Chapter 11
"Bhabhisa has sent over breakfast for you. Finish it fast while I talk to the doctor about getting you discharged" Rudra told his father as he entered his room. Dilsher teased that he seemed to have missed him and hence in a hurry to get him home and asked who melted his heart of stone. Rudra was not amused. His father went on to say that he missed his home too, especially his brother's hovering and his bahu's cooking. He then scolded him for acusing Parvati for the fire and said that girl is as gentle as a dove and would never hurt a soul, how could he be so foolish to blame her, if he is continues to be so quick to jump to conclusions then he will end up suspended from BSD for his thoughtlessness. Rudra lost his temper, "Your gentle dove managed to hurt me when she whacked my head", he retorted. Dilsher replied that he deserved a lot more for the pain he caused by forcing her to marry him. Rudra said, "If she has signed the papers, he would have let her go. So it's her fault." His father asked him why she should sign it when she was innocent. He yelled back saying if she was as clueless as she pretended then Tejawat wouldn't want to kill her. He had good reasons to suspect her. The heated argument brought the nurse in, who chided Rudra for causing unnecessary stress to the patient. He left the room to look for the doctor.
The doctor assured Rudra that he can take his father home, later in the day after some final tests are carried out. He left for work. Now that his health was stable, he can focus on finding Parvati. The foolish girl was somewhere in the middle of the desert and he had to find her before Tejawat did. He knew his father was right, Paro was innocent as they came. Thats what stopped him from reporting the arson to the police. She cannot be safe when she was away from him. He remembered, seeing her for the first time, crying for help in that Chadga. She was so helpless when those leecherous goons tried to hurt her. He remembered how she clung to him for safety. He had been her dark knight ever since.
On reaching the headquarters, he assembled every soldier available. He wanted to launch a massive search operation to bring her back. His right hand was in a meeting with the general, he gave orders to everyone else. As the briefing ended, Aman walked in saying a search wasn't necessary, Parvati was found.
Meanwhile, Parvati woke up and found the house empty. She made her way to the kitchen where she found the old maid, struggling to needle a thread. Paro offered to help, when she was told that Geethanjali's saree was torn and that she was trying to fix it. Paro artfully mended it by covering up the darning with fine embroidery.
Geethanjali was very pleased that her favorite saree was looking better than ever and thanked Paro profusely. The poor girl was embarassed as she enjoyed embroidering things though she never considered to have a great a talent for it. She spoke of her childhood where she used to spend all her hours playing with shiny beads, mirrors and sequins and fixing them on her clothes. Her Mamisa used to punish her by taking away her sewing kit when she used to ignore her studies. Seeing Paro so excited, Geethanjali told her about an NGO she works for where women are empowered and made economically independent by selling their handicraft items. And how Rajasthani embroidery is so profitable that she trains them in such needlecraft. She asks if Paro would like to join her once she regains her health.
Paro is in a dilemma. On one hand she would get to stich all day without anyone to stop her but on the other hand she didn't know if people would like her work. Her thoughts are interrupted by the blare if the phone. Geethanjali answers it and takes a message. She tells Paro that bapusa is now stable and will be discharged later that day and asks if she would like to go and meet him. Paro hestitates, Rudra doesn't want her hear his father, she declines and asks if she can go to the temple instead.
Back at BSD, Rudra is relieved that Paro is fine and with Geethanjali ma'am in Jaipur. He raced to bring her back home. Now that his father is alright, he can clear up everything. He will be able to take care of both of them with his bhabhisa and kakosa helping him. How did she end up in Jaipur? Why didn't she call him? He had a lot of questions for her and hoped she won't be stubborn.
At the temple, Paro thanked bholenath for saving bapusa. She prayed that Rudra forgives her too. It pained her heart to think that he thought her guilty of killing his father. He meant so much to her after saving her life so many times even if she didn't want his help. She hears the sound of a bike approaching, she thinks of Rudra. She remembers the first time she sat behind him and how she struggled to sit on it, how he told her to hold on lest she squashed into tomatoes. She laughed to herself as she climbed down the steps on her way out, "Silly Paro, why would Rudra come here after you? He told you to leave him alone didn't he? Besides he will be at the hospital right now" she told herself.
He saw Geethanjali ma'am's car parked near the temple close to their house. He slowed down, something bright and shiny caught his eye. He looked closely, it was Paro coming down the steps. It reminded him of their Ganesh stapna puja. She had worn a green lehenga choli coupled with a green dupatta which had sequins all over. She was his bride that day and all the days that followed. Would it have been so bad to be married to her? She was undoubtedly beautiful, and thoughtful, she cared about his father, now he knows that she is honest too. Will she want to come home with him, he hoped so. They will have to come up with a new reason for her to stay now that kakisa knows about the fake engagement. He'd think of something, maybe she can stay as his bhabhisa's guest, she considers Paro her sister after all. As long as she is with him, everything will be fine.
Suddenly he realised that he lost sight of Paro. He looked around frantically till he caught sight of her red bangles glittering in the sun. He remembered how he had forced her to wear another set, not so long ago. He would buy her bangles everyday of his life to make up for his rudeness. He rushed as the car started. "Take me home, bhaisa", her voice softly told the driver. Home, he stopped in his tracks. When did the general's house become her home, he asked himself. Wasn't the Ranavat haveli her home? His heart shattered as the woman he had begun to care about left him alone, just like his mother 15 years ago.
It was late in the evening when he went back to the hospital. "What took you so long? Where is Parvati? Is she home?" his father enquired. He reminded his father of the lesson he was taught during his adolense, beautiful women never belong to anybody. It was just him and his Ranavat against the world once more.
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