Nandini felt a prickle of uneasiness at the look on Rajesh Garewal's face. She had a strange feeling that she had let him down somehow.
Aruna looked victoriously at her husband. "See, she's fine with it. I knew my Nanhi would take my side. It's two against one now, Rajeshji," she told him smugly while walking towards him and Nandini and putting her arm happily around the younger woman.
Rajesh gave his wife a sour look, while Nandini glanced at her with an uncertain smile, which became a touch more unsure and confused as she glanced impulsively at Prithvi, unconsciously seeking confirmation that she had not made a terrible mistake in perceiving what he had wanted her to say. The softness in his black eyes made her breath catch in her throat, and temporarily drove away her anxiety about Rajesh's reaction. As her cheeks turned warm, she awkwardly looked at her phone.
Prithvi grasped with a startled discomfort that something in him had escaped layers of controls to display itself on his face. He looked away, with a tinge of colour on his skin. The self-consciousness in his eyes transmuted into a sharpness as he looked at Rajesh Garewal, who was trying to hide his displeasure at the turn of events, and had been quiet for a longer-than-normal spell, patently wanting to continue with his objections but not finding the best way for it.
Then Rajesh dryly said, "Well, she has always been partial to you, Arunaji." He offered Prithvi a feeble smile. "Looks like I'm defeated for now, Prithvi. Well, then, we should hurry up if we have to also visit Taravan later," he said with a false heartiness, while indicating to the chauffer to turn the car around.
Prithvi's jawline tautened unconsciously. He could already predict what was going to happen. He would receive an apologetic call or message in some time, cancelling the plan for tonight, and excuses would be made about not being able to meet up later in the week too. And the golden child of the Bharadwaj family naturally wouldn't dream of going against the wishes of an elder.
Aruna gave her husband a stinging-plus-doubtful look, but her thought process was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. She rummaged through the different sections of her handbag and found the mobile. "It's your aunt, I'll have to answer it," she muttered to her husband.
"Don't waste time and have a long conversation now. Tell her we will call her later," Rajesh told her impatiently, moving towards the car.
Aruna fumed inwardly at being instructed like she was an idiot, and mentally added one more subject to the list of things on which they were going to fight later.
"Wait, Rajeshji. You know she will want to talk to you as well," Aruna told her husband stiffly. And with an apologetic murmur to Prithvi, she answered the phone while moving a few feet away.
Rajesh looked at Nandini and gently prompted her towards the car. "Nandini, you don't have to stand in the sun, go sit in the car."
Confused, Nandini obeyed Rajesh and began walking reluctantly to the car, which was now facing the other side.
She glanced at Prithvi hesitantly. Everything in her was rebelling against parting from him again today, even though it was only for a few hours.
Her heart leapt as her gaze locked with his. She saw a turmoil in his eyes. But there was also an inexplicable anger in them, which she'd sensed in him a while ago too. Then he looked away. Nandini's confusion intensified. She'd felt certain before that his irritation was not directed at her. But she wasn't certain anymore...
There was a painful twinge in her chest. She wasn't sure what was happening but there was some strange disquiet in the air, and she was uneasily conscious of it being centred on her in some way.
As she reached the car, the chauffer opened the door for her.
Nandini realised that she had not said goodbye to Yamini. She turned back but Yamini was standing at a distance from everyone, with her back to them, and was busy talking on her phone.
Nandini glanced at the temple, the doors of which were closed now.
*******************
Prithvi glanced at the young woman who was facing the temple. He couldn't see her features as she prayed, but he didn't have to. He could easily visualise the gentle, innocent absorption on her exquisite face.
The cold aggression triggered by Rajesh's behaviour started to simmer down, and he started to feel calmer.
It would take him less than a couple of minutes of conversation with Aruna to make sure that Nandini would be in Taravan this evening. And the inner compulsion to do just that was extremely strong.
But he had to think of Nandini...about what would be better for her...
As she offered a quick prayer, Nandini sensed abruptly that if she turned, she would find Prithvi gazing at her. She felt a constriction in her throat, and was assailed unexpectedly by a feeling of hopelessness. Unable to meet his gaze, she wavered for a few seconds, then miserably turned and got into the car.
Prithvi watched her get into the car, and then he looked absently at the temple.
From the second he had seen her devastated face in the morning, all he'd wanted was for her to feel happy and comfortable, and she was not going to be either if she was forced to come to Taravan. She had agreed on an impulse, and was most probably already regretting it.
But she didn't need to come to the house for him to see her, did she, Prithvi reflected thoughtfully.
Until she was in Jateshwar, there were a hundred different ways for him to cross paths with her. If not today, then tomorrow.
The sole problem was that it would be the most foolish thing for either of them to spend any more time together than they already had.
Fortunately, he had never felt less wise in his life...
********************
Having wrapped up the conversation as swiftly as she could, Aruna handed the phone unsmilingly to her annoyed husband. She turned to Prithvi to offer more apologies for the interruption.
He was gazing at the shrine, and didn't seem to have heard what she had said.
She was a little surprised by his absorption in the structure. He was an atheist, and the temple didn't have any remarkable architecture. He was probably thinking about something else entirely.
Raising her voice by a notch, Aruna spoke again, and this time, Prithvi looked at her quickly.
"I'm so sorry, Prithvi," Aruna said apologetically. "But we had to take that call. It can difficult be with relatives, especially the aged ones," she said ruefully.
"You mean the ones like my grandfather, who refuse to make the earth a better place by exiting it?" Prithvi asked sardonically.
Aruna chuckled, then she looked at her husband who had ended the call.
Rajesh nodded at her. "Okay, that's done. We can leave now. Prithvi, we'll meet you soon," he said with a smile, shaking hands with the younger man.
"Tonight, you mean," Prithvi said innocently.
Rajesh gave a hollow laugh. "Yes, yes, of course. But let's confirm it after lunch, and you can tell your family after that."
"Okay, I'll wait for your confirmation then," Prithvi replied seriously, "and please feel free to cancel if it's too difficult."
Aruna looked at her husband sharply. Irritation sparked in her, followed by a strong obstinacy. She was convinced now that he had no intention of actually accepting Prithvi's invitation. It had been a while since they'd had a very serious fight, maybe that's why he had forgotten how stubborn she could be...
Suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, a magnificently exciting idea struck her. It was a tad risky though. But if it was successful even to a small extent, she would be very happy.
Prithvi noted the rapid change of expression on Aruna's face. It was quite obvious that she was seething at her husband for some reason, and now she seemed to be channelling the spirit of a reckless, blood-thirsty commander who had decided the next move in a battle. And he had a feeling he was going to hear about it soon.
This was getting more interesting by the minute.
"I know the reminder isn't needed, but still...Nandini and her family don't know much about my family," Prithvi said casually to help keep up the charade that had essentially been going on for years.
"Don't worry about that, Prithvi," Rajesh said, patting the younger man's upper arm reassuringly.
"Yes, you don't need to have any concerns about that," Aruna promised Prithvi. "We will give her only the minimum information required and I won't speak of the family business at all. And I will tell her to keep it a secret. Nandini always does as I say," she said smugly.
Prithvi offered a slightly ironic smile. "I'm sure she does."
As he walked with them to the car, Rajesh and Aruna took their leave from Yamini, who gave them a stiff smile and waved from a distance, and then turned back again to continue with her call.
Prithvi felt Aruna slow down as they neared the vehicle. He accordingly reduced his pace, and waited for her to speak.
With a nervous look at her husband, for whom the chauffer was opening the door now, Aruna spoke to Prithvi in a low voice. "In case we're unable to meet for dinner tonight, I have a request to make of you."
"Sure, anything for you, Mrs. Garewal," Prithvi said solemnly.
Aruna smiled at him with pleasure. "Rajesh and I will be going out by around half past three or four O clock for some work, and we will be away for about two or three hours," she said rapidly. "Nandini might get bored sitting at home until we return. So, if we're not coming to Taravan, and if you're not very busy, and if Nandini is also fine with the idea...would it be possible for you to come over and take her for a short drive? Maybe for an hour or two? To show her some of the scenic places in the area?" she asked him eagerly.
Prithvi was astonished for a moment, and then a deep exultation mingled with stark relief rushed through him. But his features only showed a genial affection as he angelically said, "I would be glad to. If Nandini is comfortable with the idea, and Mr. Garewal too."
He had thought Aruna would find a way for all of them to visit the house at Taravan. But this had thrown a whole new colour on the proceedings...
They had reached the car now.
Aruna beamed at him. "Wonderful! I'll call you or send a message to confirm but I might not be able to inform you much in advance. Would an hour's notice would enough?" she asked anxiously, aware that he generally spent half of his day working.
"More than enough," Prithvi assured as he forestalled the chauffer and opened the door for Aruna.
But it was perfectly likely that Nandini would reject the idea...since she didn't want their old relationship any more than he did, he thought with a sudden, intense anger.
Aruna placed a loving hand on his face, and then she too got into the vehicle.
Prithvi acknowledged the goodbyes being said by the Garewals with a faint smile and nod. The girl sitting next to Aruna was apparently lost in her phone. But the beguiling pink on her face narrated a different story.
He could feel its warmth on her skin...
The biting cold that had touched his mind moments ago unexpectedly acquired the sweet coolness of dewdrops.
Prithvi stood back as the car started to leave, and he watched it until it vanished from view.
"Can we go back to the car now?" a curt voice asked.
Prithvi looked at a scowling Yamini. "Why do you look like a vampire that's attempting a juice fast?" he asked interestedly.
"Don't ask me about it now or I'll erupt," she growled as they walked back to the car. "So...are those people coming for dinner?" she asked without interest after some moments.
"Not today," he replied casually. "Maybe later this week."
"Alright," Yamini said. A teensy part of her that wasn't boiling with anger recorded the fact that he seemed fine with them cancelling the plans, which was weird considering all the extraordinary things she had witnessed shortly ago. But she couldn't think about all that now. Her mood had been completely ******* by the messages she had received just when the old lady had yapped something about Nandini being on her side. She wouldn't feel calm until she spoke to Garv. He was the only one who could calm her down.
In a mood that was radically different from that of his friend, Prithvi was reflecting over some peculiar elements in the drama that had begun today. He mulled over his past encounters with many optimistic mothers of hopeful daughters, whose eyes had glittered with very specific aspirations about the future for their offspring. He thought of Rajesh Garewal's attitude, which had become understandable now, though not any less infuriating. And he also thought of his mother, in whose company the Garewals had recently spent some time...
Prithvi glanced at Yamini, and then at the vehicle. His friends were unlikely to talk to the family about this chance meeting with the Garewals. At any rate, he hoped that would be the case. He wasn't feeling inclined to discuss it with Sumer Singh or anyone else today. But it was bound to come out in the open soon one way or the other, and then he would have to deal with a dozen prickly conversations with everyone in the family. The most alarming part for him, though, was the fact that he didn't give a flying **** about the chaos that would ensue...
******************
In the car, Grishma scrolled the screen on her phone, having given up all attempts to resolve the problem for Anuj, who looked like something that had been dead in the water for a few months.
Grishma looked up as Prithvi and Yamini opened the doors of the car.
"I'm sorry I couldn't come back to meet the Garewals," she apologised to Prithvi.
"That's fine," Prithvi said disinterestedly as he sat behind the steering wheel and started the car.
"I really did want to meet them," Grishma said earnestly, and then frowned at Anuj. "I got stuck here because this idiot and his idiotic girlfriend were creating so much drama."
Anuj grumbled. "It was not drama. Our relationship is over. I will not speak to Pari until she apologises to me."
Yamini gave a derisive laugh, while Grishma testily said, "If you're going to wait for that, then you're right. The relationship is over."
Anuj scowled at both of them, then pulled the hoodie of his jacket over his face and slumped further in the seat.
"Prithvi, can you tell him he's being a moron?" Grishma said irately.
"Right...errr...it will be fine," Prithvi said distractedly. "She'll come around. Send her flowers or some expensive shiny stones or something."
Grishma gaped at him, Yamini looked at him with a suspicious frown, and Anuj removed his hoodie and sat up straight.
"What did you just say?" he asked Prithvi incredulously.
Grinning at the reaction his response had caused, Prithvi said, "I apologise. My human side becomes hard to ignore on full moon days."
Grishma laughed. "Is it the full moon today?"
"The moon is going to be full for some days now," Prithvi murmured.
**********************
Lost in her inner world, Nandini continued to stare at her phone for some time as they travelled towards Jateshwar, pretending to be absorbed in social media nonsense to conceal her entirely baffling state of mind.
She'd wanted to look at Prithvi as the car was drawing away, but had felt self-conscious in the presence of the others, and the strange uneasiness she'd sensed back then hadn't disappeared yet from the atmosphere.
And anyway, she would be seeing him again soon...
Her heart was skipping around in her chest, powered by intense happiness and excitement. However, there was also a gruelling anxiety over the encounters that awaited her at Taravan. The only people she wasn't stressed about meeting again were Sankatmochan and Rajeshwari, though both of them hadn't been in touch with her for so many days.
With Uday Singh, she could dare to hope that he might feel okay about meeting her again. But that wouldn't be the case with Sumer Singh. He had entrusted her with Prithvi's happiness, and she had broken that faith completely. He must surely despise her. And that is why he hadn't spoken to her once in the last five years.
Still, she wanted to meet him, Nandini realised with a small jolt, and suddenly felt close to tears.
She had grown so attached to him, and she had missed his gentle, kind presence terribly in the last five years.
Yes...she did want to meet Sumer Singh again. Regardless of what he said or how he behaved with her, she wanted to see him. And Uday Singh too...
If only she didn't have to meet both of them in front of the Garewals though...
And not to forget, she would also be meeting Prithvi's friends.
Despite Aruna's assurances, everything that had happened in the market earlier was still weighing heavily on her heart. The sense of raw pain and shock had faded, but it had not lifted from her spirit yet. What if she saw or heard something that gave fresh life to unendurable thoughts...
Then she remembered the way Prithvi had looked at her when she'd supported the dinner plan.
A heady joy and pleasure flooded her. All that mattered was that she would see him again today. To her own quiet disbelief, she realised she would be ready to endure even Priyamvada's presence for the joy of being with him.
Nandini looked up eagerly on hearing Aruna tentatively say, "Rajeshji, what time do you think we should leave for Taravan in the evening?"
"We're not going," Rajesh said flatly without looking around at the ladies in the backseat. "Not today or anytime this week. There is too much work to be completed."
Stunned, Nandini looked towards him in utter dismay.
Aruna raised some strong objections, but then she resignedly accepted the decision and said she would inform Prithvi after lunch.
As her despair and anger skyrocketed, Nandini bit the inside of her lip hard, struggling to stop herself from speaking.
It could be that she had misunderstood Prithvi's sentiments...his subdued features, and later, the tenderness in his gaze. And perhaps it was only her ego that had imagined that it was important to him that she visit Taravan, or maybe it wasn't.
But she wanted to see Prithvi, and she wanted to see him today.
And more than that, she wanted his invitation to be honoured, not dismissed out of hand like this. It was disrespectful to him, and that was harder for her bear than the shattering disappointment...
****************************
Aruna made her way to the long balcony of the upper floor, and vacillated outside the wide door, rallying her thoughts and praying for good luck.
It was a promising sign that fortune had been with her so far today. First, the unexpected meeting with Prithvi...and then, without any prompting from her, Rajesh had decided to leave earlier with the caretaker to look into some issues related to one specific property, and had asked her to catch up with him later.
But after all this, if Nandini refused to go on the drive...
Aruna feverishly prayed again.
These few days were crucial for the achievement of her dream. It was doubtful she would get another chance like this once Nandini returned to Shamli. But it was going to be tough to convince Nandini to go on the drive.
She'd not wanted to believe what she had heard from Sarojini or jump to assumptions from Nandini's reaction to the idol Prithvi had made. But today, although Nandini had supported her for the dinner plan, she had not even looked at Prithvi when they were leaving. Hopefully, Prithvi had not noticed the rudeness.
But these were doubtless just initial hiccups, Aruna thought resolutely. She felt in her heart that her dream would come true.
However, the children had to become friends first. And for that, they needed to get to know each other better without the dominating presence and influence of either of the families. And then she could push the matter along with more confidence. She would be so grateful if even a little progress was made in the next few days...
************************
Sitting cross-legged in a big comfortable chair in the balcony, Nandini knitted steadily without any real interest, silently battling to avoid being sucked into an emotional whirlpool.
Her fingers moved swiftly with the knitting needles, beginning the process of creating a light blue sweater. Occasionally, when a frosty wind blew, she would pause and huddle deeper into the beautiful red shawl, and then would resume the knitting.
Nandini glanced up and smiled as Aruna entered the balcony.
"That's a beautiful colour," Aruna said appreciatively, pulling a chair to sit opposite Nandini.
"Glad you like it," Nandini smiled.
Aruna chatted with her about the house for a bit, and then nervously said, "Nanhi, your uncle has left for his work, and you know I will also be going out now. I don't want you to get bored here. Would you like to go on a drive in this area? There are some really beautiful places here," she said eagerly.
"I won't get bored at home, aunty," Nandini said assuringly, holding up the knitting with an impish smile. "Don't worry about me."
Aruna gulped. "Oh...the thing is...I – I've already asked Prithvi to take you for a short drive around this place," she said in a rush, and then mentally slapped her forehead in frustration. This was not how she had intended to introduce the subject. But it had slipped out of her hands now.
Nandini stared at Aruna, stupefied. She fleetingly wondered if she had heard the name because it was all that had been echoing in her head and heart since morning...since years, actually.
"You've asked whom?" she asked Aruna blankly.
Misreading the expression on Nandini's face, Aruna pleadingly said, "Please listen to me before refusing. Nanhi, you know you've been my darling from the moment I held you in my arms, but Prithvi too is very dear to me. And it breaks my heart that you don't get along with him. I want you to be friends with him, and I know that if you spend just a little time with him, you'll see how sweet he is. He is the nicest, the most decent and well-behaved boy I know," she claimed sincerely.
Befuddled by the conversation, Nandini stammered, "Aunty, I – I don't – I think you've -"
"I've told him to bring you back in an hour or so," Aruna continued speedily. "And Nanhi, if you get bored at any point or you just don't want to spend any more time with him, you can ask him to bring you back home without any hesitation. It won't be a problem at all. And I won't ask you to try to be friends with him again, I promise," she said emphatically.
Nandini looked mutely at her knitting needles, finding it hard to accept what was happening. She couldn't believe her ears. But if it was true, then it was an unbelievable blessing...
"So, you asked him, and he agreed?" she asked Aruna hesitantly.
"Yes, he said he would be glad to take you around the place," Aruna said enthusiastically.
clutching her knitting needles tightly, Nandini got up from the seat and walked to the long, wooden railing, seeking to hide the fact that her heart was twirling in exhilaration. She didn't want to analyse why Prithvi had agreed to do this...or the wisdom of spending time with him alone. For now, she was only conscious of an intense exuberance that made her want to dance...
Then she remembered something that tempered her spirits. She turned anxiously to Aruna and asked, "Is uncle fine with this?"
"Yes, yes, of course. I asked him before asking you," Aruna lied breezily, and felt glad that she had waited for Rajesh to leave before asking Nandini.
Then she worriedly said, "You don't look happy." She looked at her watch. "Prithvi is supposed to reach in about an hour. Should I call him and cancel?"
"No," Nandini exclaimed, coming out of a startled daze. "I'm...I mean...since you've asked him already...it's okay. I'll go."
Delighted, Aruna jumped up and rushed to Nandini. Grasping her face in both hands, she happily said, "I knew you would listen to me...my darling Nanhi. Now come with me. I'll pick out the dress for you to wear."
"No, it's okay, aunty, you don't have to do that," Nandini said hurriedly.
"Okay, but don't dress drably like you do in Shamli, okay?" Aruna said with a mock strictness. "I know you have good taste, so don't try to ignore it."
***************************
Feeling bored to the point of death, Prithvi went through the work that had piled up since morning.
A trim, cleanshaven young man named Inder was standing on the other side of the table, dressed in a black suit. With a dissatisfied look, he was robotically informing Prithvi about the many tasks that the latter needed to complete by evening, the time he'd been wasting in outings with friends, and his mother's stark disapproval over his newly acquired tendency to wear an untidy mix of formal and informal clothes for official meetings.
As always, Prithvi did not acknowledge anything being said, and let the toneless voice drone on and on while he worked swiftly.
The only thing that kept distracting him from the phone calls and emails and online meetings was the electronic display of the time on the various screens around him. Aruna Garewal had not gotten in touch yet...
When Sankatmochan walked to the room a short while later, it was to find Inder giving a high-pitched lecture on the subject of the queen's wishes and how Prithvi was disrespecting them repeatedly.
Prithvi was ignoring him with the usual stony indifference and was engrossed in work. He glanced up at Sankatmochan. "Hey Mochi, Inder was just saying that he's missing you deeply."
"I was not," Inder snarled, looking at Sankatmochan in disgust as he left the room sullenly.
With even more revulsion on his face, Sankatmochan let flow a string of rustic abuses at Inder, made an obscene gesture, and took pleasure in slamming the door shut behind him.
Prithvi grinned at his friend.
Sankatmochan smiled back gleefully, and then sat down across him. Turning serious, he leaned back, and assessed Prithvi with scrunched up eyes. "What is going on with you today? Why are you in a good mood?"
"I learnt of Inder's wish to adopt you and raise you in the Alaskan wilderness," Prithvi said seriously. He knew no one in the family had been told about the Garewals and Nandini so far. If they had, the information would have reached Sankatmochan, who would probably have had to be force-fed elephant tranquilisers to calm him down.
"Don't joke around, I want an answer," Sankatmochan scowled. "You ate well at lunch after days, didn't waste any food, and smiled somewhat genuinely three times. Sumer Singh is so happy about your appetite returning to normal, he called up Kadambari ma to tell her! And based on what I overheard, she plans to build a temple of gold to commemorate the occasion," he sniggered, and then turned severe again. "All this happened after you returned from your stupid outing with your stupid friends. What happened? Did something happen between you and that Grimy girl?" he asked in dread.
Prithvi looked awkwardly at the paper-cluttered surface of the table. "Not her...this is someone else," he said remorsefully.
"Another woman?" Sankatmochan cried out. "Oh my god! When did you become such a Casanova! How many females am I going to have to protect you from until you come to your senses about Nandini?"
Prithvi began to respond then looked at his phone, on which a message had flashed.
He picked up the instrument and read the message quickly. Confirmation...address...a tentative time...
Prithvi replied swiftly that he was fine with the timing, and would be there on the dot. He looked at his watch. He could leave half an hour later and still be on time, but all of a sudden, the thought of being stuck in the room or within any enclosed space for a minute longer felt intolerable.
"You're smiling again," Sankatmochan said angrily, pointing at him accusingly. "Why? Is the message from the new female? Wait, where are you going? To meet her?" he asked in horror as Prithvi pushed back the laptop and stood up.
Prithvi ran his fingers through his hair with an exaggerated self-consciousness.
"You know how it is, Mochi. The heart wants what the heart wants," he sighed as he walked out of the room, grinning once he had turned his back to a bewildered, spluttering Sankatmochan.
********************
Nandini waited until Aruna had gone downstairs, and then she bolted to her room and closed the door quickly. She opened her bag and hurriedly took out four dresses and kept them on the bed. She bit her lower lip in confusion as she tried to compare the outfits. All of the dresses, which were brand new, looked equally pretty in one moment, and uniformly plain in the next. How could such a small choice feel so overwhelming, Nandini thought wretchedly. She should probably have taken Aruna's help...but it was too late to think about that now...
Suddenly, she was hit by an alarming thought. Something was funny about the whole scenario. Did Aruna aunty have something else in mind apart from the innocent intentions she had expressed...
Nandini shook her violently. She was letting her mind run off unnecessarily. Rajesh uncle had given his permission for this, hadn't he...which meant there was no possibility that anything dangerous was cooking, she decided with relief.
Sometime later, Nandini was standing in front of the mirror and trying to feel confident. The outfit she had chosen was a long, navy blue embroidered kurta with a flared hem and full sleeves, paired with a mustard yellow churidar and dupatta. As she wore her sweater, she looked doubtfully at the other dresses that she had laid on the bed. No...this one was fine...
She was sorely tempted to wear chunky bangles and big earrings, but had forced herself to be content with wearing jewellery that was only slightly bigger and prettier than the trinkets that she had worn on the way to Jateshwar.
Right now, she was being enticed by a lip balm that Aruna had brought for her. She hadn't used it yet, because it was the kind that would give a muted pinkish-red tint to her lips, and she usually hated doing anything that made her stand out. But maybe she could try applying just a little, Nandini thought as she picked it up. But then she kept it back quickly, and chose the colourless lip balm that she applied occasionally during winters.
Despite being clear in her head that she didn't want to rekindle anything between them, she knew she had repeatedly been giving out mixed signals so far, Nandini mulled unhappily. So, although she wanted to look as nice as she could, she needed to show some restraint.
With a troubled expression, Nandini applied a small black bindi on her forehead and then began to comb her hair swiftly. A wish arose to leave the long black tresses open. She quelled it, and opted for a very loose plait, braiding the thick, silken locks with more care than usual.
As her heart skipped a few beats, Nandini turned and looked towards the door in surprise, and then she looked at the clock.
Prithvi was arriving earlier than planned. He probably wanted to get the whole thing over with and get back to his work, she told herself quickly. It couldn't be because of any emotional reasons.
And she had to remember that she wasn't going out on – on a date or anything, Nandini thought, flushing crimson while she picked up her bag and walked to the door with a hammering heart.
She stepped out of the room, and then hesitated. She wanted to wait at the gate or at least in the terrace that overlooked the front of the house. But she wouldn't do either of those things. She would wait in the living room, and would not go outside until she was told by the kindly housekeeper that Prithvi had arrived.
She'd been carried away by emotions too often, and had displayed immense vulnerability until now. She had to be very careful henceforth...
*************************
Prithvi paced impatiently along a short length of road, frequently glancing at a one-storeyed villa by the side. There was a short, gentle upward slope that led to a large gate, beyond which he could see the top floor of the house. He could have taken the car to the courtyard but some lingering irritation towards Rajesh Garewal had made him park on the road.
Prithvi had reached the rear side of his car when he heard the dim groan of the gate opening. He became very still and waited for Nandini to appear around the curve of the boundary wall of the house.
Nandini wondered ruefully if her heart was planning to explode as she walked down the slope.
The watchman had told her where the vehicle was parked, so she knew she was going to see him once she went around the rounded portion of the wall. The beating of her heart became more frantic as she took those final steps.
Heat rose to her face as she met his startlingly intense black eyes, turning her skin a captivating shade of scarlet.
An intense serenity settled over Prithvi as he gazed at the girl walking towards him. His eyes intently studied her appearance, lingering on the glow on the creamy cheeks, the enticingly pink lips, and the lush, loose braid that lay sinuously over her left side.
Nandini lowered her eyes swifty to hide the intense shyness in them, and continued to walk towards him while her insides jumbled up into a throbbing mess.
Then he turned and began to stroll to the SUV. Feeling capable of breathing again, she walked self-consciously behind him.
He opened the door for her with a gentlemanly courtesy that seemed natural now, but was something she couldn't have associated with the young man she'd known years ago. It reminded her again of the morning's incident, and the female friends he had now. Had he learnt to become so polite because of them...one of them?
An ugly, fierce anger reared up in her, but she repressed it summarily. That line of devastating thoughts had consumed most of her day so far. She couldn't let it ruin this precious time she'd been granted.
She started to get into the SUV but then froze at an unexpected onslaught of poignant memories...memories of the last time she had sat beside him in a vehicle like this...
Prithvi halted and turned towards her with a questioning look. She looked at him wordlessly, her lovely, kohl-lined eyes laden with anguish, and then saw a reverberation of her thoughts and feelings in his suddenly clouded gaze.
Prithvi glanced away with a pale face, and resumed his walk to the other side of the car.
With a trembling breath, Nandini climbed into the vehicle. She sank into an extremely comfortable seat, and was instantly enveloped by an indefinable air of luxury, which made her more uneasy.
Prithvi got in from the other side, and they fastened their seat belts in silence.
Instead of starting the car, he took his wallet from the side-box and took out a hundred rupee note and offered it to her, awkwardly muttering, "Thanks."
She looked at the money in confusion, then recalled the incident from the morning.
"You're welcome," she said softly, and after a second's irresolution, she took the note and opened her bag. She placed the note in her purse, and took out a few other notes that amounted to a total of eighty rupees.
Prithvi frowned at her with disgust-tinged irritation. "That's not necessary."
She looked at him coolly. "I'm not in need of charity."
His scowl deepened. Then saw her keeping the notes neatly in the side-box instead of trying to hand them to him. Somehow, it reduced his annoyance abruptly...
Keeping his wallet back in the box and closing it, Prithvi reached for the ignition and started the car.
Nandini remembered one of Aruna's final instructions with a start.
"I have to tell Aruna aunty that we're leaving," she said distractedly while taking out her phone from the bag.
"She calls you Nanhi eh," he murmured.
She blushed with embarrassment, then pleasantly said, "Yes, not all names can be as beautiful as Prithviraj."
"Well played," he admitted with a grin.
She laughed.
As the sound sparkled in the air, Prithvi gazed at her tenderly, and then forced himself to look ahead. He hadn't sketched anything for years, but he remembered what it had felt like to repeatedly attempt to portray this enchantment on paper despite knowing that nothing he created could ever capture it.
He tussled silently against the wish to touch her simply to make sure that she was actually present, and the uneasiness and fear that she would vanish as a mirage if he acted on the maddening impulse. He was disgusted by the vulnerability that was driving the impulse, but that made no difference to the intensity of the desire.
They travelled in silence for some moments, both unconsciously encased in a beautiful, unnamed sweetness...
Then Prithvi briefly asked, "Are you feeling better now?"
The question mystified her until she realised he was thinking of her state when he had seen her in market.
"Yes, I'm fine," she mumbled. Wanting to shift the topic, she lightly asked, "Since when did you start wearing the seat belt voluntarily?"
"Sumer Baba made me promise some years ago that I wouldn't drive without it," Prithvi answered.
The forced cheerfulness on Nandini's face diminished slowly as she absorbed the implications. "Why did he make you promise that?" she asked sharply.
Prithvi glanced at her with a faint amusement. All his friends knew about Sumer Singh's jittery attitude over his driving. They had assumed it to be borne purely out of a natural care. No one had wondered if there was anything more to it.
"He gets worried for no reason, that's all," Prithvi said nonchalantly.
"He doesn't," she countered flatly. "If he made you promise, and if you agreed to give such a promise...something must have happened. Were you in an accident?" she asked with fearful eyes, feeling terribly cold at the mere thought of it.
He didn't answer for some moments, then casually said, "A minor one."
Feeling ill at the imagery that her mind conjured up, she agitatedly said, "You're lying. Tell me what happened."
"It was a small thing that happened years ago," he said irately, keeping his eyes on the road. "Let it go."
Nandini looked at him with frustration and anxiety. She didn't want to let it go. She wanted to know what had happened. Whom could she ask though...would Sankatmochan know? Or Rajeshwari...
"You're on leave this whole week?" he asked nonchalantly.
Her mind still wrapped up in the subject of the accident, Nandini absently said, "Yes".
She hadn't been paying attention to the scenery so far. But she had a vague idea that, until some minutes ago, she had been seeing houses and people on the road, but now both had reduced drastically in number. But signs of human habitation were visible, with tall walls on either side of the road, beyond which there seemed to be trees with sprawling branches, spaced out systematically. She had seen similar places on the way to the Garewals' house.
They seemed to be fruit orchards. Then the walls vanished, and they were passing through an area in which there were open forests on both sides. She could see glimpses of a stream down below, in between the trees.
"I'm sorry about earlier...the dinner plan," Prithvi muttered, drawing her surprised attention. "I didn't mean to put you in a spot."
The unexpected apology touched Nandini deeply. In a diffident voice, she mumbled, "It's okay. I was a little shocked by the idea at first. But I do want to meet Sumer uncle...and Uday grandpa. The only thing scaring me is - all my memories of them are so sweet. And Sumer uncle was always so loving towards me. I've never seen anger in his eyes for me, and I don't want ever want to see it," she said wretchedly, twisting the strap of her bag between her fingers.
He looked at her gently for a second before looking at the road again. "You won't. I know Baba is still as fond of you as he was back then."
Nandini looked at him doubtfully. She wanted to believe it, but she couldn't. It wasn't possible that he would have any affection for her now. The most she could hope for was that he wouldn't hate her...
"I haven't spoken to uncle since...then," she said haltingly. "Does he - does he know what happened?"
Prithvi glanced at her with a cold anger. "Everyone in my life knows about it. The story was the highlight of my weekly newsletter that details the most happening events of my private life," he said sarcastically.
Wincing, Nandini turned her face to the window to hide her damp eyes.
Frustrated, he looked at her pallid profile, and felt an irritating jab of guilt. The memories that were being stirred up now were the ones that he had blocked out with immense difficulty so he could continue to exist somehow. But he had to bring the antagonism back under control. And knowing that she wasn't feeling her best, he had to weigh each word before he spoke, so they wouldn't show the stark ugliness of some of his emotions for her.
Striving to keep his tone as anger-free as he could, Prithvi tersely said, "I haven't talked with him or anyone else about what happened. Baba has always had to guess what's on my mind, but he has always been good at it. Five years ago, he knew me enough to sense that everything had gone wrong between us. And I think he also realised that I needed to be free of those memories," he said in so low a voice that she could hardly hear him. "So...if Baba didn't get in touch with you, I think it was just his way of helping me, and showing his affection and loyalty towards me. There was nothing else he could do because I wouldn't speak about it. But like I said, he is still very fond of you..."
Nandini listened to him with an increasingly pale face. It was not only because her heart was being ripped into shreds by guilt and agony, and the shock of hearing him speak with so much openness and honesty about so painful a subject. What was astounding her the most was that the incredible effort he was taking to speak thoughtfully and to avoid saying things that would be hurtful to her...
When he'd finished speaking, she continued to stare at him with a combination of disbelief and bleak anguish. "Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked in a whisper.
He looked at her sombrely. "I'm struggling with it," he confessed. "But I think you've already had a rough day for whatever reasons, and I don't want to make it worse for you - for whatever reasons," he muttered. "So I've decided to save my true behaviour for another day."
She gazed at him with troubled eyes. "Is that why you agreed to take me on this drive? Because I've had a rough day?"
Prithvi's skin reddened. "No, that has nothing to do with it," he said quietly. "But I don't know – and don't want to think about the real reasons...for this or for most of the things I've done since I saw you at the stepwell," he shrugged. "And I think that goes for you too. I think until we get an idea of how to handle...whatever is still there between us...we need to be a little more patient with ourselves. But forget that for now," he said evasively. "Are you serious about wanting to meet Baba and the others?"
The abrupt question took its time to sink in because her mind was scrambling to understand all that he had said before, but then she softly said, "Yes, I want to meet them."
He thoughtfully asked, "Would it help if you met them separately, with neither of the Garewals around? Not today," he clarified hurriedly. "But some other time this week?"
"That would actually make it much easier for me," she said, staring at him. "But would it be possible?"
"Nothing's impossible," he dismissed.
The retort almost made her smile. She vacillated for some moments, then uncertainly asked, "What did you mean about what you said...about being patient with ourselves...."
Prithvi didn't reply for so long that she thought he wasn't going to acknowledge the question. But then, almost inaudibly, he said, "Whatever was between us...that story didn't come to its end slowly...gradually. If that was how it had unfolded, it would have been easier to accept and forget. But in this case...everything ended in a moment," he said in a low voice as the car moved around a gentle bend in the roads. "There was a lot that was left unsaid...unexpressed. And so, I think we might need to -" he stopped, and stared ahead in astonishment.
Nandini's emotion-glazed eyes followed his stunned gaze to a man crossing the road a short distance away. Dazed by the insufferably painful memories and feelings that his words had evoked, she stared bewilderedly at the person slowly the road from the right to the left.
It was an old man, wrapped in a scruffy blanket, holding a wooden staff, and a cotton bag on one shoulder.
Without warning, the shock of recognition hit her hard, draining the colour from her face.
Unaware of the salty drops of water spilling down her cheeks, she stared at the figure with trembling lips, unable to speak or move.
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