Wide-eyed, Nandini walked to Prithvi, asking, "What curse?"
"I'm not telling you what it is," he refused. "If you do anything reckless, it could ruin my life."
"I won't do anything," she claimed industriously, about to burst with curiosity. "Tell me about the curse."
She gasped as he caught her hand and swung her around to face the stunning vista while holding her securely against his body. Fear of being spotted assailed her momentarily. But the area was deserted at this time of the evening and sunlight was dimming fast...
"People say the spirit of the palace has a weakness for a certain type of woman," Prithvi disclosed as she relaxed in his arms. "They need to have pumpkin-sized eyes, and they absolutely have to be short-tempered, prudish and melodramatic. If such a girl stands near this lake and stares at the palace for five seconds at a stretch, she may get a sign. It could be anything. But once the sign is given...it is over."
Nandini had heard the fabricated story with growing enjoyment and now she giggled. "What happens when she sees the sign?"
"Her life will get entangled irreversibly with the life of the youngest and most good-looking male member of the family that owns the palace," he revealed grandly. "They could go wherever they want and do whatever they wish to...but ultimately, they will have to return to each other whether they like it or not. And that's how it will be forever."
Faint sounds of temple bells reverberated in the air, and surprised, Nandini glanced at the top of the hill opposite the palace.
"See, there's your kind of ridiculous confirmation that the curse is true," Prithvi smirked.
She turned her head to regard him amusedly. Then a crease appeared on her forehead. "But why did you say it will ruin your life?
"Forever is a very long time," he said gravely. "I might change my mind."
Nandini's gaze narrowed. "I will stare at the palace till my eyes water," she declared stoutly, and proceeded to follow up on the threat.
The palace lit up gloriously.
With a loud gasp, she moved out of his embrace and walked forward unconsciously, staring elatedly at the brilliantly golden citadel. The lighting arrangements that had been made for his birthday had not been taken down yet, she realised in a tizzy. The palace looked phenomenally beautiful. But the lights had not been used yesterday...
She spun around with a happy laugh and ran to him impulsively. Grinning, he swept her up in a snug embrace. After a seemingly short while, they broke apart unwillingly, and he solemnly said, "We're trapped now. This is what happens when you don't listen to the wisest person in the world."
"The wisest person in the world is my grandfather," Nandini said perkily.
"The man who told me ghosts can cause constipation?" Prithvi asked testily.
She chuckled. "At least he believes it. You tricked me."
"Not for the first or last time," he assured.
Laughing, she turned in his arms to gaze at the luminous palace again. It possessed a heavenly allure, especially when viewed against the backdrop of the clouded sky.
"I want to take a picture of it," Nandini smiled, and started to walk to the front door of the car to take her phone.
He put an arm around her shoulders and drew her back smoothly. "There are more beautiful things to photograph," he said softly, and her heart missed a beat.
He turned her around to face the car. "Isn't she the loveliest thing you've ever seen?" he said admiringly.
Nandini removed the hand around her neck and started to stroll around the car.
"Something wrong?" Prithvi asked solicitously.
"Not at all. I agree with you," she said pleasantly, picking up something from the ground. "This car is spectacular."
He stared suspiciously at her beaming visage. "What's that in your hand?"
"Just a sharp little stone," Nandini said offhandedly. "Since you love the car so much, I'm going to scratch your name on it with this."
He gaped at her in dismay, then advanced towards her cautiously. "Nandini, throw that stone away, and step back from the car."
"Why? I'm doing a nice thing for you," she taunted, backing away while keeping the stone hazardously close to the car's surface. "I want everyone to know this car is yours when they look at it."
Prithvi halted to regard her guardedly, then he moved towards her again at a staggering speed.
With startled laughter, Nandini sprinted to the back of the car and kept the stone's pointy end on the shiny surface of the trunk.
"Any foolish action will cause a big scratch on your beloved car," she threatened.
Prithvi stopped instantly near the rear door, and sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone on about it. it's just...I've wanted a car like this one for a long time, and I got a little carried away when I finally got it."
She looked at him doubtfully, unsure if he was putting on act. But there seemed to be so much honesty in his expression and voice. Thawing, she tentatively said, "Okay, I won't scratch the car, but you have to stop talking about it," she warned.
"Deal," he said sincerely, gazing at her with a melting force. "And...I was wrong to call it beautiful. The only beautiful thing in my life is you," he murmured.
Thrilled by the sweet admission, she gladly tossed the stone to the ground. And immediately knew she had made a mistake as Prithvi's face turned grim without warning.
She darted around the car as fast as she could. He dashed to the front of the vehicle. And when she reached the bonnet, it was to find him already waiting for her with a wolfish smile on his handsome face. Squeaking, she tried to scurry back, but he was too swift for her as usual. Her waist was seized, and she was swirled around. But she met his intimidating gaze without remorse or tension.
"What was that threat again?" Prithvi enquired.
"I was not threatening you. I was telling you what I intended to do," Nandini retorted. "And if you praise this stupid thing again, I will scratch every inch of it."
He heard her in an astonished silence, and then dryly said, "You're a garden variety lunatic, aren't you."
"I'm just trying to keep up with you," Nandini quipped.
He grinned. "I have an entire crazy clan to blame. What's your excuse? You were that desperate to fit in?"
Nandini chuckled. "Yes, that's how much I love you."
"Then I think I should do something for you too," Prithvi said thoughtfully. "This lake has given me an idea. Today, I'm going to teach you to swim."
She stared at him blankly.
"What better way to prove my love than show you a way to save yourself from drowning," he continued devoutly. "We can start your first lesson right away. Take off your clothes. It will be easier to swim naked," he stated with great sincerity and tugged at her dupatta.
Shrieking with laughter, she pushed at the mischievous hands. "You're insane. Let me go! Prithvi, someone will see us."
He reassuringly said, "No one comes here at this hour. This area is supposed to be haunted."
"What?" she yelped.
"The ghosts here don't cause constipation, they simply drive women crazy with lust," Prithvi consoled, and then glumly added, "But they must have left the area after the humiliating defeat at your hands."
As she chuckled bashfully, he drew his phone out of his shirt pocket. Then swearing, he grabbed her arm and proceeded to shove her into the car without answering her flummoxed half-questions and protests. He dashed to the driver's seat and they were racing back to the palace in a matter of seconds.
In the span between being pushed into the vehicle and leaving the lake, Nandini worked out the mystery herself. "Choti maa found out?" she asked in dread, checking her phone. "No missed calls from her."
"She's on her way to your room," Prithvi replied briefly. "It's okay. You'll be there when she arrives."
"How?" she asked
He gave her a hurt look, offended by the question.
Nandini rolled her eyes, but felt calmer. If he believed he would get her to her room that swiftly, he would do it one way or the other....unless they died on the way in a car crash caused by the speed, she thought ruefully. But she didn't complain. The faster they reached the palace the better. She grabbed the pieces of the letter from the dashboard and held them tightly along with the phone.
They reached the servant's gate in an astonishingly short time. She got down in a flurry but he was already at her side. The glowing palace entranced her, but he seized her hand and hauled her into the palace. With her eyes on the lights, she didn't pay attention to their progress, and felt bewildered when they entered an unknown, dimly lit space. In spite of the scare illumination, he led her quickly through narrow, grimy pathways, and then a stone stairway that took them to the first floor.
Nandini stopped on seeing the first recognisable landmark, and urgently said, "Wait, I know the way now. You should go. She mustn't see you anywhere in this area."
"Alright...stay calm and lie your head off if needed," he instructed, walking backwards. "I have to go out again and won't be home for dinner."
"I – okay...what?" she asked, baffled. "Where are you going?'
"My mistress is feeling neglected," Prithvi confided seriously. And chuckling at her angry frown, he turned and started to descend the stairs at a swift pace.
*********************************
Nandini opened the door and smiled nervously at Kadambari. Then she stood aside, giving room for Kadambari to enter the sitting room. She had reached the room barely five minutes ago, but that time had been sufficient to hide the torn letter and quickly comb her wind-ruffled hair. Now she waited worriedly for any questions.
However, Kadambari continued to wait outside silently, and Nandini suddenly realised that the older woman was quite agitated.
"Is everything okay, Choti maa?" she asked anxiously.
Looking unusually stressed, Kadambari mumbled, "Yes, everything is...I just wanted to talk to you about something important."
Nandini walked to her and caught a pudgy arm to lead her gently into the room. They walked to the sofa and sat down.
Kadambari uneasily wondered how to bring up the subject of Rajeshwari. So far, she had not mentioned any of the events happening at the palace while conversing with the princess, since it would have aggravated the poor child's sense of loneliness. And as part of the resolve, she'd not uttered a word about Nandini either. And moreover, she'd felt too embarrassed to describe the nature of the relationship between Prithvi and Nandini. But Rajeshwari had sounded so disheartened and alone today that she had once again asked for the princess' permission to speak to Prithvi. And to convince Rajeshwari that there was a good chance of persuading Prithvi for a meeting, she had finally spoken about Nandini.
The princess had been stunned at first, but then her mood and outlook had undergone a sea-change. And then she had disclosed a few things herself. Kadambari had recalled hearing a tiny portion of it months ago...but some other revelations had been startling...
"Choti maa?" Nandini prompted gently.
Kadambari abruptly said, "I want to talk to you about Prithvi's sister."
"His what?" Nandini asked in shock, the room spinning around her.
"His cousin sister," Kadambari explained hurriedly. "Princess Rajeshwari. His mother's older brother's daughter. She is his only cousin on his mother's side. I'm not surprised he hasn't spoken to you about her. You know he doesn't like talking about any of them."
The room slowed a little, and Nandini leaned back heavily. She had assumed she knew everyone who was related closely to him by now, but that had been a mistake. Considering his deep abhorrence for any discussion about his family, these kinds of surprises were probably not going to cease anytime soon. But this was a big shock. He had a cousin...Rajeshwari...the name had a familiar ring to it.
Sensing the need to give some explanation about the family before raising the main subject, Kadambari reluctantly continued, "Prithvi's grandfather - the king had three children. The oldest was Prince Yashvardhan. He was...he was injured when he was young, and never recovered fully. He died soon after Prithvi's...departure from the palace. The second child was Prince Harshvardhan. He was happily married and had two children - Rajeshwari and Chinmay. Prince Harshvardhan, his wife and son died in a car crash some years ago. After that, Princess Rajeshwari was left all alone. She is quite shy and timid. And the king is not particularly...kind towards her. She's very lonely in the palace. There are some other relatives, but they – they are dealing with their own issues, and are not concerned about her. So...the princess wants to come here...to meet Prithvi. She can travel to the palace by herself. But...could you ask him if he is agreeable to meeting her just once?" she asked pleadingly.
A tenuous link had formed in Nandini's mind when Kadambari had been describing the princess, and she had realised why the princess' name had seemed familiar. The jittery young girl whom she had met in January at the college...her name was Rajeshwari too. No....it would be too huge a coincidence..
She began to say encouragingly that Prithvi probably wouldn't have any objections, but then Kadambari's excessive tension gave her pause.
"Had she done something to hurt him?" Nandini asked timidly.
Kadambari nodded her head unhappily.
"When they were children, the princess's brother caused a fire in one of the rooms. Priceless paintings and important documents were destroyed. When the children were questioned, the princess sided with her brother and lied that Prithvi was to blame," she regretted. "It was only because her brother had threatened to beat her up. Prithvi was punished even though he was innocent. Shortly after that, he...left the palace. After that, they haven't - She wants to meet him badly...she had even gone to the college in Shamli to see him. Once in January...but Prithvi had not joined the college yet."
"That was her?" Nandini blurted, staggered by the confirmation.
Kadambari nodded awkwardly in confirmation. She could have started off the conversation with that staggering revelation, but it had perturbed her. She was a staunch believer in God and destiny. Yet, it was a tad too bizarre that on her very first trip to Shamli, Rajeshwari had run into the girl who would eventually become such an important part of Prithvi's life...and the one person who could help her meet her cousin brother....
"Yes, she told me you'd helped her find the principal's office," Kadambari confirmed hesitantly. "You remember her, don't you? Look, this is the princess," she said, showing Nandini a photograph on her mobile phone.
Feeling overwhelmed, Nandini gaped at the image of a slender girl with shoulder length hair. It was the same girl, though she was clad in more expensive clothes. In the picture, Rajeshwari was leaning against a window, smiling feebly. It was hard to believe that this sweet girl was the daughter of the vile man who had dared to harm her father, Nandini thought pensively.
"The princess went again later and did see him from afar...but didn't have the courage to approach him. She's afraid of him because she thinks he hates her," Kadambari said, eyes welling up. "You've seen her...you know how she is...please -"
Nandini handed back the phone and gently said, "I'll talk to Prithvi about her, and...I feel everything will be fine." She needed time to think about all of it, but it was hard to watch the anxiety on Kadambari's motherly face for any longer.
Kadambari caught both of her hands emotionally and held them to her eyes.
*********************************
Nandini looked apprehensively at the bathroom's door as she closed the topmost button of her olive green cotton nightdress.
Yesterday morning, she'd felt Prithvi was nearby, but she had dismissed the possibility, confident that he wouldn't breach her privacy by sauntering into her bedroom without consent. But he had proved her wrong...
Nandini looked at her nightdress. It fell to her ankles and was very loose-fitting. She opened the door and peeped out. The room appeared comfortingly empty until she looked at the television. It was switched on and a football match was going on silently.
Prithvi was lounged in the centre of the bed, reclining against the headboard with pillows cushioning his back. Hands folded behind his head, he was absorbed in the match. On the whole, he appeared so comfortable that she wondered if she had wandered into his suite by mistake.
"Hey," he said absentmindedly, not looking away from the screen.
"What are you doing here?" she asked frantically, walking into the bedroom. "If Choti maa find out -
"I bolted the door, so there won't be any surprises," Prithvi said carelessly. "If she knocks to launch an investigation, I'll escape through the balcony."
"You will not," Nandini snapped, chilled by the very thought of it.
"So we agree you'll make an excuse and send her away," he concluded adroitly.
She whimpered with frustration and asked, "Why are you here?"
Prithvi deigned to glance at her at last, and commented, "You seem upset."
"Why would I be?" Nandini asked sarcastically. "I love it when you walk into my room without asking."
"What's the problem then?" he enquired, puzzled, and then grinned when she looked daggers at him.
Feeling frazzled, she pleaded, "Can you please go back to room?"
Prithvi turned serious and sat up straighter with a sigh. "I need to talk to you about something important. But it's difficult..."
The melancholy in his eyes caused a spurt of concern in Nandini's chest. "What is it?" she asked uneasily.
He looked away and muttered, "It's not...I'm not comfortable with the subject."
Increasingly disturbed, Nandini climbed onto the bed. "You can tell me whatever it is."
"I don't think I can. I don't think I should tell anyone."
She scuttled nearer to him and worriedly said, "Don't keep it to yourself. Just tell me..."
He gazed at her apprehensively. "I was only pretending to watch football. I was actually enjoying a fantasy about taking a very long bath with you."
She stared uncomprehendingly at him, then a fiery scarlet gushed into her face at the same moment that he laughed.
Her angry, embarrassed reprimand came out as an unintelligible cry as he snatched her up by the waist. He instantly started tickling her and she burst out laughing.
"Were you about to say something?" Prithvi asked quizzically.
Giggling loudly, she tried to push away his fingers. "Please – stop," she entreated between fits of chuckles.
"Will you try to get away from me?" he demanded
"I won't," Nandini chuckled.
His fingers stopped, but then his arms coiled instantly around her waist and drew her closer so that her back was resting against his chest, and his legs were stretched out on either side of her.
Flushed, she wriggled in his clasp. "You don't have hold me so tightly," she said crossly.
"I don't have to, but I want to," he murmured into her ear, his warm breath triggering a sharp flip-flop sensation in her stomach.
As her face turned hotter, Nandini squirmed even more. The intimacy of the whole situation, especially since they were in a bedroom, was making her excessively uncomfortable.
His sharp teeth nipped at her soft, fleshy ear-lobe.
She squeaked in pain and looked back at him with fuming, reproachful eyes.
"Stop fidgeting," Prithvi retorted remorselessly.
Rubbing her poor ear, Nandini turned her pink face to the television and tried to focus on remaining very still. After an edgy minute, she stiffly said, "When did you return?
"About forty minutes back."
"Had dinner?"
"Yeah."
"Where had you gone?" she asked with supreme nonchalance.
"I thought I told you."
Irritated at the response, she frostily said, "Why did you bother to return?"
Prithvi grinned at the screen. "Her husband returned earlier than expected."
Nandini's lips twitched.
"Now listen, we'll be leaving early tomorrow," he went on. "So have your breakfast and be ready by nine."
Her face lit up but she didn't glance back. Trying to maintain a composed tone, she asked, "How do you know Choti maa will agree?
"For one, she thinks we've obeyed her scandalous instructions," Prithvi reminded without any guilt. "And she's upset because I returned late today. She'll assume that I'll return early tomorrow if you're with me."
As an unpleasant memory returned, Nandini grasped his left hand to look at the palm and winced on seeing a dark red line.
"You can kiss it," Prithvi permitted generously.
Embarrassed that she'd been about to do that, Nandini dropped his hand and grumbled, "I don't want to...and I don't watch to this game either."
"But it features someone you know."
Carried away by excitement, she glanced at him animatedly and asked, "Who?"
"That round brat who was always crawling after you and was stuck to you for days in Shamli," Prithvi described mockingly.
She immediately understood whom he was talking about. "Arjun? He's in the crowd?" she asked gleefully, peering at the screen.
"He's part of the game. Look, he's being kicked to the goal post right now," he smirked, gesturing to the football that was soaring in the air.
She glared at him furiously and snapped, "How can say such an insensitive thing about a baby. You're horrible! And you're not going to watch this idiotic match anymore. Where's that remote?"
Nandini huffily picked up the remote that was lying beside them and switched to a movie channel...only to see a sensuous Hindi love song that featured a rain-drenched couple. Clad in a wet, skimpy outfit that was clinging to her voluptuous body, the woman was trying hard to seduce the man....
Aghast, Nandini was about to change the channel when the remote was snatched out of her hands.
"Change it, change it, change it," she yelled hysterically, feeling horrendously self-conscious as she grappled clumsily for the remote.
But despite maintaining one hand around her and his fascinated attention on the frantically gyrating woman, he easily kept it out of her reach.
"No, you were right. This is much better," Prithvi said enthusiastically, wicked lights in his eyes. "Hey why don't you do stuff like this for me?"
"Don't watch it," she beseeched in distress, covering his eyes with her palms.
He dislodged her hands and indolently admired, "Damn...look at those moves. She's sexy."
Nandini turned her crimson face to the television and crossed her arms. "If that's all you want, go find someone else," she mumbled resentfully.
"Not a bad idea," Prithvi reflected almost to himself, dropping the remote into her lap. "It's getting late. I should go back to my room," he said casually and started to shift her out of the way.
She rammed her elbow hard into his chest and hissed, "You're not going anywhere."
"I think you've broken some of my ribs," he said contemplatively.
"You deserve it," she rejoined, leaning against him as forcefully as possible, and changed the channel again.
"Cartoons...really?" Prithvi asked cautiously.
"It's better than that stupid game," Nandini said stoutly.
"But isn't it a little narcissistic of you? Wanting to watch all your different personalities interact with each other onscreen?"
"Very funny," she said irritably.
Grinning, he put his arms around her again but didn't try to rag her otherwise in the ensuing minutes. Bit by bit, a comfortable quietness filled up the room, and she started to relax against him.
Nandini thought about the strange day as they watched animated characters running around on the screen. The meeting with Rajyavardhan Singh...the sweet time spent by the lake...then finding out about Rajeshwari...and the freaky coincidence that she was trying not to think too much about...
She wouldn't look at the letter or speak about it until he asked. But she did have to talk to him about Rajeshwari. Not now though...he had endured a lot today because of her. She would talk to him tomorrow...
"Thanks for staying back," Prithvi muttered, and kissed her cheek softly.
Titling her head back on his shoulder, she looked at him with a pretend strictness. He grazed his lips against hers. The tantalising touch of his warm lips sent a piercing tingle through her body.
Nandini looked back hurriedly at the television and tried to think of a topic for conversation. Then his hands travelled caressingly over her arms, and it became tougher to frame a coherent thought.
"I want to buy something for Choti maa," she mumbled. "She has been really caring and wonderful to me, and I want her to know how much I appreciate it."
"It's not because she likes you," Prithvi said kindly. "She has been kind towards all the girls I've introduced to her so far." He grinned as an elbow stabbed into him again.
Then Nandini uncomfortably asked, "Tomorrow, would it be okay if we stop on the way and buy something for her? I don't know if she'll let me go out with you again, and -"
"Fine. I'll give you five minutes to buy whatever useless stuff you want," he consented with feigned reluctance. They had to visit only one place tomorrow, which meant they would have ample time on their hands. But she didn't need to know that – or some other things – tonight, he mulled broodingly while running a finger teasingly down the curve of her neck
With a quickening heartbeat, she caught the roguish finger and looked up at him imploringly. "I might need at least half an hour to choose something good."
He bent to kiss the curve of her neck. "Ten minutes, and if it takes you longer, you'll have to find your way back to the palace." Disregarding her gasp and shy wriggle, he kissed the velvety skin once more - then again....lingeringly...
Close to losing the thread of the conversation, Nandini tremblingly whispered, "Twenty minutes, and you will wait for me for as long as it takes."
"You're right...I will," he murmured in her ear. "But the longer I have to wait, the harsher the penalty."
She gazed at him hesitantly, uncertain what to make of the forewarning. As if answering the question in her luminous black eyes, he captured her lips gently, kissing her with an intoxicating tenderness for a long time...
She nearly protested aloud when he lifted his head abruptly and reached for the phone that was lying on the bedside stand.
Prithvi distractedly muttered, "Choti maa is looking for me. The woman has psychic powers." Then he looked at her. "Be ready on time tomorrow," he directed, and then kissed her fiercely one last time.
Nandini waited somehow till he had left the room. Then she fell back limply on the mattress, and finally allowed herself to groan in disappointment..
*********************************
"I really think you both should carry lunch," Kadambari said fussily as she walked with Nandini to the main doors. "Outside food is never good for health. It won't affect Prithvi, but you.... I can prepare some good food in a jiffy and I'll give it to you in a container that will fit easily in this bag".
"Please don't worry, Choti maa," Nandini said sincerely, "I'll make sure we eat lunch at a good and clean restaurant."
"Hmph...alright."
"Thank you for this bag," Nandini said gratefully, patting the petite handbag that Kadambari had loaned to her on seeing the phone and purse in her hands. "I'll take good care of it, and...I'll talk to him today - about his cousin," she added awkwardly.
Hope dawned on Kadambari's face but she worriedly said, "Only if you're certain he is in a good mood."
Nandini nodded wisely.
Outside, Prithvi was waiting near a swish white car, and his respectful gaze didn't waver from Kadambari as the two women approached him. Nandini felt grateful and kept her eyes on the floor. Her face was already very warm because her head was still full of the previous night's moments...
Then he solemnly said, "Choti maa, are you sure you're okay with us going out together?"
Nandini held back a scornful laugh with difficultly.
Kadambari, however, smoothened a furrow in his shirt, and with restrained affection, she said, "Yes, but remember what I said yesterday...you have to return before sunset."
"We'll be back by six," he guaranteed virtuously, opening the car door for Nandini.
Nandini bade a cheerful goodbye to Kadambari and settled into her seat. Few minutes later, they were exiting the gates of the palace.
"What's with the bag?" Prithvi asked unexpectedly with a frown as the car sped down the hill. "You better not be thinking about paying for whatever nonsense you want to buy."
She looked at him austerely, and said, "It's Choti maa's handbag...she gave it to me for today. And why shouldn't I pay for a gift I want to buy?"
"You don't need to," he retorted inflexibly.
"Because I'm a woman and am supposed to depend on you?" she asked acidly. "Let me tell you something - If I want to buy something with my own money, I will."
He gazed at her perceptively. She'd not spoken very angrily but she had used the tone...and the tone was a 'Danger Ahead' sign that he had ignored innumerable times so far. But with his newfound pumpkin-related wisdom, he was not going to disregard the warning again. Particularly not today when he had to tell her that they would have to depart from Aadyabhoomi tomorrow and move to a different place for continuing the search. He had to avoid doing or saying anything that could put her in a bad mood, which could lead to hostile decisions.
"You have every right to," Prithvi motivated with alacrity, nodding for additional effect. "And if anyone suggests otherwise, you should push them into the path of a wild elephant whose girlfriend doesn't let him do any of the things he wants to."
She stared at him doubtfully. The volte-face was not convincing, but the caution in his attitude was genuine.
Letting go of her ire, Nandini gazed at the road ahead. They had traversed down the hill and taken the same road that had led to Vishranti Nagar. But on reaching an important crossroad, the car had proceeded in a different direction.
"Where are we going today?" she asked coolly.
"A town named Andhak. It's two hours away," Prithvi added tentatively.
"That's fine," she said, starting to feel both amused and guilty at the wariness in his behaviour towards her. "What happened to that ugly car of yours?"
"You will not be allowed near her again until you pass a psychiatric evaluation," he said apologetically.
She chuckled, "It won't escape me forever."
"That's how I feel about you," Prithvi grinned naughtily.
Nandini turned her blushing face away. Traffic was increasing on the roads, forcing the car's pace to lessen slightly. It gave her the chance to observe the people on the road and in other vehicles, colourful advertising posters and bustling roadside eateries.
There were small shops too on both sides of the road, but most of them were selling household provisions, utensils and furniture. She wanted to buy a nice, special present for Kadambari. And she wanted to do it before they began their search for the day. It would be cruel to trouble Prithvi for the trivial matter in the middle of the search...
And there was an even more important mission that she had to accomplish today...
She looked at him and tried to think of the safest way to venture into the unknown.
"Ask," Prithvi said dryly.
"What?" she said, alarmed.
"Whatever it is that you want to know," he replied calmly.
She smiled sheepishly, and then indecisively asked, "Do you remember a cousin of yours...Rajeshwari?"
Intrigued by the unforeseen question, he glanced at her and slowly said, "I remember a girl who was afraid of anything that moved or made a sound. Humans, animals and plants. I don't know how she felt about furniture. Choti maa told you about her?"
"Yes, she told me yesterday. Are you...okay with her?" Nandini asked clumsily. "I mean...do you have anything against her?"
"Why would I?" he asked, bewildered.
She worriedly explained, "Choti maa said there was an incident when you were children, and she took her brother's side and -"
Prithvi continued to feel stumped for some more seconds, then he recalled the day in question and chuckled. "Are you angry with any of your cousins over something dumb that happened when you were five years old? Wait...she thinks that's why I didn't...."
Nandini nodded.
"She's still the same then," he reflected wryly, and waited resignedly to be asked why he hadn't kept in touch with her. It was for the same reason he had not tried to meet or speak to Kadambari after leaving Devgarh. They both were innocent victims of his unflinching and selfish resolve to eradicate the past from his mind. And as an actual member of the family that he hated, Rajeshwari had not warranted even the fleeting reminiscences that he'd permitted for Kadambari. He'd not thought of meeting her when he'd travelled to Devgarh and had not even asked Kadambari about her in all these days.
But Nandini's next question was entirely different.
"So you don't mind if she comes to meet you?" she asked eagerly.
"I can go to Devgarh tomorrowto bring her," Prithvi replied casually.
"Choti maa said she can come by herself. She was just worried if you-"
"She was a harmless little mouse," he said impatiently. "And her brother was just a hyperactive moron. I wouldn't have minded meeting him too if he was alive today," he shrugged.
She looked at him lovingly, and after a gap of a few moments, diffidently asked. "Do you want to know something strange?"
"You have a dress that could give me a vague idea about your actual shape?" Prithvi asked sardonically.
She hit his shoulder. "Some days before you came to Shamli, Rajeshwari had come to our college to meet you. And – and I'd met her."
Astounded, he glanced at her wordlessly.
"I didn't know who she was at that time," Nandini elaborated uneasily. "She wanted to go to the principal's office and she didn't know whom to ask. She walked into the canteen and came to the table where I was sitting with Vrinda and Nishi. She looked really nervous, so I went with her to the office and left her outside the door. Funny coincidence, isn't it?" she said with a forced flippancy. On countering his cynical gaze, she lowered her eyes and look away.
Funny coincidence - that was one way to put it, Prithvi reflected jadedly. But there was no such thing in their lives when it came to each other. Ever so often, new information came their way, reinforcing the disconcerting sense that they had never had a choice... that a decision had been made for both of them long before they had met. He had made up the story of the palace's curse yesterday for fun, but in reality, the joke was on him ...
Absorbed in thought herself, Nandini stared out of the car window. When the car slowed at a crowded junction, she idly examined some of the vivid hoardings near a bus stop. The faces of politicians were plastered on a few of them, but one particular poster caught her eye. She had seen many identical ones in the past twenty minutes but this was the biggest hoarding so far.
It was for a handicrafts exhibition that was showcasing products made by rural artisans and self-help groups from many states across the country. Handicrafts made from jute, choir, terracotta, organic food products, jewellery, handloom sarees and dresses, and many other products were available for sale. Hadn't she seen the advertisement for this exhibition in the newspaper too...
"It's not very far from here," a male voice grumbled.
Brightening, she looked at his glum face. "Really? So we can go? I won't take too long to choose a gift."
"260 stalls...yeah, I'm sure you won't take a lot of time," Prithvi said testily but turned the car in the direction indicated by the arrow sign by the poster. It would be wiser to get the shopping done first so that she wouldn't waste much time on it. Besides, with her ultrasensitive nature, she wouldn't be in the right frame of mind to buy anything after visiting the ashram.
"I'll check only 3-4 stalls," she said happily.
"That sounds very realistic," he commented dryly.
Too excited to take umbrage at the sarcasm, she appealingly asked, "Will you come with me?"
"I don't have a choice," Prithvi said sourly. "If I let you go alone, you'll be wandering in circles inside for the next two days."
"You just want to make sure no one troubles me," she accused with a chuckle. He scowled at her but didn't offer a rebuttal.
Smiling, Nandini looked at the road ahead and cheerfully said, "I'm sure we'll find something good there..."
*********************************
Priyamvada worked diligently on the cloth in her hands, indifferent to the women bustling around the cramped stall. She was toiling to get the contours of the animal right.
Sakshi had given her three square pieces of white satin two days ago, and she didn't want any of them to go to waste. But it was tough to focus, and not just because of the chaos and irksomely happy families ambling before her eyes. Sakshi had begged her to take a mild medication till the end of the exhibition to prevent her from experiencing 'hallucinations' about Aditya again.
Hallucinations...when he was more real to her than the germs masquerading as people around her...
If only Sakshi knew that she'd been seeing Aditya every day after coming to this pathetic town, Priyamvada thought triumphantly. And the sight of him had caused the usual storm of emotions. The sole effect of the medicines was that she'd stayed calm and had not run to her beloved husband in a frenzy.
Every time she'd seen in the past three days, he'd been gazing eagerly into the distance. He was still waiting for someone...
A knee hit her shoulder, and she looked up furiously.
"Oh did I kick the queen?" Minu asked sarcastically.
Busy with putting up handmade bags and clothes tastefully, Sakshi edgily said, "Minu, leave her alone. Look at these bags and recheck if all of them have price tags on them."
"She doesn't lift a finger to help us and sits like a boulder in our way," Minu complained.
Priyamvada stood up rigidly, holding the satin piece. "I will sit behind the stall."
"Okay, I'll put a chair there for you," Sakshi said quickly, feeling grateful. Priyamvada's presence in the stall tended to make customers uncomfortable, and many of them had hurried off without examining the available merchandise properly.
"I don't need a chair. I can sit on the ground," Priyamvada said tightly, and walked out of a narrow gap at the back of the stall.
Then she stopped and spun with joy. Adityaraj was standing on the small lane between the parallel lines of stalls, and he was gazing in the direction of the main entrance to the exhibition.
As she began to walk to her husband, a group of people walked past him. When the line of vision was clear, he had disappeared again as usual. But her eyes somehow fell upon a little girl in a hideous frock who appeared to be about four or five years old. She was looking in all directions timidly. The child wasn't crying, but she was patently afraid and searching for her family.
Priyamvada hurriedly hid herself and stared at the girl. If the child saw her, it might come to her for help, and that would be disastrous for both of them.
Then the girl also seemed to vanish, and in her place was a seven-year-old cherubic boy, helpless and alone...waiting for his mother...
Struggling to see through tear-filled eyes, Priyamvada prayed fervently. Someone else had to see the girl. But people were walking indifferently past the child, either not noticing her or not wishing to ensnare themselves in a tough situation.
Sakshi could help.... She would know what to do in this situation.
Priyamvada began to go back into the stall, then halted and stared. A young woman had stopped beside the child and was talking to her with a very friendly and kind smile.
Priyamvada wiped her sweaty face with the edge of her saree. She felt strangely confident that the child would be safe now, and peered at the rescuer. The young lady was stroking the child's head soothingly, and clearly seeking more details about the people with whom she had come to exhibition.
Just then two hassled women with three children in tow came rushing down the narrow lane. The child ran to them enthusiastically.
Priyamvada held her breath. The young woman would be angry at them. She would scream at them...humiliate them for being careless about the child's safety...
But nothing of that sort took place. The grateful women appeared be to thanking their saviour and offering an explanation. The young woman nodded understandingly, and then smilingly waved back at the happy child. Then everyone went their own way. The situation had been resolved in less than two minutes.
Priyamvada looked at her hands and felt around her neck hopelessly. She didn't have even an artificial ornament to reward the girl. She looked at the cloth that she was embroidering. She hadn't stitched her baby's name on it yet.
*********************************
Nandini scrutinised the clay idols arranged on the vibrant yellow sheet, picking the most attractive figurines one by one and examining their faces. Many of them appeared perfect but didn't stand up to a close inspection.
She glanced uncertainly towards Prithvi to gauge his patience levels, but she needn't have worried. He was still engrossed in antique knives two stalls away.
He had gravitated to the stall even as she was talking nineteen to the dozen about the possible options for gifts. Thankfully, visitors were just starting to stream into the grounds. So only a handful of people had seen her talking vivaciously to herself like a lunatic, Nandini thought sulkily. It was their stares that had alerted her to his absence.
At least the boredom on his face had reduced slightly, and he appeared to be quite at ease now. One end of the display table had been cleared for him. Lounged comfortably, he was examining a knife and having an evidently enthralling conversation with the seller, who was a powerfully built man with a grey handlebar moustache. Someone could kidnap her right now and he wouldn't have a clue.
More gallingly, a few girls at the adjacent stall, which was selling colourful shawls, were throwing coy glances at him.
He was not concerned about them too.
Feeling mollified, Nandini transferred her focus back to the display table, and felt a burst of excitement. A beautiful and adorable clay figurine of Yashoda cradling baby Krishna had been hidden behind a bigger idol. It reminded her of the endearing photograph Kadambari had shown her. She lifted it and searched for flaws but didn't find any.
Pleased with her choice, Nandini paid the man who was running the stall and received a cardboard box that contained the gift.
"Excuse me.."
Nandini glanced quizzically at the woman who had approached her.
Sakshi smiled reassuringly, and said, "My name is Sakshi. I'm running that stall there...number 23. My friend said she saw you helping a little girl, and she wanted to appreciate you for it."
Nandini embarrassedly said, "Oh...but I only did what anyone else would have."
"She doesn't think so," Sakshi smiled. "She wanted to give this to you as a gift."
Nandini looked confusedly at the folded shiny satin handkerchief with hand-stitched yellow stars being proffered by the woman.
"She's not very...normal," Sakshi explained gingerly.
With a flash of compassionate understanding, Nandini warmly said, "Please thank her on my behalf. Or if I could meet her -"
"No! I'm sorry," Sakshi adjoined, apologising for the brusque refusal. "But she's not comfortable with strangers."
"Ohh alright. May I know her name?" Nandini enquired.
Sakshi wavered for a moment. She had already shared the stall number, hadn't she? But Priyamvada had specifically requested that nothing should be revealed about her. "I'm in a rush right now... I have to speak to the organisers," she said awkwardly, and sped off towards a middle-aged man with an ID card hanging around his neck and a clipboard in his hands.
Nandini swung to the other direction and smiled at the young man walking towards her.
"I bought my gift," she chirped, removing the clay figurine from its cardboard box and showing it to him. "It's lovely, isn't it? That's Choti maa and that's you," she described with an impish grin.
Prithvi looked at her contemptuously, and pointed to a gruesome mask dominated by enormous, crazed eyes. "And that's you. What was that lady talking to you about?"
So he had been paying attention to her, Nandini thought smugly while keeping the gift in her bag. "I saw a little girl -"
"And you tried to kidnap her because you go insane when you see any human being that is less than ten years old," he supplied kindly. "Her mother rescued her just in time. Yeah...I saw it happening.
Sniffing, Nandini held up the satin kerchief. "A woman in one of the stalls saw me helping me the child. She asked that lady you saw to give this to me as a gift," she said victoriously, unfurling the cloth.
Prithvi went still as the amusement in his gaze was replaced by an incisive awareness. He snatched the cloth from her hands and stared at it. The stitches were similar to the ones on the cloth they'd found at the temple, but that was only one of the things that had shaken him.
Taken aback by the sudden tension in his body, Nandini moved closer and looked unsurely at the cloth. Apart from the stars, there were two obscure hand-stitched images, one at the top and the other at the bottom. There was nothing drastic about it. Why had it shocked him...
Then, out of the blue, she remembered the ragged cloth they'd found in the temple.
Prithvi looked at her and roughly asked, "The woman who gave this to you...which stall did she come from?"
"She – I think - stall 23," she said quickly, frightened by his severity.
No longer aware of anything except the material in his hand, he strode speedily to the stall.
Nandini hurried in his wake automatically, mouth parched dry all of a sudden. His tension had been infectious, and she felt dizzy with confusion and hope.
Prithvi stopped before the counter and scanned the insides with a wild desperation. She wasn't there...
"Where's the woman who made this?" he demanded harshly, extending the satin piece.
Nonplussed, Minu and Geeta gaped at the agitated male. Then a girl came running to stand beside the young man, and though she appeared bewildered, her appearance was reassuring.
"Where is she?" Prithvi said angrily.
Minu flinched, and then pointed to the back of the stall.
With his heart in his mouth, he ran around the stall, and Nandini hurried after him.
Geeta followed the duo instinctively. Minu stayed back, rattled by the encounter but unconcerned about Priyamvada. Any harm caused to that bitch would be a victory for the forces of good in the world.
*********************************
Prithvi came to a jerky halt as if he had run into an invisible wall.
There were about three meters between the back of the stall and the canvas walls erected around the exhibition ground. A thin woman was seated on the ground, head bent in concentration as she stitched letters laboriously on a square-shaped cloth.
Nandini paused near him and looked at the gaunt, grey-haired woman who was clad in a shabby white saree, the pallu draped over her hunched shoulders. Her profile showed hollow cheeks and sunken eyes.
Nandini nearly wept with disappointment. It wasn't Priyamvada. She glanced at Prithvi with a mix of concern and compassion.
He was gazing at the thin woman, completely motionless. The blood had drained from his face...
*********************************
Priyamvada glanced bleakly to her right, and her gaze first fell on the young lady she had rewarded minutes ago.
Why was she here....had she found out about Prithvi, Priyamvada thought in irrational panic. Was she going to demand an explanation from her...
Then she saw the shell-shocked young man.
The mind could play mysterious games sometimes, Priyamvada thought with a deathly calm. The young man was the splitting image of her late husband, and yet, it was her own self she saw when she looked at that ashen face...
She turned her face back to the cloth again and resumed stitching, icy hands shaking violently. The stitches began going haywire. The needle jabbed deeply into her thumb. Blood oozed out of the injured flesh and seeped into the white satin. But she continued to work blindly.
Her son was dead...dead...dead...dead....dead...
The needle stabbed hard into the thumb again and another tiny drop of scarlet began to trickle out of her finger. The stitches continued to move haphazardly...scattering over the material as if trying to reach the red blotches...
Stupefied with soul-destroying agony, Prithvi walked slowly to the woman and knelt before her. She was even more beautiful than the person in his memories.
He swallowed hard, and then spoke the single, all-encompassing word that had not left his lips in about thirteen years...the tiny word he had not truly believed he would be able to ever utter in isolation again.
"Maa..." he said very gently.
Priyamvada's fingers stopped their frenzied movements, and then the blood-stained cloth and needle fell from her hands. She scrambled to her feet and flailed her hands agitatedly in front of her face in a heart-wrenchingly pleading gesture...as though begging to be left alone...
Nandini placed quivering hands on her mouth. Intense shock had shut down her mind, and she was oblivious to the tears streaming down her cheeks and the hushed sobs escaping her.
Prithvi rose and gazed helplessly at the distressed woman in front of him. The chaos in his being had rendered him incapable of thinking or feeling anything other than mind-numbing despair...and an excruciating need that his mother just look at him once...
"Maa..." he murmured desperately, unaware that his voice was tinged with the innocent insistence of a child.
Priyamvada wrapped her hands around her shuddering body and shook her head frantically....like a badly injured animal that doesn't know how to communicate its pain...
*********************************
Sakshi's curiosity and stress levels were escalating.
She'd been gone for a very short time, and had returned to find a befuddled but defiant Minu alone in the stall. And when she'd arrived here, it had been to find a clueless but tearful Geeta. The sweet girl with whom she'd interacted shortly ago was crying. A distraught young man was standing in front of Priyamvada, who was plainly in the grip of tremendous shock.
Without a doubt, something powerful had happened...
Sakshi walked to the young man. "Mister, please tell me what's going on," she appealed and lightly touched his arm to draw his attention.
A slim hand lashed out to hit Sakshi painfully in the chest. She lurched backwards and fell down with a thump.
Eyes blazing with pain-fuelled rage, Priyamvada screamed, "Don't touch my child."
*********************************