Lies (Letting Go: Part 6)

Lies.

Letting Go 6

Tring...Tring... the persistent sound of his buzzing cell phone roused Dilsher from his sleep; he hated this ring-tone and how the sound got progressively loud with every passing moment, "Now pick up the phone next time I call you or else, I'll set something thats even worse" Rudra had quipped as he had inserted the sim card on the brand new set he had brought for his father; annoyed with the uselessness of the previous set which according to him belonged in a museum,"Just like you Rudra Dev" Dilsher had remarked only to be met with a disapproving glare, "What?" he smirked, "I am just stating a fact, you are one of a kind Rudra"

Once Rudra had showed him how to operate the new phone Dilsher had complained about the archaic ring-tone, "It sounds like the old phone we had the haveli when we got a phone for the first time!" 

"So pick it up before it makes too much noise, next time Ranawat!"

"Ranawat..." the urgency in Rudra's voice made Dilsher sit up while the following awkward silence brought an indulgent smile on his lips. Sure, their conversations had always been laced with a certain awkwardness but never of this kind, Dilsher knew all too well.

He sat up on his bed, not bothered about his disturbed siesta anymore and very eager to take this conversation forward, "So Rudra Dev what brings you to call me at this hour"

Rudra fumbled, Woh..."

"Looks like the weather is changing all round" Dilsher said much to the annoyance of his son, "You are beginning to sound like Kaki" Rudra replied,"Well...you spend so much time surrounded by all that venom, it begins to seep into you" Dilsher said and paused briefly, he could pretty much sense Rudra's annoyance even through the silence, "Thankfully Parvati..."

"Why are you talking about her?" Rudra interrupted before he realized what he had done, of course the words came out all wrong, "Umm..." he paused, "Did you take your medicine?" Rudra asked suddenly feeling uncomfortable with where this was headed even though it completely defeated the purpose of his phone call. 

That brought the biggest smile on the face of Dilsher, "Medicine? haan...woh joh pichle hafte khatam ho gaya?"

"Woh...umm" Rudra's cursed himself, why was this so difficult!

"Acha Rudra Dev if you are done, I want to go back to sleep" Dilsher purposely avoided bringing up Paro, "Ranawat...ruk" Rudra finally decided to bite the bullet and ask him of her, he couldn't go another minute plagued with this restlessness, "Woh..Paro..woh" he his thoughts weren't exactly coherent and it reflected in his words or lack of it.

"She ran up to the terrace to watch you go to work and then came back and has been locked up in your room since" Dilsher said, "I don't know what she sees in you but ... you know, do one thing, buy her a phone on the way home from work today. Then I can sleep in peace"

It wasn't a bad idea thought Rudra.

Peace. That was exactly what was missing from her mind since last night as Paro paced restlessly in her room her eyes darted back and forth between the bundle of clothes thrown over the bed ready to be packed and the closed door. Somehow this was getting harder than she had imagined it would be. Come tomorrow morning, she would not wake up in this room, or in that bed...and in his arms?That realization made her throat constrict and it felt as if a thousand bullets dipped in the deadliest poison seared through her body mortally wounding her soul. To leave him would be worse than death for there would be no closure. 

Two nights, thats what it had taken Paro to untangle the web of rat(ty) lies that the Major had weaved on their first night back. Every night since then, he had without fail reminded her of those rats; the same godzilla rats which curiously she had failed to spot otherwise.

"Paro...they are poisonous" Rudra had said his face not giving away anything,"They teach us all that in BSD" the following words had however raised a flag of suspicion in Paro's mind, "Woh...they teach about rats too?" she looked at him carefully noticing how he had avoided looking back at her directly. It wasn't too hard to come to a conclusion after that. 

That evasion was just as obvious as his lies, clearly her husband was a bad liar.Paro was elated though with the revelation that he wanted her next to him and was willing to lie so badly - so blatantly at that! So ignoring the voice inside her that warned her of the consequences, Paro had allowed herself that tiny allowance and had played along with Rudra's lies. Surely Bholenath wouldn't mind because nothing felt as right as it did when she slept in her husband's arms -something so right couldn't possibly be wrong?

Next: Silence