Prithvi... [Vol 1] (Ongoing) (Winner of Wattpad India Awards 2019)

Chapter 19

Nandini gave herself a final hopeless look and came out of the bathroom. She couldn’t stay up here any longer; she had to go downstairs and face her mother.

And then, as if taking pity on her, the lights went out.

Power cuts were very frequent in Shamli and she was only surprised that it had happened after so many days. There was usually at least one power cut every week; sometimes they would last only for a few minutes, but often they would continue for many hours.

But this particular power cut had been very timely….her puffy and red eyes wouldn’t be obvious in the light of the candles. Grateful at this stroke of luck, she sent her thanks up to the heavens.

“Nandini,” her mother’s voice came floating upstairs, “Is there a torch in your room?”

“There isn’t a torch in my room, ma, but there are two in the living room,” she answered on her way downstairs.

When she came down, her mother had already gathered all the candles in the house and had kept them on the table, and was taking out the candle stands from the cupboard.

They lit some candles, placed them in the stands and kept them around the living room, until the room had adequate warm light. Nandini took one candle to try and locate the torches.

“Why are your eyes looking red, Nandini? Were you crying?” her mother asked, frowning anxiously in the light of the candle.

“Oh no ma. I was cleaning up Prakash’s room and some dust went into my eyes,” Nandini said quickly. “By the way, where is Prakash? Hasn’t he come back after playing…..It’s already so dark outside,” she added worriedly

“Manish’s mother had called. Prakash will be having dinner at their place today. They will bring him home after that,” Sarojini responded and took another candle to keep in the kitchen.

They turned around at a noise and saw Prithvi coming in from outside. Nandini stiffened when she saw him, though a small part of her wondered uneasily if he had been standing outside in the darkness all this time.

“Prithvi, your uncle had called just some minutes ago to ensure that you’ve had your medicines,” her mother smiled.

“I’ll have them right now,” he murmured in response, though his eyes were on Nandini, who had determinedly turned her back to him and was searching in a corner of the room for the torches.

“Alright. Nandini, have you found the torches?”

“Yes, ma. I’ll just go to the temple and leave one with grandpa, just incase the electricity doesn’t return before he comes back.”

“I’ll go and give the torch to your grandfather. Go upstairs and lights candles in our rooms. There should be some light there. Prakash will come and just run upstairs in the dark and he may fall and get hurt.”