RUDRADAMINI

I love you Damini

Rudra POV -

Saudamini? I was utterly shocked at her presence there. I looked at her intently. Her beautiful and flawless face was now adorned with lines of pain. I looked at her, but she was applying the medicinal paste on my knuckles. My anger and frustration seemed to be melting away.....it was replaced by my concern for her pain. It seemed I couldn't stand even a crease of pain on her face or her heart. She didn't look up, but kept on applying the paste on my knuckles.

Saudamini....I called her name softly. But she didn't look up, continuing the process of applying the paste. I took a deep breath, inhaling her sweet scent , letting it wash over my entire being, it was becoming a source of comfort for me. I wanted to be around it all the time. I exhaled deeply and tried again, this time....

Damini....look at me, I gently placed my index finger under her chin...delicately lifting her face up, but her lashes were still down, her nose tip had turned red, I frowned, Look at me Damini.....  I urged.

Slowly, she lifted her lashes. My eyes widened and my heart pained. There were tears brimming in her eyes. She looked into my eyes and her tears flowed, streaming down her flushed cheeks. Something panged in me. My left hand involuntarily reached out to her cheeks. I wiped the tears over there gently, still looking into her eyes.... silently pleading to her to stop crying.

She sniffed cutely. I let her hold my right hand. I gave her time to compose herself. She exhaled deeply and seeing her regain her composure, I felt a little lighter. She looked down, she seemed to be collecting her thoughts, I gave her the time and space. After a while, she looked at me, with a strange expression on her face, I was scared, what was she thinking?

She tugged my hand, signaling me to stand up. I did wordlessly, closely watching her moves. She made me inside the chamber and made me sit on the bed. Throughout the time, she had a stoic expression on her face. She didn't look at me once. I kept looking at her, boring into her very soul. But she seemed to be too into applying the paste on my knuckles. She had already applied 3 layers of it on my wound, she seemed to be using it as a shield, not wanting to talk....or she couldn't find the right words....

After my right hand, she gently placed it on my thigh and took my left hand in her palm. It was a stark contrast. My rough, thick calloused hands, against her small, soft delicate hands.....she gasped lightly looking at the bruises on my left hand, they were nail marks, which Arjan had dug into to free himself from my grasp in his collar.

Looking at them, a fresh batch of tears escaped her doe like eyes. It pained me to see her crying, but I didn't stop her. I let her lighten the burden on her heart. She applied the medicinal paste on the wounds. Sssssssh. I reacted suddenly since the wound stung. She immediately grasped my fingers, looking at me in panic. I assured her with my gaze that it was ok to go on. She looked down again, and at that time, a strand of hair had escaped and gently landed on the side of her face. I fought the urge to reach out and tuck them behind her ear. Whatever she had got to apply, we're doing wonders. There was an instant cooling effect on the wounds soothing me. She finished applying them too. She silently placed the bowl on the tray kept beside me on the bed.

She wordlessly went into the washroom. I looked at her retreating frame. I exhaled nervously, I felt nervous. I had no idea what to talk to her.....She came back, wiping her hands on the lehenga sides. She came back and stood in front of me, still not looking at me. She lifted the bandages kept on the tray, and tied them tenderly on my right hand, around my knuckles. She took another bandage and tied it around just above the wrist of my left hand.

She huffed slowly, checked her handiwork, and when she felt content, lifted the tray off the bed and made a move to leave, but I gently held her right forearm, stopping her, she was constantly crying. She didn't protest or tried to leave, but stood rooted. I slowly stood up. I took the tray from her hand, and placed it on the bed. All this while, she didn't even glance at me, I was getting nervous with each passing moment.