Prithvi... [Vol 5]

Chapter 121

Priyamvada was astonished by her own instinctive joy. It was probably the effects of the nerve-wracking day that had caused her to react in such a positive manner to the news. However, she was careful to hide her emotions. She knew Prithvi was unhappy about this meeting with her father. But whatever she was doing was for his benefit too...

With a tranquil air, she said, "Fine, I will meet him in the hall where -"

"I'll send the manager," Prithvi interposed. "You can discuss it with him."

The indifference in his voice disconcerted Priyamvada. But she mollifyingly said, "Okay, I'll speak to the manager."

"What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked formally.

"Oh...that..." Priyamvada hesitated. This did not seem the right time to deal another blow to her son, but there was never going to be a good time to do it. It would be better if all the unpleasantness was wrapped up in a single conversation.

"Prithvi, I have been thinking about Rajeshwari," she began gently. "I'm afraid you will have to ask her to leave."

"And why will I have to do that?" Prithvi asked just as mildly.

He was deliberately refusing to understand her, Priyamvada gauged with a sudden irritation. If he thought he could be adamant with his mother, he had another thing coming.

"I cannot forget what her father did to me...to us," she said stiffly. "It is intolerable to me that she is living this palace that is sacred to your father and me. Rajeshwari will not stay in Aadyabhoomi, and she will certainly not stay with us or interact with us in any way in the future. So, as I said, you will ask her to go back to Devgarh tomorrow morning. If you are not comfortable with telling her yourself, leave it to me. I will take care of the matter in my own way."

Relieved at having spoken her mind clearly, she waited for Prithvi to agree to do the needful.

But then a frisson of fear went down her spine.

Her son's features seemed to have turned into stone. And his eyes had become startlingly cold and intimidating.

"Let me tell you what's actually going to happen," Prithvi stated grimly. "I will introduce Rajeshwari to you tomorrow. You don't have to be friendly, but you will not be unkind either. And you will not tell her about her father's actions. After tomorrow's meeting, you don't need to spend time with her or talk to her. but you will not hurt her intentionally....in any way. In return, I will try to pretend that your father does not exist, because if I don't do that, I might end up killing him. Do we have a deal?"

Shell-shocked, Priyamvada didn't give a response consciously. But she appeared to have consented in some way, because Prithvi nodded and offhandedly said, "Good. I'm going back to my room now. If you need to see me, you can reach me on my phone or send a guard. But make sure your father is nowhere in sight when I arrive. And that holds for all the coming days. Good night, Maa."

Priyamvada didn't breathe properly till her son was gone. When the maid and the nurse returned, she got down from the bed and asked the maid to help her dress up. Neither of them got an inkling that she was stupefied on the inside.

No one had ever spoken to her in that manner.

And now she had to counter the unimaginable fact that she'd felt terrified of her own son.

She'd not been afraid of anyone before, especially not her father or brothers or husband, because she'd known they loved her too much to be upset with her for long or punish her. But could she have the same confidence in her son...