Chapter 102
Prithvi looked at the name on the cloth for a moment. Then crumpling the material in his hands, he strode swiftly to the gate.
Snapping out of the shock, Nandini raced after him. Did the cloth really belong to the old saint? Had he left it behind intentionally? It was likely. He had done similar inexplicable things in the past. But what was he trying to tell them? Who had embroidered those letters? The same questions would be running through Prithvi's mind. And going by the harsh set of his features, his questioning would undoubtedly be rough. But she couldn't let him behave rudely.
Despite running, Nandini was two steps behind Prithvi when he came to an abrupt halt at the top of the steps. She restrained the dupatta that was flailing in the strong wind and gazed down the stone stairway.
The old man was nowhere in sight.
Nandini's mystified gaze moved to Prithvi's perplexed features. He glanced at her grimly, and then gestured to the guards.
Two of them sprinted to obey the summons.
"Where did the old man go?" Prithvi asked tersely as they bowed to him.
The men scanned the steps swiftly. The taller one murmured, "He was walking fast, your highness."
"Unless he sprouted wings, he couldn't have covered so many steps so quickly," Prithvi said irately.
The other guard zealously said, "We could follow him and bring him back, your highness."
Prithvi looked at the object in his hands. What was he going to ask the elderly stranger after hauling him back- Why was his name embroidered on a dirty piece of cloth found in the temple's compound?
No...he was not going to embark on a whimsical hunt for meaning where there was probably none. There were more important and practical things to do. If the cloth could find him, its significance could do the same.
Frustration spiked through Prithvi, and he threw the rag to the ground. "Bring the palanquins to the gate," he said curtly, and then walked back to the temple.
Nandini hastened to pick up the cloth before the guards decided it was trash. Its appearance was a mystery but its importance was unquestionable.
She would hold on to it, Nandini decided. She folded it into a small square and clasped it tightly.
***********************
Prithvi halted at the temple's steps, brows knit. Nandini reached his side a second later, and she worriedly looked at the people inside the shrine.
Sumer Singh and the priest had gathered around Uday Singh, who was sipping water from a silver glass. Kadambari was standing at a distance, mild concern on her portly features.
Prithvi strode to his great-uncle, sharply asking, "What's wrong? What happened to him?"
Uday Singh handed the empty tumbler to Sumer Singh, and turned to Prithvi with a wan smile. "I'm alright. Aditya, let's go home."
Nandini, who had followed Prithvi into the temple, looked confusedly at the elderly man.
Prithvi, however, didn't miss a beat. "Yes, we'll leave right away," he muttered, and gently clasped Uday's forearm to support him as they walked out of the shrine. Sumer Singh accompanied them, careful to walk behind the family members.
Keeping the cloth hidden, Nandini folded her hands and prostrated to the deity. Then she stood up and bowed to the priest, who smiled and raised his hand in blessing. Then she and Kadambari turned and walked out of the temple.
At the gate, the guards were waiting with the palanquins.
Prithvi helped Uday Singh sit in the grandest one. Meanwhile, Nandini slipped her feet easily into the sandals, and Kadambari also quickly wore her elegant slippers.
Guards rushed ahead to help Prithvi, Uday Singh, and Sumer Singh wear their respective footwear.
Prithvi impatiently raised his hand to stop the guards from approaching him.
Pleased by the scene for some reason, Nandini smiled and glanced at Kadambari. The plump woman too was looking affectionately at Prithvi. She caught Nandini's eye and smiled.
When Uday Singh and Sumer Singh were ready to leave, Prithvi addressed the former while swiftly wearing his shoes.
"Don't wait for me once you reach the base," Prithvi instructed firmly, and received a humble nod in answer. Then he looked at Sumer Singh. "Baba, go with him in his car."
"Yes, my lord," Sumer Singh agreed. He waited till the palanquin with Uday Singh had left, and then looked at Prithvi fretfully. "Please don't drive too fast on the way back."
Kadambari jumped to Prithvi's defence. "He drove fast because he was hungry, and wanted to return home soon for breakfast. If your customs weren't so cruel, he wouldn't have had to drive at that speed," she said staunchly.
Sumer Singh started to snap back, but then appeared to have remembered something.
"You want to say something?" Prithvi asked mildly.
Sumer Singh dourly shook his head and sat in the palanquin.
When the second team had left, Kadambari looked timidly at Prithvi. "I was errr...thinking of – I was thinking it might be better if I return in the jeep with the guards. I think that car doesn't suit me. I was...errr...feeling very nauseated and dizzy while journeying to the temple," she mumbled remorsefully, looking at the rocky ground.
"You were? Is that why you were yelling out prayers nonstop till we reached here?" Prithvi asked solicitously.
Nandini groaned in her mind as Kadambari nodded vehemently.
"Poor you," Prithvi sympathised. "I'll miss the background music, but okay, you can go in the jeep, Choti maa."
Palpably relieved, Kadambari eagerly said, "I'll wait for both of you."
Once the third palanquin had also left, Prithvi took off his coat.
"Why are you removing it?" Nandini asked.
"It's too hot," he replied, thrusting the coat into her arms.
Nandini resignedly held it to herself. Then struck by a bright idea, she tried to plant the mysterious cloth in one of the pockets of the coat.
"It won't stay there for long," Prithvi said calmly, loosening his tie and undoing the topmost button of the shirt.
Pretending she hadn't heard him, Nandini swivelled to look at the shrine one last time. Would she get to see it again anytime soon? Oddly saddened, she turned back, and was startled to find herself standing alone. Prithvi was making his way to the stairs.
"Hey!" she yelled, dashing forward.
"Don't hurry. Stand there and admire the craftsmanship for as long as you want," Prithvi replied loudly without turning.
"Wait for a second, will you!" Nandini called out crossly, and managed to catch up with him on the fourth step.
He reduced his pace, and walked along with her.
She uncertainly looked at his remote profile. The mysterious incident was hovering between them, and multiple questions were buzzing in her mind. She could tell he was thinking about it too, but it was also plain that he was not in the mood to discuss his thoughts.
Nandini tried to take her mind off the episode, but the thoughts that filled her head next were intolerably sad. Tomorrow, she would leave for Mrs Bhargava's house. And after spending about ten days there, she would go back to Shamli.
When would she see Prithvi again...
These moments of togetherness...when would they return...
She paused. He stopped and regarded her questioningly.
"I want to remember this moment," Nandini said softly, and looked at the delightful scenery spread out before them.
The view was even more beautiful now because of the rain clouds. Sighing, she savoured the gorgeousness of the vista and feel of the cool winds that were mitigating the harshness of the heat. The most treasured awareness, however, was that she only had to stretch a hand to feel his presence.
He gazed at her silently. The faint, entrancing smile on her lips. Tendrils of her glossy hair whirling across her beautiful face because of the breeze. He looked at the coat in her hands. She must find it heavy...
Nandini was startled as the coat was pulled out of her hands.
He met her gaze coolly. "I don't need to try so hard to remember."
Swinging the coat over his right shoulder, Prithvi continued to walk down the steps.
Stunned and touched, she stared at him. She was usually confident that her love was deeper. But sometimes, he made her feel she was a child who believed the moon was following the vehicle.
She hurried to walk by his side, and they had reached halfway down the steps when she abruptly said, "I have to tell you something."
"That you don't deserve me? You're preaching to the choir," he retorted.
She sighed. "I'm sorry I spoke about - tomorrow."
He didn't respond to the apology.
"I wanted to tell you something about him," she said hesitantly.
He glanced at her, and from the sharpness in his eyes, she knew he'd realised whom she was talking about. "What about him?"
"Do you remember the day we were going home from college, and I saw a person sitting under a tree, and -"
"You gave him your lunch, ran back with a coin, danced around me with it, and ran back to him."
"I didn't dance around you. I was removing the evil eye," Nandini defended indignantly. But she was happy, nonetheless, that he had remembered so many details.
"And it was a very successful ritual," he reminisced. "I've forgotten what it's like to have problems."
She giggled despite herself, and he grinned at her. Then his expression turned sober again, and he guardedly asked, "It was him?"
Nandini nodded awkwardly. "That day, he told me I should - that I should - "
"Get to the point faster?" Prithvi guessed irately.
She bit her lower lip. The words said by the ascetic had imprinted themselves on her mind.
Love can change everything. It can even bring the universe to its knees. The world, however, can be cruel, and ignorant of its purity. But no matter the circumstance, you must never deny him the love in your heart...he has had very little of it so far...
Too shy to repeat the whole message, she bashfully said, "He said I should always...be with you. Because you've endured a lot in the past."
"But it's not enough to wash away my past life sins?" Prithvi asked solemnly, eyes glinting with amusement as they examined her red face. The abridged edition of the old man's advice was intriguing, but it wasn't nearly as interesting as the prospect of watching her become flustered, and eventually, irritated.
"What do you mean?" she asked, flummoxed. "Not enough for – Wait...are you saying I'm part of the punishment for your past life sins?" she asked angrily.
"That is obviously what he meant," Prithvi shrugged. "In fact, he practically said so the first time we met him."
She looked at him suspiciously. The encounter had not been forgotten, but when had the saint said that? Had he spoken to Prithvi when she had gone to bring clothes and food?
"Yes, that's when he told me," Prithvi confirmed her thoughts. "If you remember, I'd planned to move out of the house, and then I changed my mind."
"I remember," she said sniffily. How could she forget. The thought that he was going to move out of Ayodhya had shattered her, and she'd not known peace till he had changed his mind.
"He's the reason I changed my mind," Prithvi said gravely. "He told me I shouldn't shift out of Ayodhya because I needed to suffer more. And he said if I put up with the torture, I would be rewarded with an amazing girlfriend. He was wrong about that," he mulled unhappily. "But he was right about the suffering. Can you imagine what my life would have been like if I'd behaved sensibly and shifted at that time?" he sighed.
"Sorry, I'm too busy imagining how blissful my life would have been if you'd left that day," she said frigidly, looking straight ahead.
"Blissful now means boring and meaningless?" he enquired, baffled.
She glared at him, and walked down faster.
Grinning, he studied the graceful swaying and fluttering of her long hair as she flounced down the stairs.
A pall had fallen on him in the shrine after finding the rag. But it was lifting rapidly because of his favourite colour.
The enchanting red on her cheeks...
**************************
Hot and a little out of breath, Nandini arrived at the base of the hill. Prithvi was still at her side, as if doing her a big favour by walking at her speed, she thought grouchily. She looked at the waiting vehicles.
Uday Singh's car and one of the jeeps had left. Kadambari was waiting beside the other jeep. She smiled guiltily at both of them, and diffidently signalled to Prithvi, seeking his permission to get into the jeep.
Prithvi nodded sombrely, then grinned as she scrambled to get into the vehicle before he changed his mind.
"I'm going with her," Nandini said stoutly, marching towards the jeep.
He clutched her hand to stop her. She looked at him acrimoniously as he indicated to the driver of the other vehicle that they should get going.
As the jeep set off, Nandini tried to yank her arm out of his grip.
Unconcerned, he firmly led her to the car, bundled her into the front seat, and dumped the coat in her lap.
She was tempted to throw it back at him but suppressed the whim. Just for a day, she chanted to calm herself.
Tomorrow, she would be free from the spoilt brat's oppression.
********************
Prithvi looked at the stiff girl beside him. "Want to go to the lake?"
"No. I'm hungry. I want to go home," Nandini replied tightly, gazing out the window. He had driven at a heart attack-inducing speed in the morning, but now that she wanted to reach the palace as soon as possible, he was content with travelling at a sedate pace, and was even willing to take detours.
Surprised warmth filled his eyes, but he solemnly said, "Straight to Shamli then. Can we stop for food on the way?"
She glared at him. "I was not talking about Shamli. I'm sorry I referred to your great palace as my home," she snapped. "It is actually just a big, gaudy prison."
He grinned at the vicious description. "Good to know we're on the same page on one subject at least. So, tell me, what's the next torture lined up according to the schedule?"
"Breakfast," she replied sweetly.
"Why does that count as torture? Were you in charge of the kitchen?" he asked innocently, and grinned as she glowered at him.
She looked back at the window. "Uday uncle wants an official photograph of you as a keepsake of this day."
"What?" he gaped, appalled.
"Yes. A renowned photographer has been called. He will click some pictures of you after breakfast."
"Have you seriously lost it?" he questioned angrily. "I hate getting photographed. I'm not going to put up with this *******."
"You don't have to," Nandini said coolly. "No one is going to force you."
"Damn right they won't," Prithvi scowled, and then churlishly muttered, "I should have known you would put everyone's decisions over my choices."
She looked at him and offered a four hundred watt smile. "Yes, that is precisely what I've done. When I was told about the itinerary, I asked myself just one question on learning about each specific programme – would Prithvi hate this? And if the answer was yes, I told them to go right ahead and plan it," she beamed. Then the smile vanished as instantly as it had appeared, and she turned her face away.
Annoyance slowly dissipating, he glanced at her ravishing profile with budding amusement. The 'shoot' was not going to happen. But it was difficult to be riled at the cause of his anger when it was being so impossibly cute.
"What's with those hideous tents on the grounds?" he asked guardedly.
"Uday uncle has invited hundreds of people for a lavish birthday party in the evening," Nandini replied tartly. "You will cut a cake while everyone sings 'happy birthday to you', and strangers will smear the cake on your snooty face. Then the guests will meet you one by one, hug you and give you lots of gifts. We will select the top hundred loudest and most obnoxious guests. And you will have dinner with them. And in the finale, you will sit on an elephant and travel through all the nearby villages and towns with a group of dancers leading the way." She glanced at him and sarcastically asked, "Happy?"
"Not unless you promise to be the lead dancer and allow me to throw money on you from my seat on top of the elephant," he said solemnly.
Trust him to make her want to laugh even when she was irked with him. Curbing a giggle, Nandini disdainfully looked away. But her hands involuntarily gathered the coat closer. Her fingers countered a stuffed pocket, bringing back thoughts of the incident in the temple.
It had rattled her, and she knew it had troubled him too. But she could also sense he had relegated it to a corner of his mind, and was not letting it consume his thoughts. It showed remarkable self-restraint...
Quite soon, they were ascending the hill. Then they were entering the gates of the palace, and the guards were bowing. Blue and golden yellow - the colours of the coat of arms - were everywhere. The palace looked divine with gorgeous decorations of flowers. And the huge tents had given the lovely grounds a surreal air.
The whole place would turn even more beautiful in the evening because of the additional lighting. She had not seen it from the outside yesterday. Today, she would make it a point to come out of the palace at dusk to view the arrangement in all its glory.
She heard him swear in a hushed tone, and looked at him confusedly. He was gaping at the entrance to the palace, where a glossy, black luxury sports car was parked.
Their car raced ahead, and then came to a jarring halt behind the unfamiliar car. Uday Singh was waiting for them with a broad smile. Sumer Singh and two other attendants, one of them holding a folder, were behind him. Kadambari was standing apart from the group as usual.
Guards rushed to open the doors, but Prithvi had already disembarked from the vehicle.
"And this is your second gift!" Uday Singh announced with a flourish, his hand moving sweepingly towards the car.
Grinning, Prithvi moved to enclose his great-uncle in a big hug. Then he moved back and looked at an enormously pleased Uday Singh.
"What was that gibberish you were saying before," Prithvi mulled with concentration. "Something about misfortune and life and something about the family...err...whatever it was...it was very touching," he assured.
Releasing his chuckling relative, he enthusiastically commenced an examination of the stunning car with dark grey leather upholstery. His hands ran lightly over the metallic body, lovingly caressing the vehicle.
Meanwhile, holding the coat closely, Nandini had emerged from the car, and had observed the happenings with growing trepidation.
While she knew next to nothing about cars, it was easy to tell this was a hideously expensive specimen. Probably the latest model in the market. But its sight was causing palpitations in her chest. It looked like a vehicle that was meant to be driven at a maniacal speed, and it had been gifted to Prithvi.
Prithvi who could help a person's life flash in front of their eyes even in an ordinary car. The bike had been much better. Where was that creature? Had he sold it?
She looked uneasily at Sumer Singh. But he too was admiring the car along with Prithvi.
Kadambari, however, was regarding the car disapprovingly. She looked at Nandini, and for the second time that day, they exchanged meaningful glances.
Feeling a little soothed that at least one person shared her concerns, Nandini glanced bleakly at Prithvi.
He had completed his scrutiny of the car's exterior. "I'm going to take her for a spin," he said fondly, then walked to Uday Singh, buoyantly asking, "Keys?"
"My lord, the roads here are not in great condition," Sumer Singh murmured, as Uday Singh happily held out the desired object.
"She's mine. She has to get used to rough journeys," Prithvi dismissed, taking the keys.
Nandini's eyes narrowed. What did he mean by that...
"Okay, but please have your breakfast before leaving, my lord" Sumer Singh requested.
"Sumer is right," Uday Singh agreed. "You shouldn't go out again on an empty stomach. It is your birthday, after all."
"I'm going now," Prithvi insisted mulishly, and turned to go to the car.
"Wait," Nandini said automatically, hurrying to him. He stilled and spun, and she abruptly knew he had forgotten her existence for some moments. So much for wanting her by his side constantly today...
Angered, she stopped before him.
"Don't waste your breath unless it is for begging for a chance to accompany me," he smirked.
"You agreed to do everything I said today, but I didn't intend to hold you to that. I'd planned to ask you to do only a few things that were necessary to make your great-uncle happy. But if you don't listen to me now, I will change my mind," she whispered vindictively. "Come inside and have your breakfast. You can go for your ride in the evening," she adjoined reluctantly, pushing away the inevitable for the meantime.
The smirk vanished and a ferocious frown-line formed on Prithvi fair forehead. He briefly seemed ready to get into the car and run her over with it. But then, casting a look of longing at the car, and a withering one at her, he stuffed the keys into his trouser pocket. Then he swivelled and began striding to the door of the palace.
"Wait, Prithvi," Uday Singh said, leaving behind a smiling Sumer Singh to walk towards his great-nephew.
He affectionately stroked Nandini's head as he walked past her, and then paused before Prithvi. "I have to speak to you in private for five minutes. Then I'll have to rest for a while. But I'll join you for lunch for sure," he assured. His weakness was more mental than physical. When the beggarly man in the temple had looked at him, he'd felt as though his soul had been bared open for scrutiny.
"You should go and rest first," Prithvi responded gruffly. "We can talk later. Should I call for the wheelchair?"
"Oh no, there is no need for that. I can walk to my room easily. I'm not ill. Just tired," Uday Singh insisted. "But I would like to speak to you first. Sumer, and you both...come with us. Nandini, you and Kadambari please head to the big dining hall. Prithvi and Sumer will be there shortly," he warmly told Nandini, who smiled back and nodded. She had no idea about the hall but had been told it was reserved for special occasions.
Prithvi looked at Kadambari expectantly, and the latter came running up to him. "Choti maa, if the breakfast table is not set when I come to the hall, I will eat every cook besides you. Even if they only know how to cook up repulsive plans," he said nastily, and threw another surly glance at Nandini.
Nandini looked stiffly at him, while Kadambari vociferously guaranteed him an opulent feast.
A tad mollified, Prithvi held Uday Singh's arm and helped his elderly relative up the steps.
It was a sweet sight. A reminder that an ounce of goodness existed beneath that egotistical, mean, hard-hearted -
"How did you change his mind, Nandini?" someone asked in wonder.
Nandini looked at a bemused Kadambari. "I – I told him it would make all of you happier if he had his breakfast now," she fibbed uncomfortably.
"And he listened to you?" Kadambari asked in amazement.
Nandini squirmed, endeavouring to think of a way to avoid lying further.
Kadambari's bag began buzzing loudly. "That's your phone," she said, pulling open the zip. She took out a cell phone and handed it to Nandini, then started moving towards the palace's entrance.
Nandini's face brightened on seeing the name on the screen. It was from home. Shifting the coat entirely to her left hand, she answered the call and heard an ebullient male voice on the other end.
"Good morning, grandpa," she grinned, strolling behind Kadambari. "How are you doing? Is everything okay there?"
"Yes, yes, everything is fine," Bhoothnath said merrily. "Are you okay? If you're facing any problems, let me know. I will come there and pick you up."
Nandini chuckled. "Grandpa, you say that every morning."
"I want you to remember that always," Bhoothnath said stoutly, and then animatedly added, "Did you know it is Prithvi's birthday today?"
"It is?" Nandini mumbled, suddenly suffocated with anguished guilt.
"Sankat told me. He called Prithvi up very early in the morning. After Sankat had spoken, he gave me the phone. I wished Prithvi on behalf of all of us, and blessed him too. I miss that boy," he sighed. Then recovering his exuberance, Bhoothnath went on, "He said he is being troubled by the malevolent sprit of a sadistic young woman these days, and he asked me for advice. I told him I would do the needful for his protection," he added grimly. "I will not let any evil harm such a wonderful human being. He is truly very caring. I doubt any other youngster in his place would – wait, Prakash, I'm talking to your sister."
Sadistic young woman, was she? And why hadn't the royal pain in her neck told her he'd spoken to her grandfather? Affronted, Nandini took a deep breath, then amiably asked, "How is your health, grandpa? I'd told Prakash to apply oil on your ankles yesterday. Did he do it?"
"This boy needs an army of servants to look after him. He is not capable of taking care of anyone else. Don't snatch the phone, Prakash! Show some respect for your grandfather!"
"Di, he's lying," Prakash claimed loudly, wrestling for the receiver. "I did massage his feet yesterday.
"For one minute at the most," Bhoothnath criticised.
"One minute? Almost one hour!"
"In his mind," Bhoothnath said contemptuously. "I'm leaving, Nandini. We will talk in the evening. Here, talk to your sister," he told Prakash crabbily, surrendering the phone.
"Di, he was -"
"Prakash, listen. You do want me to bring you something from here, don't you?" Nandini asked benignly, interrupting her brother's complaint.
"Not something. Many things," Prakash corrected her hastily.
"Yes, many things," Nandini rolled her eyes. "You will not get anything if you don't do as I say. Understood?"
"Yes," he said crankily, then unexpectedly asked, "When are you coming back, Di? You've already been gone for ten days."
Nandini felt a tightening in her chest. But trying to make light of the situation, she teasingly said, "I'll have to make you work on your mathematics when I return. It has not even been a week."
"It feels longer. Come back soon, okay?" he said earnestly.
"I will," she promised guiltily. Then her mother's voice came down the line.
"Nandini, don't pay any attention to him. He is saying all this because there is no one at home to cover up his mischief," Sarojini said, looking reprovingly at her surly son. "You stay there and work diligently. Everything is okay, isn't it?"
"Yes, maa," Nandini muttered.
"Okay, I'll call you in the evening then. I haven't finished cooking yet. And lot of other work too is left..."
Nandini stared miserably at the phone in her hand.
"Is everything alright, Nandini?" Kadambari asked anxiously.
Nandini jumped and looked up. "Yes – yes, I was just thinking about something silly," she said awkwardly, handing back the phone. Her gaze flitted around the place. She hadn't paid attention to the way while walking behind Kadambari, and saw now that they were standing in a big, unfamiliar passageway. There were guards nearby.
"Come along then. The dining hall is still some way ahead," Kadambari said kindly, keeping an astute gaze on the Nandini's downcast features. She had tried not to pay attention to the conversation, but it had been difficult. There was something sweetly compelling about the girl's laugh and voice. But the chat had obviously troubled her.
Kadambari disconnectedly thought of the visit to the shrine.
Prithvi glaring intimidatingly at Nandini when the girl had behaved ideally and stood to a side when he had been walking towards the sanctum...snatching her hand and leading her out of the temple for the circumambulation...stopping her from approaching the jeep...
She'd witnessed the last bit only because she had peeked out of the jeep. What would Nandini say if questioned...
"Nandini, did Prithvi stop you from coming with me in the jeep?" Kadambari asked uneasily.
The query rattled Nandini. Where was the question coming from? Had she seen them? Unsettled, she replied, "No, aunty, he didn't. He wouldn't have stopped me if that was what I wanted to do."
Kadambari smiled, highly pleased with the lie and quiet defensiveness with which it had been uttered. She arrived at a decision but waited till they had reached a marble hallway where there were no guards. Then she furtively asked, "Can I show you a photograph? But you mustn't tell a soul about it."
Nandini had been on her guard since Kadambari's previous question, but she was again caught unawares. "I won' tell anyone," she assured hesitantly. Whose photograph was it...and why was Kadambari so nervous about it...
Kadambari opened her handbag, and drew out a thick book of Hindi devotional songs. A photograph was taken out from the pages of the book. She smiled at it and showed it to Nandini. She had not shown the snap to anyone before. Not even to Princess Rajeshwari. God alone knew why she'd felt the urge to share it with a girl she'd known for mere days.
Nandini took the picture carefully. A broad smile lit up her face.
The photo depicted a young, smiling Kadambari in a bright pink saree. Squished in her arms was a very plump infant with rosy cheeks, big black eyes, and lush black hair. The baby was dressed in a yellow silk dhoti. A tiny yellow crown, complete with a peacock feather, was perched crookedly on the infant's beautiful head. There was a garland of flowers around its neck and a wooden flute in its small fat arms. Hugged adoringly by a much softer-looking Kadambari, the baby was happily munching on one end of the flute.
"He's so cute! I could eat him up," Nandini laughed in delight. Then she looked at Kadambari with wide eyes. "Is this - is this Prithvi?"
Kadambari smiled and nodded. "He was five months old."
"This is really him?" Nandini squeaked. "He was adorable." She kissed the photograph, then froze and looked at Kadambari fearfully.
But Kadambari was apparently far too thrilled with her spontaneous and warm reaction to worry about impropriety. "Yes, he was a beautiful baby! And I made sure he was healthy," she beamed proudly. "He was about a month old when he was brought to the palace. I was the one who took care of him from the start. I fed him, bathed him and put him to sleep. I used to give him the same rich and nourishing food that was given to every baby in the royal family, following all their traditional recipes. I had to do it in secret. The other maids helped me though. But on his birthdays, even that became difficult," she said sorrowfully
"Why?" Nandini asked, bewildered. Shouldn't it have been the other way round?
"On his birthdays, Prithvi was given tasteless food. And never any sweets. It was the king's diktat," Kadambari said bitterly. "Every year on Prithvi's birthday, his grandfather would install a supervisor in the royal kitchen to ensure no sweets were prepared. Not for the child and not for the family. Because Prithvi was considered the greatest curse on the family. We were forced to treat his birthday as an occasion for mourning, not celebration. In fact, guards would see to it that only plain food was given to the child the whole day," she lamented, her voice shaking. "I can't tell you how difficult it was for me to see the cruelty. His mother – well, the poor woman was hardly aware of her own existence. She couldn't take care of anyone else."
Shaken to the core, Nandini listened to the devastating revelations, tears filling her eyes.
Damp-eyed, Kadambari continued, "For a long time, a large team of attendants, including a doctor and some nurses, took care of Her Highness Priyamvada. But she refused to take medicines, and would just sit quietly in a corner and cry. If I put the baby in her lap and requested her to feed him, she would do it. But she wouldn't look at him lovingly or even hold and cuddle him as a mother should. It wasn't her fault. Her mind was damaged. She remained like that until the king tried to – No, I'll tell you about it tomorrow. I don't want to talk about that on an auspicious day," she shuddered.
Nandini didn't press for more information, certain she would become a blubbering mess if any more details came her way. Kadambari had had to give Prithvi food in secret? His birthday had been treated as a day of mourning? And Priyamvada...how much pain must she have been in after her husband's demise...
Nandini tried to shake off the gloom descending on her. Prithvi had triumphed over countless hardships, and he was safe and healthy. Adityaraj's prayers had not gone unanswered. The goddess had taken care of his son. And they would soon find Priyamvada, and everything would be wonderful.
Gazing at the snap, she softly asked, "Aunty, have you shown this to Prithvi?"
"No. I don't want him to see it," Kadambari stated tensely. "I know he will not react like - others in his family, but it will reflect badly on me. It was wrong of me to have gotten this photograph clicked. If anyone finds out, I'll fall into a lot of trouble."
The photo wasn't the sole thing she had kept from Prithvi. She had not yet shown him the bag full of his childhood toys, worried that he would find it silly. She had also not told him about Princess Rajeshwari, but the timid girl had bound her hands in that matter.
Seeking to pacify the stressed woman, Nandini said, "I won't tell him about it, don't worry." She looked at the picture one last time before handing it back to Kadambari.
Kadambari replaced the snap in the book contemplatively. She had shared those memories with others in the past, and the recounting usually left her feeling dispirited for hours. This time, however, she was feeling peaceful and relaxed, as though a heavy load had been lifted off her chest. Perplexed, she looked at Nandini.
The girl was longingly saying, "I wish I could bring the baby out of the photo and play with him."
On an uncharacteristic, mischievous impulse, Kadambari slyly remarked, "Who knows...after a few years, you might have an identical baby in your lap, and you will be able to play with him to your heart's content."
Witnessing the blast of colour on Nandini's shocked face proved more amusing than she'd expected. She was still chortling when they reached the hall minutes later.
***********************
The group of men halted in a small, private room on the ground floor. Aided by Prithvi, Uday Singh sat on a luxurious couch, and respectfully indicated to his great-nephew to occupy an adjacent seat.
Then he asked, "Have you been told about the other plans for the day?"
"I wasn't interested enough to ask. But that was a mistake," Prithvi grumbled. "No photographs are going to be clicked. And I'm not going to squander my time on any useless people," he added mulishly as a precautionary measure.
"I leave it entirely to you," Uday Singh pacified with a smile. "You've fulfilled my greatest wish. I wanted to see you follow an important family tradition and visit the temple on your birthday. The rest are not half as important. Now for the reason I asked to speak you in private, " he murmured, then candidly said, "Everything I own... all my wealth and assets now belong to you."
Prithvi looked at his elderly relative in biting silence, then nonchalantly said, "Change the nominee if you don't want everything to be donated to charity."
Uday Singh smiled and looked at Sumer Singh, who had a resigned air. "I was told you would respond like this. You are free to do as you wish with the inheritance. But there are two properties I hope you will keep. The first one is this palace. It meant a lot to your father because he had great respect for the family's history and legacy. My grandfather – your great-grandfather - had signed over most of the family's wealth and properties to Aditya. But this palace had been in your grandfather's name. It too should have been inherited by Aditya. But when he married Priyamvada, it angered my brother, and he left it to me. I think he intended for Aditya to get it eventually because he knew I was planning to make him my heir," he reminisced. "And the other property..."
Uday Singh looked at the attendant who was holding the folder. The man reverently handed over the folder to him.
"I had purchased a vast property in the northern mountains many decades back. I got a plain wooden cabin built on the land, and planned to use it as a retreat for the soul. I went to live there once. But I realised I didn't really have much of a soul," Uday admitted with a laugh. "The quietness and isolation terrified me, and I left within a few hours. When I told Aditya about it, he was intrigued. He went to stay there, and loved it so much that he didn't return for two months. Then on, he visited the cabin regularly. Your father enjoyed socialising and meeting new people, but he would feel the need to get away from all of it now and then. This cabin became his refuge from the world."
He opened the folder. Inside, there were no papers, only photographs. He extended them to Prithvi.
Prodded out of a confusing mesh of thoughts and emotions, Prithvi looked dispassionately at the pictures. Faint interest sparked in his eyes, and he grudgingly took the photos from his great-uncle's hand.
They were images of a beautiful wooden cabin surrounded by thick forests. Lofty, snowy mountains formed the backdrop. Some photos were close-ups of the cabin, others had been taken from a distance to showcase the beauty of the setting.
It looked secluded...peaceful...austere...
As if someone had reached into his mind and used a desire and an image found there to zero in on the perfect location and build a dwelling.
"It doesn't contain any major comforts. Just basic necessities," Uday confessed, unaware he was actually enhancing the cabin's appeal. "The insides are fairly stark. But it is maintained well by a caretaker and his family. So...that's it. Yes, you can donate everything if you wish. But I hope you will wait till I'm dead before taking a decision," he requested directly. "You won't have to wait for long, I am sure."
Prithvi carelessly cast the photos on the couch and regarded Uday with infuriated eyes. "Enough of the melodrama," he enjoined, nettled. "Go to your room and don't step out till it's time for lunch."
***************************
Nandini rotated on the spot, admiring the dazzling interiors of the massive dining hall. There was wonderful gilded work on the ceilings. The room, which could probably accommodate a hundred people, also contained gorgeous paintings of landscapes.
She looked hungrily at the scrumptious banquet on the huge table in the centre of the hall. The table could comfortably seat about sixty guests, and there was enough food on it to feed that many people and more. She had been aware of the extravagant fare planned for the day, and that several well-known chefs had been recruited for the day - Kadambari had already passed numerous snarky comments on their cooking.. Nonetheless, the sumptuous spread had amazed her. A large portion of the table was covered with dishes that had filled the atmosphere with enticing aromas.
Nandini walked to the head of the table, where she had draped Prithvi's coat on the back of the biggest throne chair. Her hand had risen to caress the coat when she remembered she was not alone. Kadambari was hovering near the door, waiting for Prithvi. And three of the senior-most servants, the only staff members who had been given permission to enter the hall today, were also present. She had smiled at them, but their stoic response had deterred her from engaging in conversation. The reserved and dignified men were currently waiting quietly in a corner.
She looked at the door. When would Prithvi arrive...
She was waiting eagerly for him. Kadambari's recounting of the traumatising days of his childhood was weighing agonizingly on her heart, but the burden would lessen once she saw him. Until then, she would continue to concentrate on other things – like the photo of him as a baby - to lighten her mood. This was a day of happiness and smiles. Tears couldn't be allowed to destroy it.
The temptation to ask Kadambari for the snap and look at it again was strong. But it was doubtful if Kadambari would be okay with taking it out of her bag in the presence of the three servants, Nandini thought. And moreover, she didn't have the pluck to talk to the older woman after the baby-related comment.
It was the last sort of joke she would have expected from Kadambari. On the positive side, it could be looked upon as a sign of the stern lady's thawing sentiments towards her. But it had been too mortifying for her.
Immersed in her thoughts, Nandini inattentively ambled towards the door.
She had not allowed herself to fantasise even about a wedding for some time. So many serious issues had plagued their relationship from the start, Nandini mulled distraughtly, halting before a painting near the door and staring at it unseeingly. It had taken her to a point where she was afraid to dream of a happy future with Prithvi. If things went wrong again, she wouldn't be able to endure it.
"Where is he? He must be so hungry. These people are determined they won't let him eat! And that too on his birthday," Kadambari griped petulantly.
"He's nearby, aunty," Nandini reassured unthinkingly. "He'll be here any second."
Kadambari frowned at the serene girl, annoyed by the unnatural confidence in the proclamations. "How do you know that? Are you blessed with divine sight?"
"That's a funny question to put to her. She barely notices what's in front of her."
Kadambari spun in shock at the mocking statements, while a piqued Nandini looked at the dashing figure striding into the hall.
Entering the room right after the prince, Sumer Singh chided, "Prithvi, don't say such things about her."
"Nandini knew you were close by, Prithvi," Kadambari explained, astounded.
"She always knows," Sumer Singh said proudly
Abashed, Nandini didn't know where to look.
"She has other superpowers too," Prithvi informed Kadambari intently. "She can cry nonstop for the dumbest reasons, turn violent for no reason, and put a person to sleep simply by conversing with them."
Nandini regarded him with an upsurge of animosity. There was one thing to be said for this particular prince of darkness. He never let her nurture tender or compassionate feelings for him for long.
How had the endearing infant grown up to become this – this horrible being.
In high dudgeon, Nandini stalked to the door. Prithvi dashed adroitly to stand in her way. She stepped sideways to go around him, but he fluidly blocked her path again.
She glowered at him, but his solemn gaze was fixed on an astonished and laughing Kadambari.
"But her biggest superpower, Choti maa," he was saying earnestly, "is her ability to stay calm when I try to irritate her. That is what I like best about her."
Far from mollified, Nandini lividly went one way and then the other, but Prithvi effortlessly blockaded her each time.
Moving at a startling speed to stop her from advancing by a foot, he asked Kadambari with great anxiety, "Have you given her breakfast yet, Choti maa? I guess I forgot to tell you. If Nandini doesn't get food on time, she turns into an angry little sparrow," he claimed gravely.
Nandini turned crossly to Sumer Singh, who was laughing merrily. "Uncle, ask him to stop!" she said complainingly.
Chortling, Sumer Singh put up his hands, declaring helplessness.
Prithvi leaned forward slightly and she hastily stepped back. "Dear God, she's turning feathery already," he said in distress, pretending to scrutinise her face. "Choti maa, arrange for a plate of grains and a bowl of water. The poor thing looks famished."
Kadambari wobbled with laughter, holding her hands over her mouth to muffle the sound. Her amazement was shooting through the roof at this blatant, hilarious display of his intrinsic mischievousness.
Self-conscious and frustrated, Nandini glowered at Prithvi. He grinned sardonically and raised an eyebrow, silently enquiring about her next course of action. With a sound of frustration, she turned and marched back to the middle of the table to take a seat. Then she recollected the morning she had done the same thing in the smaller dining room. He had simply taken the chair adjacent to hers.
She spun to throw a quick, mistrustful glance at him. He offered a modest nod, confirming her doubts.
Miffed, Nandini unwillingly walked ahead, and with ill grace, took the first seat on the right of the chair at the head of the table. Smiling smugly, Prithvi walked to a tittering Kadambari and put his arm around her. Accompanied by Sumer Singh, they walked to the table.
Nandini determinedly didn't look up as Prithvi reached the head of the table. The three male servants came forward. Their appearance jolted her. She had forgotten about the men. They must have witnessed the snippet between Prithvi and her, she realised in dismay as one of them set about serving her tea. Was she imagining it or was there a ghost of a smile on their faces...
Prithvi surveyed the items laid out on the table with an unimpressed air. "What's the menu for today, Choti maa?" he asked keenly, unbuttoning his cuffs and rolling them up.
The question was answered by Sumer Singh, who had occupied the chair on Nandini's right. "Lots of dishes. Many of them have been prepared by famous chefs just for you, my lord," he smiled.
If it was in her power, the brat would get nothing more than air to eat, Nandini thought viciously, taking the cup to her lips for a big gulp of hot tea.
"I don't want any of those," Prithvi said stubbornly. "Choti maa, which of these did you cook?"
Kadambari was transported with delight.
Nandini took a smaller sip. He could be allowed to eat some bread perhaps...
*****************************
The woman was sitting mutely in an armchair near the window, gazing out vacantly. With hands folded neatly in her lap, daintily crossed ankles, and faultless posture, she looked more like a queen than a weird, penniless woman who could send cold waves through a room merely by entering it.
Vanaja unhappily whispered, "Sakshi, did you really have to bring this woman along? She gives me the jitters."
Engrossed in inspecting the items for the next day's exhibition with her two assistants, Sakshi absentmindedly whispered back, "I couldn't leave her behind. She becomes dreadfully upset around this time every year. Doesn't eat properly for a week, and ends up antagonising people with her behaviour. And this day is the worst. She will not eat a morsel of food or take a sip of water today. I think she lost her child on this date several years ago."
"That's sad, but she cannot use it as an excuse to look at everyone like they are dirt," Vanaja said resentfully.
Sakshi feigned deafness and continued with her work. Vanaja was a good friend of hers, and she was usually a generous and compassionate person. She was the one who called up with the information that a huge exhibition was going to take place in her town, and it might be a good outlet for the products made by the women in the ashram. She had used her connections to get a prominently placed stall, and had generously given them a large portion of her bungalow's ground floor for the duration of their stay.
Priyamvada was the disquieting factor. Somehow, she consistently evoked hostile reactions in people.
Sakshi glanced at the motionless figure in the chair.
She was the sole person who had been able to strike a rapport, albeit a weak one, with Priyamvada. Perhaps it was because she knew firsthand the grief of losing a husband and a child. But unlike Priyamvada, she had not stopped living. Then again, she'd met many unfortunate and grief-stricken souls, and had not yet seen a woman – or man - in as much pain as Priyamvada was...
******************************
Slouched lethargically in her chair, Nandini took a sip of water.
She had eaten more than her usual quota. Hunger and delectable food were to blame for the most part, but another reason was her lack of attentiveness at the beginning of the meal. The servants had not been stopped from ladling a variety of mouth-watering items onto her plate as she'd been preoccupied with gazing at two people, choked with emotion.
Her resolve to cold-shoulder Prithvi had broken very quickly after he had taken a seat at the table, as he'd instantly begun talking nineteen to the dozen. It had been the first time she'd heard him talk so much. But not one line of the chat had been addressed to her or Sumer Singh.
Prithvi's entire focus had been on Kadambari. While being served food, he'd zestfully asked comical questions about each item she'd cooked.
The unusual talkativeness had puzzled Nandini until she had looked at Kadambari's face and seen the moist eyes, faintly trembling mouth, and flushed face. The older woman had been on the verge of bursting into tears. And she'd only had to recall Kadambari's emotional outpouring on their way to the dining hall to surmise the reason for the latter's overwrought state. This was the first time Kadambari had been able to openly rejoice on Prithvi's birthday and serve him food –good food cooked by her at that - with her own hands on the occasion.
Once there was no more space on Prithvi's plate, he had compelled her to sit down on the chair to his left. After asking the servants to attend to her, he had kept the conversation going with splendid ease. He'd even enquired about her distant family and ancestral village, peppering the conversation with side-splitting wisecracks about some of her apparently horrid relatives. His efforts had shown effect very soon, and Kadambari had regained her cheer and joined the others in smiling and laughing.
Brimming with a tender happiness, Nandini had watched them. She'd loved seeing Prithvi being pampered. And the unassuming but adamant way he had not let Kadambari be overwhelmed by old wounds had brought a lump to her throat.
All of them had begun eating at the same time, and there had been silence for some time as they gorged on the lip-smacking fare.
Now the plates had been cleared away. Sumer Singh was talking to the palace's main manager at the door, Kadambari was instructing the servants about preparations for lunch, and Prithvi was reading the newspaper, which had been presented to him on a silver plate by one of the servants.
Nandini kept the glass of water on the table and glanced at Prithvi warmly. Yet again, she thought about the chubby infant chomping a flute...
"Why are you smiling like a dork?"
She came to herself with a start. He had evidently finished going through the newspaper, and was frowning at her.
"I wasn't," Nandini denied, composing her face. She speedily picked up the newspaper and hid behind it. Her eyes skimmed over depressing headlines and fell on a colourful advertisement on the bottom right of the page. It was about some exhibition...
Prithvi's rejoinder was interrupted by Sumer Singh, who had approached them after having a discussion with the manager. "The photographer has arrived, my lord."
"Tell him to **** ***," Prithvi said casually.
"He has travelled a long way," Sumer Singh said pleadingly.
"Alright. Give him breakfast, let him rest for some time, and then ask him to **** ***," Prithvi relented.
"Please think about it -
"Don't force him, uncle," Nandini said cheerfully, folding the newspaper and placing it on the table. She smiled at the slightly disconcerted young male on her left. "You're free for the next two hours."
"Great, come on," Prithvi commanded, getting up.
"Where to?" she enquired.
"Wherever," he retorted unconcernedly.
Nandini rose to her feet, genially saying, "You can go ahead. I won't be joining you. I'm going to my room." Then she serenely started to walk to the dining hall's door.
Her forearm was grasped hard.
"You're supposed to spend the whole day with me," Prithvi snapped.
"You reneged on your promise. So, I'm free to break mine," she countered. "I don't have to spend the whole day with you, and I don't have to accept two more of your demands. It is a big relief to be honest."
"You made me postpone the drive by saying you wouldn't insist on stuff like this," he snarled.
"Did I? That's terrible," she conceded. "Seems I'm turning as mean as you."
His infuriated gaze nearly seared her skin, but she stood her ground. Then he released her hand and strode out of the room.
He was probably on his way to cuddle the stupid car and go for a drive in that death-trap. Not on her watch...
She turned to Sumer Singh. "Uncle, please don't send the photographer away. I'll try to convince Prithvi."
"Do your best," he encouraged. "If he agrees, come to the Hall of Warriors. Prithvi will know where it is."
Nandini agreed and rushed to the door. Then she paused and turned. Kadambari had also finished speaking to the servants, and now she was gazing in her direction with something close to fondness. Fondness. No, that was unlikely...
She tentatively signalled to Sumer Singh and Kadambari that Prithvi's coat had been left behind. Both of them smiled and indicated that they would bring it along. She smiled back, then spun and ran out of the hall. And then she stopped again, her stomach performing a somersault.
She wouldn't have to run after Prithvi. He was standing in front of her, surveying her grimly.
Trying to regroup, she smiled vibrantly. "I didn't know you were waiting here. I thought you would go outside and -"
"Unlike you, I don't change my mind every other minute," he said unsmilingly, then scathingly asked. "Why were you running after me? Not done blackmailing for today?"
"That wasn't blackmail. I was – I was...solving a problem," Nandini chirped.
A feeble glimmer of amusement awakened in Prithvi's eyes as he turned to walk towards the west wing of the palace. "In that case, could you solve another problem for me?" he enquired.
"Of course, ask and you shall receive the solution," she beamed graciously, falling into step with him. They were strolling in an unfamiliar direction, but she didn't mind going anywhere as long as it kept him away from that monstrous car.
"On second thought, I'll solve it myself," he murmured. "It wouldn't be right to ask for your help in that matter."
She insisted, "What is it? Tell me!"
"You'll misunderstand if you find out," Prithvi dodged.
Pouting unconsciously, she curtailed her inquisitiveness. He wanted her to plead for details. But she was not going to give him the satisfaction. She wasn't as naïve or impulsive as the girl he'd met in Shamli months ago, Nandini thought haughtily.
She tenaciously focused on the lovely interiors and architecture of the halls and passageways. It helped that some of corridors were open on both sides and were flanked by gorgeous courtyards with lotus ponds, fountains and charming flowerbeds.
They walked through the fifth such passageway and entered a sprawling foyer that appeared to lead to some rooms and also contained a magnificent stairway for going to the first floor.
Nandini's gaze swept the area. They had recently walked past two guards, but this portion was empty of witnesses. She grabbed Prithvi's right arm with both her hands and pulled hard to stop him from striding ahead. "What – is - it?" she asked heatedly.
He sighed. "If you really want to know - I need to find a good section in the palace to accommodate my latest gift."
"One more gift? What did you get?" Nandini asked warily, thinking of the car.
Prithvi looked around secretively, then awkwardly said, "Women."
She stared at him blankly. "What?"
"When males in the family turn twenty, they are gifted with a host of young, attractive and open-minded women. One portion of this palace will now function as a harem," he revealed seriously. "I need to decide which one."
Rigid with fury, she looked at him wordlessly.
"Nothing to say?" Prithvi asked hopefully. "So, you're okay with it?"
"Absolutely," Nandini said frostily. "It's a great gift. Especially since I won't have to have to put up with any more nasty stunts like the one you pulled last night."
"What was nasty about it?" he asked courteously.
The politeness caused an alarm bell to ring in her head. But temper didn't let her pay heed.
"It was not funny or cute anyway," she shot back furiously. "Do you have any idea how scared I was?"
"Why?"
"Why? You know why!"
"I don't. Tell me...why were you scared?" Prithvi asked patiently. "You had a whole room to yourself, unlike the three times we slept together in Shamli."
"Don't put it like that," she hissed, her face burning.
"I'll put it any way I want to," he rejoined, steely anger now plainly visible in his eyes. "Answer my question."
Feeling increasingly unnerved, Nandini looked away to break the hold of his severely intimidating gaze. "We were in Shamli. It was different," she said reticently.
An impersonal harshness appeared on his features. "I see. It was your home," he deduced. "Everything was under your control. If I behaved like the animal I am and tried to force myself on you, your screams for help would bring a dozen saviours."
Cut to the quick, she mumbled, "I didn't mean it that way."
"You did. And if you believe that, you're deluded," Prithvi ridiculed cuttingly. "You were not safe because you were in Shamli, and the danger has not increased because you're here. No power on earth can stop me from getting what I want if I put my mind to it. Understand that, and be grateful," he advised cynically, with a degrading emphasis on the last two words.
Nandini flared up in a poisonous mix of rage and humiliation. "You're not doing me any favour," she spat out.
He looked at her for a moment, blistering contempt in his eyes. It was directed at her, she realised. At her supposed naïveté...
Prithvi turned to stride back towards the corridor.
She could tell he was as furious as her. Needling him at this point would be indefensibly foolish. But her belligerence had spiraled out of control.
"Don't walk away when I'm talking to you," Nandini burst. "Or is your ego so fragile it cannot handle the truth?"
Pausing, he glanced at her, and his coolness only served to aggravate her. Then he changed direction and headed to the closest room. She stalked after him wrathfully, and entered a gloomy room with scant pieces of furniture.
Prithvi had been waiting casually to a side. The instant she entered the room, he moved smoothly to shut the door.
Startled, she swivelled to look at him as he leaned casually against the door. There wasn't much light in the room. However, the available illumination was enough for her to see the cold ferocity in his gaze.
Nandini's heart leapt to her throat, as fear temporarily surpassed anger. She automatically tried to draw back. But her retreat was cut short by a brutal grip on her upper arm.
He yanked her close with a deceptive indolence, and roughly clamped a hand around her waist.
Hissing an incoherent jumble of angry threats and frightened pleas, Nandini fought the punishing embrace, but he retained his grasp on her struggling body without any effort.
Then she froze.
He wasn't attempting to...do anything further, and was simply holding her. She looked at her captor sharply, and the boredom-laced indifference on his visage reaffirmed her suspicion. He was calmly waiting for her to stop resisting and let him do as he pleased.
She stared at him hostilely, mentally swearing to scream if he kissed her. Her yells for help might go unheeded, but she would make them loud enough to damage his eardrums permanently.
It was a different matter that her heart seemed bent on using the same strategy on her with its atrociously loud pounding.
He could feel it, she was sure. Just as she was able to feel the thudding of his heart. The detachment on his stunning features had started changing to fresh attentiveness when she'd turned still, and embers were igniting in his eyes.
She strained in his clutch in a final attempt. The grasp on her waist constricted further until her breasts were squashed against his black vest. Her anxiety zoomed.
Why had she instigated him when he'd been walking away, Nandini thought miserably. But she couldn't let him kiss her. Nervousness apart, it would mean one more defeat in an already disgraceful history.
One of his hands was delving into her hair, the other was gliding sinuously down her back. This was the time to screech her lungs out...
His fingers knotted in her hair, holding her in place. Her eyelids fluttered shut. He lowered his head and grazed his warm lips against hers. Was it relief or disappointment that suffused her at the thought that he would let her go with this brief touch...
He reclaimed her lips. Gently at first, and then the kiss turned rough...
He was being deliberately cruel. She'd countered that side of his personality before. But the benefit of experience had not lessened the fear it evoked automatically in moments of physical intimacy.
It had also not dimmed the strange, untamed excitement ingrained in the heart of the fear.
Submitting helplessly, she coiled her arms around his neck and kissed him back ardently.
Nandini was vaguely conscious of being manoeuvred until it was her back that was being pressed against the door. Carvings and metallic embellishments were jabbing into her back, while his fingers were digging into her hips. And he was still kissing her with a brutish passion. She dug her fingers into his hair, lost in an almost electrical pleasure.
His lips moved to the satiny skin of her throat, lavishing soft lingering kisses that scorched her skin and made her toes curl with a rapturous delight.
Prithvi raised his head. Quivering, she opened her eyes, and looked at him dazedly. He was holding her closely, but there was a hard remoteness in his gaze.
"I am. I really am," he said bluntly.
Locked in a beautiful stupor, it took her some time to realise he was replying to the rancorous comment she had made when he'd been walking away.
Prithvi spoke again in a calm and controlled voice. "I put up with your medieval beliefs because I love you. And every time you show your distrust, you demean what I feel for you. Have you ever thought about that?" he asked quietly with more hurt than anger.
She stood motionless as he firmly removed her hands from his neck. He moved back and strolled to one of the large, comfy armchairs in the centre of the room and slumped into it. Then he irately kicked his formal, leather shoes off, and kept one foot on the ornate sofa table in front of him.
She gazed at him mutely, assailed by guilt and despair. What could she tell him? She couldn't apologise for the boundaries, because they weren't wrong from her standpoint. Her values and beliefs, both inculcated and inborn, were too deep-seated. She might forget herself for some moments in his arms. However, until they were married, she could not and would not permit the crossing of any lines. Nandini incongruously thought of the rigorous restrictions that had been imposed by her mother when she'd stepped into her teens. And also of times she'd happened to be present during muttered conversations between her mother and other older women in their neighbourhood in Shamli. The talk had often been stilted and heavily dependent on old-fashioned terms and facial expressions to protect her innocence. But one truth had filtered into her brain. Men were different. Their thoughts, desires, and mindsets were different...
Then again, it wasn't her beliefs that were angering this particular man. It was her inability to handle even harmless moments of fun with him at times. But she couldn't say sorry for that either. When he was close, especially in intimate set-ups, she was always overwhelmed by an instinctive tension that was beyond her control.
Nandini used a moment to fortify herself. Then, with her stomach in knots, she walked to him and stood behind his armchair. Her arms slid around his neck, and she rested her chin on top of his head.
She softly said, "I'm sorry for overreacting yesterday. Today onwards, I'll try not to become hysterical when you do your best to scare me," she added blithely, giving his cheeks a playful tug.
Prithvi clasped her arm and pulled her around. Before she had time to react, she was practically lying in his lap.
"Why did you do that?" Nandini protested angrily, sitting up and then starting to rise from his lap in panic. Then she turned still, and shifted at a snail's pace to face him contritely.
"You really meant what you said," he said sarcastically.
"Can I request a re-exam?" she implored.
"Not necessary. I got my answer the first time around," Prithvi retorted coolly.
Nevertheless, emboldened by the fact that he hadn't pushed her off his lap, she fidgeted to make herself more comfortable. Then she wriggled closer and gingerly leaned against him, sliding an arm around his neck in a warm hug. She put her soft cheek to his, and placed her other hand near his neck.
"I love you," Nandini said, and held her breath.
"I love you too," Prithvi muttered sullenly, his arms enveloping her.
Awash with relief, she smiled and relaxed in his embrace.
A spell of silence – neither comfortable nor uneasy - fell upon them.
While thinking of a safe subject, Nandini distractedly examined the room. It was small and sparsely furnished. The existing furniture - four big armchairs with the sofa table in the centre - was quite modern. There were tall windows on two of the walls, but they were covered with velvet curtains that didn't permit much light to enter the room. The windows were open though, as proven by the gentle fluttering of the curtains. There were some marble sculptures in the corners, and a painting of the coat of arms hung on the wall opposite them.
She hesitantly enquired, "That is the coat of arms of your father's family, isn't it?"
"Yes," Prithvi murmured.
Out of interest, she lifted her head to look at him and unthinkingly asked, "Your mother's family must have a coat of arms too. What is it like? Are there animals on it too?"
Nandini instantly bit her tongue, regretting the questions. Why had she brought up the topic...
But to her relief, he didn't seem to mind. "A lion and a swan."
She wrinkled her nose. "A lion and....but it will eat up the swan."
"You're worried about the fate of a swan's picture?" Prithvi asked dryly.
"I'm not," Nandini refuted, flushing. "And – and what's the motto?"
"The greatest strength lies in the purest intellect," he recited impassively.
"The greatest strength lies in the purest intellect," she repeated, pondering. "Okay...the lion for the strength...and the swan for the intellect. Both the mottos are nice. The lion and swan one is a little complicated but it's interesting. The one on your father's side is simple and sweet. I wonder how they decided upon the imagery and the animals. And the mottos. What must have -"
"We've come a long way, haven't we?" Prithvi reflected.
She looked at him, confused but thrilled by the observation. "Why do you say that?" she asked shyly.
"When we'd first met, you used to bore me with information about your family. Now you bore me with analysis about mine."
Her fist crossly thwacked his chest. "I was not analysing anything," she said resentfully. "I was just thinking about the differences between -"
"You're going to analyse your analysis? Wonderful," Prithvi muttered.
"Stop pulling my leg," Nandini said indignantly, striking his chest again. And then she remembered...
"Oh I forgot to show you something important," she said excitedly, removing her hands from around his neck and sitting straight. Removing the sandal, she kept her left leg on the table, next to his right sock-clad foot.
He seized her arm, alarming her into looking at his shocked face.
"Am I going to get to see your ankle again?" Prithvi asked, thunderstruck. He grinned as his chest received several angry thumps in quick succession.
Punishment delivered, Nandini haughtily turned and pulled back the hem of the voluminous salwar to reveal a shapely ankle adorned by glittering diamonds and shining silver.
Astounded, Prithvi stared at the anklets. She'd worn them at long last. The stones had been devoid of appeal till they'd been in the glass case. But now that they were on her feet, they'd acquired an alluring loveliness...
"How does the birthday gift look?" she asked chirpily, a ruddy tint on her face.
"Not very ugly," he commented charitably.
"Oh my god, you must really like it," she cried, and giggled at the flush on his face.
Ignoring her chuckles, he evasively muttered, "Why did you wear both?"
"The silver ones are also a gift from you. I couldn't bring myself to remove them," she said warmly, leaning to lie sideways against him.
He didn't reply but cuddled her tightly. Then his foot lazily shifted closer to hers on the table.
His toes tenderly stroked her instep.
Nandini's breath got caught in her throat at the raw jolt triggered by the touch, and she swiftly whipped back her leg.
"Is there any part of you that's not ultrasensitive?" Prithvi asked interestedly.
"I was tickled because of the sock," she said firmly, not looking at him.
"You were? Then let's give it a try without the sock," he suggested.
Erupting in giggles, she tried to twist out of his arms and get up.
Laughing, he yanked her back. She jostled playfully with him, chuckling nonstop.
The exuberant sounds of their laughter rang out in the room, dispelling the shadows between them and purifying the atmosphere...
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