Prithvi... [Volume 4]

Chapter 108

Emotionally crippled, Prithvi watched his mother helplessly. A painful throbbing had developed in his chest while she'd been speaking, and it was becoming more excruciating by the second.

Priyamvada looked at her hands absent-mindedly, as if seeing something in them. "His hands were really small and soft. On the day I left him, I'd held them and promised that I would return soon," she stopped with a shuddering gasp.

Shutting her eyes, Priyamvada let out a faint wail and clutched her head with clawed fingers. Then she doubled up with an unspeakable agony...crying hysterically...

Prithvi stepped back inadvertently. The torturously familiar sounds had landed the final blow. Years were obliterated in a second, and he was transported back to a horrendous moment in the distant past.

His mother was bawling. The noise frightened him but he wanted to help her. He was trying to hug her but someone was yanking him away. People were trying to restrain her and calm her down.

"Priya," a calm voice summoned.

Sobbing, Priyamvada looked at Geeta who was holding a syringe. She knew what it was. An opportunity to escape this storm. A few hours of oblivion before she had to face the truth. For the first time in her life, she willingly held out an arm.

The twinge of pain on Priyamvada's face brought Prithvi out of his stupor instantaneously. "Don't hurt her," he said harshly, advancing towards Geeta.

Sakshi scurried to stop him from proceeding further. "It's just a tranquiliser. She could become uncontrollable otherwise," she told him urgently.

Then turning her back on his stricken features, Sakshi approached Priyamvada. "It's alright. Just breathe," she said, stroking her upper back.

Priyamvada pushed the hand away and looked despairingly at Prithvi, and then more shockwaves went through her.

Aditya was here...he was gazing at Prithvi with unbridled joy and tenderness. His hand reached out to touch the beautiful child for whom he had yearned.

Priyamvada lurched distraughtly towards her husband. Her lips were moving feverishly, forming words that couldn't be heard.

Impelled by instinct, Prithvi moved quickly towards her. She stopped and swayed, then started to fall. He caught his mother before she dropped to the ground. Holding his unconscious mother, he to understand what had happened, and was seized by an acute fear that he had lost her again...

Sakshi comfortingly said, "She's okay. She'll sleep for some time now." She looked at Geeta who had returned with a large and comfortable chair this time. "Let's seat her on it."

Prithvi looked at her with unfocussed eyes. Then with a colossal effort, he rallied somehow and tenderly settled his mother into the chair. He retreated a step dazedly.

Nandini walked forward swiftly, beautiful face glistening with the burning tears that had started seeping out of her eyes again when Priyamvada had spoken to Prithvi. The ensuing scene had unfolded so rapidly that her head was spinning, but her steps automatically raced towards Prithvi.

She halted near him and clutched his hand unthinkingly. He didn't look at her but his ice-cold fingers gripped her hand with cruel strength.

Oblivious to the pain, Nandini looked at Priyamvada reverentially.

Sakshi sent Geeta back to the stall, and then regarded Prithvi incisively. "Could you tell me who you are?" she asked in a low voice, though she was fairly certain of the answer. "And how do you know Priyamvada?"

Without waiting for Prithvi to respond, Nandini softly answered, "He's her son."

Sakshi looked at the colourless young man. "You're her son?" she asked, finally giving voice to her incredulity. "But I thought she had only one son...whose name was Prithvi."