smiled, as he shifted away from her, uncomfortable at the slip of emotion. Try as he may to act all manly, stone-like and uncaring, he was still a child at heart; a child who, when afraid let out what was truly in his heart: just the way she would never leave her Aunt's bedside when she was ill, he didn't leave hers', afraid that he may lose her if he stepped away even for a moment.
You care Major sab. You care very much and that is why I love you. You hide it, you fight it, because you are afraid to show it, but when it truly matters you are always there, holding my hand, watching over me, protecting me. She beamed at him, as she ate the rest of the apples, watching him watch her out the corner of his eyes, acting like he wasn't interested but keeping all of his attention on her in case she required his help.
The Pandit offered Paaro the aarthi platter and motioned for them all to stand. Paaro looked towards the opened and still vacant doors one more time. She had been sure he would come. Angry as he was with her, she had believed that he would let the anger go enough to not disrespect the puja held in their honour. But she had been wrong, the puja was now reaching its' apex and he still wasn't here. With a heavy heart, she turned back to the alter set before her and began the circumvolutions. Closing her eyes she prayed from her heart to bring Rudra before the end of the aarthi and not let her belief be proven futile.
She had just completed the second round, when she felt a pressure on the gold plate. She opened her eyes to find his right hand gripping the thaal next to hers'. She looked up to confirm what she saw before her eyes and found his impassive face staring at the god sitting before them on the pedestal.
'You came.' She whispered, heart welling with emotion. He didn't let her belief go to waste!!
'No need to get so excited. I came here to ask for something.' He replied harshly, not bothering to look at her.
'What?' She asked, wanting to strengthen his wish by requesting that from the god before them.
'What you said.' He replied tersely, as he turned to face her. She looked at him in confusion, not following. 'You said if I really want you out of my life I should ask him to get rid of you. So here I am, to ask him to get you out of my life!' He spat coldly, but to his surprise, she smiled. 'Why are you laughing? I didn't crack joke, Paaro.' He declared.
'No you didn't. I'm smiling because I am happy.' She simply stated.
'Why?' it was his turn to be confused.
'Be it the the excuse of wanting to get rid of me that brought you here, you at least came and that's all that matters to me. That you came and allowed this puja to be completed.' She beamed, discomforting him.
'Whatever.' He murmured, uncertain of what to make of her never-ending positivity.
The aarthi came to an end, introducing the rest of the family members and the pandit to the new addition in the puja.
'Dever ji sa, you came.' Maithali stated happily.
'Bana, good you came. Parvati said you would.' Danveer commented, happy at seeing his nephew attending the puja and Parvati's confidence in him not failing. Rudra justgave a curt nod in acknowledgement of the address made to him.
'That is why the scriptures tell us to never doubt a woman's belief, and that too a wife's, for they are based on that which none can fathom. Here have the Prasad.' The Pandit congratulated Parvati for her conviction and earnest prayers.
Rudra turned to leave when Mohini's voice halted his steps. 'Good that you are here now, Rudra bana. Pandit ji isn't best if the husband himself feeds the offertory to his wife?' Mohini asked in mock innocence, a new plan in mind regarding the poisoned laddoo's she had made for Parvati.
'Maa sa...what are you doing?' Sumer hissed in her ear, who saw danger in this plan.
'Ssh. What better than to have this Uuntt [Camel] feed Dhunwa-Kumari [Smoke-goddess] the laddoo himself. That way he will writhe in guilt forever for killing her.' Mohini replied in an undertone, making her aloof son understand her plan. He smirked with her, as the Pandit now placed the Prasad in Rudra's hand before Rudra could walk away or object to it.
'Yes son, now that you are here, you should offer your bride the blessing yourself.' The Pandit encouraged. Rudra stared at the Pandit and then Paaro, not wanting to be a part of any of it.
'Yes yes, Bana, you should give Dhunwa- I mean Parvati the laddoo, yourself. It increases the love between a husband wife, or so people say.' Mohini baited Rudra.
Hearing this Rudra's anger began to rise again. He stepped forwards towards Parvati and brought the sphere ball of offering towards her, but not at all intending to feed it to her. Parvati read the anger in his eyes and followed his hand, seeing it about place the laddoo back into the platter that she still held in her hand. Not wanting to disrespect the gods or the pandit, she quickly lowered the plate and bucked her knees to take a bite of the laddoo that was still in his hand before he placed it into the aarthi-plate.
'Major sab...your habit of teasing me will never go.' Parvati joked, to cover her husband's near discrepancy from the onlookers'. Rudra growled menacingly then thrust the laddoo in her free hand as he stalked away.
'Devar sa...' Maithali called, but Rudra didn't stop to listen. 'Oho Parvati, he didn't take the aarthi or the offertory...' Maithali turned to Parvati with concern.
'Don't worry Jija I will go give it to him. Here you handout the Prasad to everyone else.' Parvati said handing her the second plate of the blessings that sat at the foot of the temple.
'Ok.'
'M-ma...waow.' Paaro stopped and held onto the door of her room for support. Everything had gone black for a moment in front of her eyes. Once steady on her feet again, she entered the room. Rudra stood with his back towards the entrance, hands bowled as he tried to cap his anger.
'M-major saab, you didn't take the aarthi or Prasad. Here.' She advanced into the room, her voice slurring a little.
'I don't want it Paaro. Just leave.' He barked, not turning as he didn't trust himself to not hurt her in his anger.
'I...ok.' Paaro began but thought against it, she could see from his stance that he was seething. 'I will leave the plate here, when you simmer down, you can take it.' She walked towards the table, but her visioned blurred once more and this time it didn't clear. What was happening? 'M...ma...ma' She tried to call out to Rudra but her mouth was filled with excessive saliva. No not saliva, but rather a very bitter tasting liquid substance that was slurring her speech. 'Mmm...mmaaajj...' She tried again but only gurgling sounds escaped her lips. Her head began to spin and before she knew it her body was covered in cold sweats. The aarthi-thaal in her hand slipped and fell with a loud clang on the floor followed by herself.
'Paaro wha-?! PAARO!!!' He had turned to give her an earful for not listening to him and making childish noises behind when he found her sprawled on the floor. Body in convulsions and mouth foaming. Oh god she was poisoned! 'PAARO!! Paaro look at me. LOOK AT ME!!' He kneeled next to her as he raised her head on his lap and gripped the back of her throat tightly to stop the poison from spreading.
'Paaro, look at me. Open your eyes. Come on Paaro.' Her eyes fluttered open for a moment, taking him in.
'Mmm...mmm.' She tried to call out to him again, but couldn't as only white foamed spewed from her mouth. Her eyes held sheer panic in them, panic that was reflected in his eyes and then they closed just as her body stopped shaking. He stared for a moment and then, "NO!! NO! PAARO!! STAY WITH ME!! KAAKU-SA!! KAAKU-SA GET THE JEEP OUT!!' He bellowed from his room as he scooped up Parvati's limp body with his right hand, not moving his left from her throat.
'Bana-'
'Dever ji sa- Paaro!!' Maithali, Danveer and Samrat got to his door just as Rudra did.
'Kaaku-sa jeep. We need to get her to the hospital.' Rudra re-iterated. Danveer motioned to his elder son to get the jeep out as Rudra brought Parvati to the main door.
The ten minute ride seemed to take longer as Rudra kept trying to revive Parvati, while Maithali rubbed her hands and wailed her name, along with god's simultaneously. As soon as the jeep came to a halt outside the emergency room, Rudra kicked the door open and carried Parvati out. The trauma team, with Aman came running to their help (Rudra had made Danveer call Aman from the car to get the team ready and aware of Parvati's condition). The ward boys reeled Parvati's paling body into the trauma room and closed the door leaving Rudra and the rest on the other side of it. Rudra tried to peer through the glass window, but they closed the blinds leaving him alone with the echo of his last words to her in his mind.
You said if I really want you out of my life I should ask him to get rid of you. So here I am, to ask him to get you out of my life!
Oh gawd!! What had he wished for?!! He had never wanted this to happen! He didn't wish for her to die. But he had wished her out of his life, had prayed for it in fact and so was now god was answering that angry prayer of his in this manner? By taking her life?! No. no. no. He couldn't do this! He never listened to him so why out all of the things he had ever begged for had he chosen to listen and give this? Paaro didn't deserve this. She was an innocent girl. Full of life and positivity. She didn't deserve a monster like him or to have her life ripped away from her like this due to his one unchecked and ill-disposed wish.
He succumbed to the bench on the opposite side of the emergency room in which the doctors were now operating on Parvati. His head drooped into his hands as the tears, he didn't know he was capable of began wetting his palms.
'Sir. Bhabi is a fighter. She will make it. I just know it.' Aman squeezed Rudra's shoulder, consoling him. Rudra looked up, but couldn't voice anything, he didn't need to, Aman read his fear in his eyes. 'She will make it. She has made it through so much already, she will make it through this too.' Rudra nodded in acknowledgement. That was true, she was a fighter. The strongest person he knew. She had to be, for she had him in her life, if she could manage a venomous being like him then she would be able to conquer the poison spreading in her body too. She would just have too. She couldn't leave him like this...hadn't she been the one who had said that she wouldn't leave him, for no wife should or would leave her husband, then how could she leave him today?!!
'Come on Paaro. Fight it. Survive.' He uttered in a desperate whisper towards the door, behind which she lay.
Half and hour later, the doors opened and an unconscious Parvati was reeled out. 'How is she? Where are you taking her?' Rudra was at her side in an instant, following the doctor and two nurses.
'Just wait here. I will tell you all in a moment.' The doctor stopped Rudra from entering the room inside which the nurses had taken Parvati and closed the door in his face. What was going on?!! Was she ok?
As promised moments later the doctor appeared at the door again. 'Doctor...what is it? Is she ok?' Rudra harassed him.
'Yes Major Ranawat. She is ok.' The doctor side-stepped Rudra to give himself some room. 'We have pumped the poison out of her body. She had an abundance of raw iron in her system, which is unusual. Did she try to take her life?'
'No. She would never do that.' Rudra and Maithali both shouted out, horrified by the insinuation.
'Then she must have ingested it without knowing.' The doctor contemplated aloud.
'Or someone gave it to her, without her knowledge.' Rudra's countenance turned murderous. 'Can you tell how it got into her body?' Rudra turned to the doctor, investigative wheels already beginning to turn in his head.
'No. All I can tell you is the contents we found in her stomach.' The doctor stated.
'Proceed.' Rudra ordered to know what his findings were.
'There were trace amounts of wheat and curd. Probably from her breakfast.'
'Yes she had a paratha and some yogurt in breakfast this morning.' Maithali confirmed.
'Other than that there was besan [gram flour] and iron fillings, which seeped into her bloodstream poisoning her.'
'Besan and iron filings?' Rudra spoke aloud.
'The laddoo's they were made of besan.' Maithali related.
'Aman, get a sample of that laddoo to the lab and test it for poison. Paaro fell ill just after she ate the laddoo. You should find the platter still in our room where Paaro dropped it.' Rudra instructed.
'Yes sir.' Aman agreed and left instantly.
'Doctor, but Parvati is going to be ok yes?' Maithali now approached the doctor.
'Oh yes. We have shifted her in this private suite for observation. As long as she wakes up before sunrise tomorrow, she will be fine. If not then it will be a matter of concern. We have also placed a glucose drip on her, as her stomach has been completely drained and so her body requires glucose.' The doctor explained.
'Can we see her?' Maithali asked.
'Yes. But do not disturb her. She needs to rest. Oh and one of you can stay the night with her.' The doctor informed and then left.
'Ok. I wi-' Maithali began, to which Danveer and Samrat nodded in agreement, when,
'I will stay with her.' Rudra interrupted. 'What?' He asked, as they all stared at him. 'She's my wife.' He staked his claim.
'So she is, Bana.' Danveer smiled, as he patted his nephew's shoulder and nodded the rest to follow them into the room. The boy was changing. Parvati was changing him. Today he had finally acknowledged her as his wife, he didn't think it would be long before he finally understood her innocent beauty and reciprocated her love. At least one good thing had come out of this unfortunate accident that had befallen Parvati.
Once everyone left Rudra drew his chair closer to the side of Parvati's bed, took her cool hand into his hands, gripping on them for dear life.
'Paaro...are you listening? Please wake up. Please be ok.' He prayed aloud, watching her closely for any sign of consciousness that would tell him she was reviving and would be ok. But she did not stir. His heart sunk a little, but he didn't lose hope, he wasn't going to give up and he wouldn't let her give up either. 'I'm sorry for all that I said. For getting angry at you. You were only trying to help. I'm sorry, I don't want you out of my life. I don't. I'm sorry, so sorry for ever saying that.' He truly was.
He wasn't sure of what he wanted or what existed between them, but this much he was sure of now that he didn't want her out of his life. He didn't know when or how it happened but she had become an integral part of his life, that now even the thought of her not being in it scared him to the very core. 'Don't leave me Paaro. Please don't.' He whispered next to her.
The whole night he spent sitting on the stool next to the bed, her hand in both of his, as he rested his forehead against it, praying intensely for her to wake. She finally did, at the first sign of dawn. An incoherent whisper escaped her swollen lips. 'Rudrmmm.'
His head jerked up at the sound. Other than him she was the only one in the room and as he had not said anything in while, he knew it must have been her, but when he stared at her beautiful face, he saw no sign of life in it. It was as impassive as it had been the whole night. Had he dreamt it? Had exhaustion taken over his mind, causing him to doze off, while waiting for her?
He was pondering over this when he heard it again and this time saw her mouth twitch and eyes flinch too. He wasn't imagining it. She was coming round. 'Paaro? Paaro? I'm here. I'm right here, wake up please. Please...' He pleaded with her, but she had gone still again. Keeping her left hand still locked in his left, he raised his right to her cheeks, which he grazed softly with the back of his fingers. 'Paaro.' He said her name in a hoarse whisper. She stirred. This time not only did her eyes and lips react, but her whole body twitched. The pressure on his hand increased as her, up till now limp hand, suddenly grasped it and her face began to colour. Slowly her eyes fluttered and then opened. As she turned to the sound of his voice, her face fit perfectly into his open right palm that lay next to it on her pillow.
Working hard to focus on his face, she sputtered out, 'Mmaajorr saaab?' in uncertainty, as she still couldn't quite make out whether it was him or someone else. It sure felt and sounded like him, but then she also was aware of the fact how he wanted nothing to do with her and so it didn't make sense that he would be next to her.
'Yes Paaro.' He replied.
She closed and opened her eyes again, to really focus. It was him. But why? Why was he sitting at the break of dawn next to her? And why was she on a bed? Her head span with the questions in her mind and she closed her eyes. When she opened them again she found a stranger's face staring at her intently. Had she imagined him?
'Mmmajor saab?' She coughed out in panic. Not understanding where she was or where the only visage that made her feel safe had disappeared to.
'I'm right here Paaro.' She felt his hand take hers again and looked up to find him standing right there next to the stranger in this strange room. Where was she?
'Where am I?' She asked him, gripping his hand tightly, afraid if she let go he would disappear again.
'You're in the hospital Parvati. You were poisoned yesterday afternoon. Do you recall?' The stranger answered her question. She looked from him to Rudra, his nod confirmed what the stranger had said.
'Poisoned?' She asked in a faint voice.
'Yes. Can you remember anything about yesterday?' He asked.
'I...uh...' she tried to recollect.
'Its' ok to feel a little disorientated, you're body has been through quite a bit over the last twenty-four hours. So it is natural for you to take some time to remember.' He explained kindly.
She nodded.
'Can you tell me how you are feeling now?'
'I...um...thirsty.' She said after a moment of thinking. Her lips were really parched.
'Yes, of course. Nurse.' He motioned to someone on her right. She turned to see a nurse standing there, who now was pouring out some water for her. She handed it to her and she took it with trembling hands. The nurse moved forward to steady her hand, but before she could Rudra's hand encircled around hers' and helped her take a swig from the glass. Parvati stared at him, shocked at his caring behavior. He had wanted her out his life, the day before, had been so mad at her for pleading his case in front his senior and now was taking care of her?
'Parvati, now can you tell me, how do you feel? Do you have any stinging or burning sensations anywhere on your body?' The doctor asked. (Parvati finally managed to decipher who he was.)
'Umm...no. Just a little soarness in my throat.' She replied.
'Yes you will feel that, I'm afraid. We had to pour a chemical down your throat to empty out the contents of your stomach and stop the poison before it caused any serious harm.' He explained.
'Hmm...I remember now.' She said as an after-thought. 'After the puja, I felt very dizzy and then my vision got blurred and my mouth very wet and then...then I don't remember.'
'Because you lost consciousness after that.' Rudra related.
'Oh.' She looked up at him. Still trying to understand why he was here, not that she wasn't grateful, for she would have wanted no one but him to be here, but she would have never thought he would stay for her.
'Ok. Well your vitals look much better.' The Doctor said checking her over. 'I think there should be no problem in discharging you later today.' He smiled at her and then left the room, leaving it to Parvati and Rudra once more. Rudra sat down awkwardly, not meeting her eyes, while she kept on staring at him.
'Major sa-' She began after a while, seeing him not breaking the silence, but just then the nurse came back in carrying a plate of apples, a glass of milk and her medicines.
'Eat the apples and then have the medicines with milk.' She instructed.
'I-' Parvati began.
'Paaro can't drink milk, it makes her sick.' Rudra stated before she could, causing her to look at him once more, while he kept his gaze firmly on the nurse.
'Oh...well then have the medicine with water, but eat the apples. You need some solid food in you.' Parvati raised her hands to take the plate, but they were still shaking as her body was weak. Rudra took it from the nurse and began feeding her, a little too abrasively, causing her to cough on her second piece.
'Paaro.' He instantly got up and was by her side, patting her back. 'You ok?' He asked after she stopped coughing. She nodded. 'Who told you to eat so fast, you were bound to choke.' He scolded.
'You were the one who was stuffing the pieces in my mouth Major sab, so I had to chew fast.' She defended. He coloured at realizing she was right.
'I...um well eat slowly now.' He said getting up to sit across from her again, but she stopped him.
'Major sab.' She held his hand and looked at him intently, making him face her.
'Yes.'
'Why are you here?'
'Because you were kept overnight for observation.' He replied.
'Yes, but why did you stay?'
'One person was allowed to stay with you.'
'So why did you stay and not Jija, or someone else?' She asked the question directly now, seeing him evade the previous ones.
'Because...'
'Because?'
'Because you are my wife.' He stated after deliberating a little.
'I'm your wife?' She asked astounded at him admitting it.
'Well yes, you needn't look so shocked about the fact, you were present at my make-shift alter when I married you.' He exclaimed.
'Yes. But today is the first time you admitted it.' She grinned, bringing her natural colour wholly back into her cheeks, lightening his heart.
'Yes...well...eat your apples, now that you are done picking my brain.' He said thrusting the plate onto her lap. She smiled, as he shifted away from her, uncomfortable at the slip of emotion. Try as he may to act all manly, stone-like and uncaring, he was still a child at heart; a child who, when afraid let out what was truly in his heart: just the way she would never leave her Aunt's bedside when she was ill, he didn't leave hers', afraid that he may lose her if he stepped away even for a moment.
You care Major sab. You care very much and that is why I love you. You hide it, you fight it, because you are afraid to show it, but when it truly matters you are always there, holding my hand, watching over me, protecting me. She beamed at him, as she ate the rest of the apples, watching him watch her out the corner of his eyes, acting like he wasn't interested but keeping all of his attention on her in case she required his help.
*****